Skip to content
Log inSign up

A VERMONT VILLAGE. KILLINGTON 45 MINUTES UP THE ROAD.

Vermont State University - Castleton

Vermont State University Castleton is the 1787-founded campus of a five-campus public university, set in a village between two mountain ranges with Rutland 15 miles east. The Spartans' varsity alpine teams race the USCSA Eastern conference from Sunday River to Whiteface, and in 2026 the women won both races at the USCSA Eastern Regionals.

Castleton, VT

SaveVisit official site
  • USCSA
  • Eastern · Varsity alpine
  • Men & women
Vermont State University - CastletonSpartans · Ski team

Photo: Jared C. Benedict (Wikipedia), CC BY-SA 2.0

SaveVisit official site
LevelEastern
USCSA
Undergraduates, all campusesVermont State quick facts
4,003
Percent admittedFall 2024, 3,529 applicants (IPEDS)
82%
Tuition, in-state / out-of-state2026-27, standard programs
$11,088 / $22,152
Training areas incl. Pico, Middlebury Snow Bowl, West Mtn2025-26 USCSA registration
Killington
Drive to KillingtonPer the campus page
~45 min
USCSA racers2025-26
27
USCSA power rankscore 57.57
—

Why Vermont State University - Castleton?

Small campus.Big Eastern circuit.

Castleton offers a low public sticker price, an 11-hall residential campus and a USCSA program that has been at or near the top of the East for years.

  • A slalom racer on the Superstar trail at Killington Resort during the World Cup

    Women swept the 2026 Eastern Regionals

    The women won both races at the 2026 USCSA Eastern Regionals at Sugarloaf and finished first in 10 of their 12 races from Sunday River through regionals.(castletonsports.com)

  • The 1821 Old Chapel on the Castleton campus

    In-state tuition of $11,088

    Standard-program tuition is $11,088 in state and $22,152 out of state for 2026-27, with a $16,632 NEBHE rate for eligible New England students.(vermontstate.edu)

  • The K-1 Express Gondola at Killington Ski Area in winter

    A 22-season head coach

    Chris Eder, in his 22nd season, led the women to second overall at the 2024-25 USCSA National Championships with six All-Americans.(castletonsports.com)

  • Lake Bomoseen in Castleton, Vermont, in autumn

    Ski country on the doorstep

    Killington and Okemo are about 45 minutes from campus, and the university runs a Resort and Hospitality Management degree with its own lodge at Killington.(vermontstate.edu)

About the school

The honest version.

What the school is, what it is known for, and what a family should weigh before committing.

Vermont State University Castleton is the 1787-founded campus of a five-campus public university, set in a village between two mountain ranges with Rutland 15 miles east. The Spartans' varsity alpine teams race the USCSA Eastern conference from Sunday River to Whiteface, and in 2026 the women won both races at the USCSA Eastern Regionals.

Know before you commit

  • USCSA, not NCAA: the athletics department is NCAA Division III, but skiing competes only in the USCSA, so there is no route from Castleton to the NCAA Skiing Championships.(castletonsports.com)
  • Enrollment at the Castleton campus fell 8.4% in Fall 2025 even as the university grew 1.4% to 5,185 students, and out-of-state enrollment dropped 7.7%.(vermontstate.edu)
  • No home hill: training areas are 45 minutes away and every 2026 race weekend was in Maine, New Hampshire or New York, so the season is built around the bus.(castletonsports.com)
  • Completion: the university reports a 51% graduation rate and 67% fall-to-fall retention.(vermontstate.edu)
  • Brand caveat: Vermont State University publishes no public brand page with color values; the accent here is the primary button color from the university's own website, not a documented brand specification.(vermontstate.edu)

Feel the campus

From first tracks to final exams.

Credited archive photographs of the campus, the town and the hill; not current team photography.

5 of 5 photos shown

Ski team experience

Spartans.USCSA's Eastern conference.

Castleton's 2025-26 USCSA registration reports varsity alpine teams for men and women in the Eastern conference, fully funded with full travel coverage, training at Killington, Pico, Middlebury Snow Bowl and West Mountain. The 2026 season ran slalom and giant slalom weekends at Sunday River, Proctor Academy, Whiteface, West Mountain, Pat's Peak and Waterville Valley before regionals at Sugarloaf and nationals at Whiteface. The athletics department itself is NCAA Division III in the Little East Conference; skiing is USCSA.

View official roster
Team athletes
27
Men / women
10 / 13
International athletes
7
Women, USCSA Eastern Regionals GS and SL, 2026
1st
Men's slalom, 2026 USCSA Nationals
3rd of 27
Eastern conference
USCSA

Program overview

Castleton's 2025-26 USCSA registration reports varsity alpine teams for men and women in the Eastern conference, fully funded with full travel coverage, training at Killington, Pico, Middlebury Snow Bowl and West Mountain. The 2026 season ran slalom and giant slalom weekends at Sunday River, Proctor Academy, Whiteface, West Mountain, Pat's Peak and Waterville Valley before regionals at Sugarloaf and nationals at Whiteface. The athletics department itself is NCAA Division III in the Little East Conference; skiing is USCSA.

  • Skiing
    USCSA · Eastern
  • Home venues
    Killington/Pico/Middlebury Snow Bowl/West Mtn
  • Sides
    Men & women

On February 15, 2026 at Sugarloaf, the Castleton men won the USCSA Eastern Conference slalom team title in 4:18.45, ending Babson's unbeaten run and earning the final national berth; at the USCSA Nationals at Whiteface in March the men were fourth in giant slalom and third in slalom.(castletonsports.com)

Questions for the coach

No published training week for this program, so these are the questions to ask.

