Vermont: school, college and career rules
Vermont makes graduation proficiency-based (no state credit count) under its Education Quality Standards, tests with VTCAP in grades 3 to 9 and science in grades 5, 8 and 11, gives in-state tuition at the Vermont State Colleges after one year's domicile, and funds need-based Vermont Grants through VSAC for study in or out of state.
Linked from the State Population Totals 2020-2025 page (census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-state-total.html); population and rank copied from the POPESTIMATE2025 and NRANK_POPEST2025 columns.Census
High school diploma
Education Quality Standards (State Board Rule Series 2000, § 2120.8, effective July 1, 2025): a student graduates by demonstrating proficiency in the curriculum content areas of § 2120.6 and completing any other requirements of the school district board. Schools may use credits, but a credit must name the proficiencies shown and cannot be based on time spent. Vermont EQS
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| Subject | State minimum |
|---|---|
| English language arts and literacy | Proficiency in reading, writing, speaking and listening, language and critical thinking |
| Mathematics | Proficiency in numbers, operations, algebra and geometry |
| Science | Science and engineering practices and life, physical, earth and space sciences, engineering and technology design |
| Global citizenship | Civics, economics, geography, world language and cultural studies, and history |
| Physical education and health | At least 1½ years of physical education (or equivalent) in grades 9–12, plus health education |
| Artistic expression | Dance, media arts, music, theater and visual arts |
| Transferable skills | Communication, collaboration, creativity, problem solving, critical thinking, technology use and intercultural competency |
| Ethnic and social equity studies | As described in Act 1 (2019) |
Proficiency-based; credit totals, if any, are set locally.
State tests for the diploma
No state exit exam or credit minimum: each supervisory union or district defines proficiency-based graduation requirements based on State Board standards and records each student's path in a personalized learning plan. Vermont EQS
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Also good to know
- Students with an IEP or 504 plan meet the same graduation requirements in an accommodated or modified way, recorded in the personalized learning plan, and receive a regular diploma; students may also earn credit for learning outside school under a licensed educator's supervision.
Vermont EQS
Series 2000, Education Quality Standards (effective July 1, 2025), §§ 2120.6 and 2120.8Vermont State Board of Education / Agency of Education- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
State test: VTCAP
Vermont Comprehensive Assessment Program (VTCAP), part of the Vermont Comprehensive Assessment System. All students in grades 3 to 9 take the state's annual assessment in mathematics and English language arts, and all students in grades 5, 8 and 11 take the annual science assessment; most take the VTCAP, and students with the most significant disabilities may take the Multi-State Alternate Assessment (MSAA). AOE
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| Test | Subjects | Grades |
|---|---|---|
| VTCAP | English language arts and mathematics | Grades 3–9 |
| VTCAP | Science | Grades 5, 8 and 11 |
| MSAA (alternate) | ELA, math and science | Students on IEPs with the most significant disabilities |
Source: AOE
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What the scores are used for
- State assessment results feed Vermont's school accountability system (the Vermont Annual Snapshot); in 2026 the VTCAP and MSAA ran from 9 March to 24 April.
AOE
Statewide Assessments (Vermont Comprehensive Assessment System)Vermont Agency of Education- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
National tests (SAT, ACT, AP, NAEP) are on the Exams hub.
Public colleges and universities
The state's public university system(s) and community colleges, from their own pages.
- Vermont State Colleges System (Vermont State University)University system · Vermont's public higher education system: Vermont State University (five campuses plus learning sites, accredited by NECHE since 1 July 2023 after the system's transformation) and the Community College of Vermont.
- Community College of Vermont (CCV)Community colleges · The Vermont State Colleges System's community college, joined with Vermont State University in the state's public higher education system.
Sources: VSCS
View sourceVSCS
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Every school in Vermont, public and private, with cost and completion: 14 colleges, community colleges and trade schools.
In-state tuition: the residency rule
Public colleges charge less to state residents. Who counts as a resident is set by state law or the college system, not by where you went to school alone.
- Vermont State Colleges Policy 301: a student must be domiciled in Vermont (a true, fixed and permanent home) continuously for one year immediately before enrolling; moving to or staying in Vermont to attend college creates a rebuttable presumption of out-of-state status.
VSCS
VSC Policy 301, Policy on Determination of In-State Residency for Tuition Purposes (8/12/2024)Vermont State Colleges System (posted by the Community College of Vermont)- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
- The chief admissions officer weighs ties such as voter registration, property ownership, income and property tax payments, vehicle registration and driver's license; significant family financial support creates a presumption that the student lives with the family, and students under 18 hold their parents' residence.
VSCS
VSC Policy 301, Policy on Determination of In-State Residency for Tuition Purposes (8/12/2024)Vermont State Colleges System (posted by the Community College of Vermont)- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
- A student who can enrol as a resident student in another state cannot be enrolled as a Vermont resident.
VSCS
VSC Policy 301, Policy on Determination of In-State Residency for Tuition Purposes (8/12/2024)Vermont State Colleges System (posted by the Community College of Vermont)- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
The college's residency office makes the final decision. More on costs: What college costs.
State financial aid
Run by the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC). Federal aid (Pell Grants, loans) starts with the FAFSA: FAFSA, grants and loans.
