Middlebury College

Middlebury, VT · founded 1800 · 2,500 students · liberal arts college · NESCAC

Known for: World-renowned for its language programs and international studies, as well as its environmental science initiatives. It also operates the prestigious Middlebury Bread Loaf School of English and Writers' Conference.

Rankings

U.S. News liberal arts: #11
Forbes: #37

Top programmes

International Studies
Environmental Studies
Languages
Economics
English
Film and Media Culture

Notable alumni

Alexander Twilight — First African American elected to state legislature in the U.S.
John McCain — U.S. Senator and presidential candidate (attended briefly)
Julia Alvarez — Award-winning author and poet
Ted King — Professional cyclist
James Geoly — Film producer and executive
Deborah Amos — NPR international correspondent
Bill McKibben — Environmentalist and author
Reihan Salam — Political commentator and writer

Traditions

Feb Fest
Midnight Breakfast
Winter Carnival
Language Tables

If Middlebury College were…

As a food: Artisanal Vermont cheddar aged in marble caves — Like Middlebury, it's rugged yet refined, deeply connected to its terroir, and improves dramatically with time and international exposure.
As an athlete: Mikaela Shiffrin — World-class technical precision combined with Vermont mountain heritage and global competitive dominance in specialized fields.
As a person alive today: Bill McKibben — The environmental scholar-activist whose career mirrors Middlebury's blend of academic rigor, outdoor ethos, and climate leadership.
As a historical figure: Henry David Thoreau — The original New England intellectual who combined scholarly pursuit with deep connection to nature and principled simplicity.
As a movie or TV show: The Dead Poets Society — Ivy-covered New England campus where passionate teaching inspires unconventional thinking, though with more granola and less tragedy.
As a US president: Calvin Coolidge — The Vermont-born president known for quiet competence, fiscal conservatism, and understated New England integrity.
As a city: Boulder, Colorado — Outdoor paradise meets academic excellence, where every student seems to own both hiking boots and a thesis draft.
As an element: Carbon — The foundation of organic life that forms both diamonds and graphite - versatile, strong, and essential to environmental systems.
As a car: Subaru Forester XT — Outdoorsy, turbocharged intellect, and effortlessly global—Middlebury pairs elite language immersion and environmental studies with Vermont ski culture and a campus that composts everything. It's the thinking person's al

Campus life

Middlebury fosters a active, engaged community with a strong emphasis on sustainability, outdoor recreation, and global perspectives. Social life includes cultural events, skiing, and a vibrant arts scene, with limited Greek life influence.