  1. Training drive
    Killington is about 45 minutes from campus and Pico is nearby; ask which hill the team uses on weekdays, how early sessions start and how transport works.
  2. Weekend travel
    Every 2026 race weekend was in Maine, New Hampshire or New York; ask how Friday classes and labs are handled from mid-January through regionals.
  3. Out-of-state rate
    Ask whether your state and major qualify for the $16,632 NEBHE rate rather than the $22,152 out-of-state tuition.
  4. Program shape
    The registration reports full funding and travel coverage; confirm what is covered for a first-year racer and what a roster spot requires.

Coaching staff

Coaching staff not on file yet.

Academics

What you can study.

Vermont State runs a semester calendar, so the USCSA season sits inside spring semester with nationals in mid-March. Admission is rolling for most programs with test scores optional, and nursing and other health programs carry a December 1 priority deadline and Accuplacer testing. Castleton lists more than 40 certificate, associate, bachelor's and graduate programs on campus, and some degrees are shared across the university's five campuses and online.

  • 4,003
    Undergraduates, all campuses
  • Killington
    Training areas incl. Pico, Middlebury Snow Bowl, West Mtn
  • 13:1
    Student-faculty ratio

7 featured fields · full catalog

  • Business AdministrationBusiness
    A BS offered at Castleton, Johnson, Lyndon and Randolph with online options.
  • Sport ManagementBusiness
    A BS offered on the Castleton campus.
  • NursingHealth
    A BSN at Castleton; nursing programs carry program tuition and a December 1 priority deadline.
  • Data Science and Applied StatisticsQuantitative
    A BS offered at Castleton.
  • BiologyScience
    A BS offered at Castleton.
  • Resort and Hospitality ManagementBusiness
    A BS based at the Killington learning site, with students living at the Castleton Lodge at Killington and a trimester fee of $2,882.
  • Health ScienceHealth
    A BS offered at Castleton alongside physical education and health education.
Explore majors

Source: vermontstate.edu

Admissions

Your path here.

Testing
test-optional(vermontstate.edu)
GPA
Typical admitted profile is a high school B average (85% or 3.0); profiles range broadly(nces.ed.gov)
Application deadline
Rolling for most programs; December 1 priority deadline for nursing, dental hygiene, radiologic science, veterinary technology and professional pilot(vermontstate.edu)
  1. Apply through the Vermont State application portal or the Common App and pay the fee or answer the fee-waiver question.
  2. Send your official high school or homeschool transcript or GED scores.
  3. Add an optional personal statement and recommendation, and test scores only if you want them considered.
  4. Track your personalized checklist on the Application Status Page and watch for the emailed decision.
Admissions details

Acceptance rate

How selective it is.

82%Fall 2024, university-wide: 3,529 applicants (IPEDS College Navigator)
  • Admitted
  • Not admitted

Most applicants who meet the B-average profile are admitted on a rolling basis, usually within 10 business days of a complete file. Admission to the university is separate from a spot on the alpine roster, which the coaching staff decides.

Source: nces.ed.gov

Cost & financial aid

What a year costs.

2026-27 published figures.

Published costs
Tuition (in-state, standard programs)$11,088
Tuition (out-of-state, standard programs)$22,152
Tuition (NEBHE regional rate, eligible programs)$16,632
Institutional fee$1,704
Standard on-campus housing$8,682
Standard on-campus food plan$5,782

Annual figures for full-time in-person study; engineering, nursing and other health programs add program tuition of $4,536 to $7,968. Health insurance ($2,174) applies unless waived, and international students pay a $310 fee. The university does not publish a total cost of attendance on the tuition page, and USCSA team funding is not a tuition scholarship.(vermontstate.edu)

Financial aid information

Location

Campus, hill, airport.

Castleton campus

A village campus with a history back to 1787, eleven residence halls on campus and one in downtown Rutland, about 15 miles east.

Open in Maps · source

Winter scene in the village of Castleton, Vermont
The village of Castleton, Vermont, in winter, January 2013

Student life

Beyond the hill.

  • Eleven halls and a lodge at Killington

    Castleton has eleven residence halls on campus and one in downtown Rutland, and Resort and Hospitality Management students live at the Castleton Lodge at Killington.(vermontstate.edu)

  • Clubs, arena and a daily bell

    The campus averages more than 50 active clubs a year, Spartan Arena hosts hockey, and the Woodruff Hall bells ring the Castleton anthem each day at noon.(vermontstate.edu)

  • Lake and state parks nearby

    Lake Bomoseen State Park and Taconic Mountains Ramble State Park are local attractions, and Huden Dining Hall serves rotating meals with daily vegan and vegetarian options.(vermontstate.edu)

Athlete voices

Real stories.

No attributed athlete quotes are published for this program yet. Ask a current racer:

  • Which hill do you train on most weekdays, and how long is the drive from campus in the dark?
  • What does full funding cover for you, and what did you spend on travel or lift access last season?
  • How did professors handle the six straight away weekends in January and February?

Alumni & outcomes

What came next.

Graduation rate, university-wide(vermontstate.edu)
51%
Fall-to-fall retention, university-wide(vermontstate.edu)
67%
Women, 2024-25 USCSA National Championships, with six All-Americans(castletonsports.com)
2nd

Related programs

You might also look at.

Sources, rights and updates

Where this comes from.

Every figure carries its reporting period and a link. Rosters and points come from official rosters and FIS or USCSA results. Photographs are Wikimedia Commons archive images under open licences, credited on each image.

23 source pages across 5 sites

Your future in skiing starts here

Ready to learn more about Vermont State University - Castleton?

SaveVisit official site