Vermont Grants (Vermont Incentive Grant and Advancement Grant)
Need-based grants that VSAC administers for the State of Vermont, usable at in-state or out-of-state colleges: eligible students received $1,000 to $15,350 in 2025-26, first come first served while funds last. Apply through MyVSAC (Vermont Grant Application) and file the FAFSA every year; the Advancement Grant (formerly the Non-Degree Grant) covers short training. VSAC
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Licensing boards
Lawyers, doctors, CPAs and nurses need a Vermont license from a state board, even after passing a national exam. These are the boards that grant it.
| License | Vermont board | Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer How bar admission works | Vermont Board of Bar Examiners (Office of Attorney Licensing) | Uniform Bar Exam (MBE, MEE and MPT). MPRE required (passing score 80). NextGen UBE from July 2027. NCBEVermont: bar admission informationNational Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE)
Bar admission agency, the NCBE exams the jurisdiction requires, MPRE passing score and NextGen UBE plans. NCBE advises checking the agency itself for the latest rules. View source |
| Physician How a medical license works | Vermont Board of Medical Practice Vermont Board of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons | USMLE (M.D.) or COMLEX-USA (D.O.); Vermont has more than one board, as listed FSMBContact a State Medical BoardFederation of State Medical Boards (FSMB)
Directory of every state's medical (and separate osteopathic) board. fsmb.org answers automated reads with 403, so it was read from the Internet Archive capture of 14 Sep 2026; each board link was then opened on 22 Oct 2026, through the board's site or, where it blocks reads from India, its latest archive capture. View source |
| CPA How the CPA license works | Vermont Board of Public Accountancy | Uniform CPA Examination NASBAState Boards of AccountancyNational Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA)
Directory of the 55 boards of accountancy. nasba.org answers automated reads with 403, so it was read from the Internet Archive capture of 15 Oct 2026; board links that had moved were replaced with the board's current page, opened on 22 Oct 2026. View source |
| Registered nurse How the RN license works | Vermont State Board of Nursing | NCLEX-RN · Nurse Licensure Compact member since Feb. 1, 2022 NCSBNContact Vermont State Board of NursingNational Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)
NCSBN / NLCNLC states and implementation dates (NLC map, PDF)National Council of State Boards of Nursing (Nurse Licensure Compact)
|
Engineering, teaching, real estate, cosmetology and the trades have their own boards: all professional licenses · trades and apprenticeships.
State and city government jobs
Federal jobs are on USAJOBS; state and city governments hire through their own systems.
State of Vermont Careers
State of Vermont
- Search state jobs by keyword or location (or use the job map) on careers.vermont.gov and apply online; job seekers can join the talent network for alerts about matching openings.
Source: Vermont Careers
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Police, fire and other public-safety routes: Public Service & Safety hub.
Registered apprenticeship
Vermont has a State Apprenticeship Agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor. California is listed under both OA and SAA.Apprenticeship.gov
- Vermont Registered Apprenticeship Program (Vermont Department of Labor)Vermont is a State Apprenticeship Agency state: the Department of Labor's Workforce Development team runs Registered Apprenticeship, and Act 55 of 2023 (effective 1 July 2023) created a new framework for approving and regulating registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship, with an Apprenticeship Advisory Board.
- Trades and apprenticeshipsElectrician, plumber, HVAC and other trade routes on this site
Source: Vermont DOL
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Where these facts come from
Official and primary sources only, each checked on the date shown. Rules on testing, aid, licensing and immigration change, so confirm a detail with its source before you rely on it.
- Annual Estimates of Resident Population Change for the United States, States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and State Rankings: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2025 (NST-EST2025-POPCHG2020-2025, CSV) · U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025) checked 2026-10-21
- Vermont: bar admission information · National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) checked 2026-10-22
- Contact a State Medical Board · Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) checked 2026-10-22
- State Boards of Accountancy · National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) checked 2026-10-22
- Contact Vermont State Board of Nursing · National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) checked 2026-10-22
- NLC states and implementation dates (NLC map, PDF) · National Council of State Boards of Nursing (Nurse Licensure Compact) checked 2026-10-07
- Series 2000, Education Quality Standards (effective July 1, 2025), §§ 2120.6 and 2120.8 · Vermont State Board of Education / Agency of Education checked 2026-10-22
- Statewide Assessments (Vermont Comprehensive Assessment System) · Vermont Agency of Education checked 2026-10-22
- Vermont State Colleges System (home page) · Vermont State Colleges System checked 2026-10-22
- About Vermont State University · Vermont State University checked 2026-10-22
- VSC Policy 301, Policy on Determination of In-State Residency for Tuition Purposes (8/12/2024) · Vermont State Colleges System (posted by the Community College of Vermont) checked 2026-10-22
- Grants (Vermont grants for residents) · Vermont Student Assistance Corporation checked 2026-10-22
- State of Vermont Careers · State of Vermont checked 2026-10-22
- Vermont Registered Apprenticeship Program · Vermont Department of Labor checked 2026-10-22
- The Apprenticeship System: Office of Apprenticeship (OA) and recognized State Apprenticeship Agency (SAA) states · U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship checked 2026-10-21