Our Burlington Campus
A Great Place To Find Yourself
Far from being stranded on a self-contained campus removed from “civilization”—where entertainment, shopping and a good slice of pizza can be found— Champlain College sits perched near the crest of the hill overlooking downtown Burlington and the Lake Champlain waterfront. It’s an easy walk down—literally— to downtown.
Burlington has the look, feel, charm and friendliness of a small town, but the lifestyle, music, food, arts and sports scenes radiate a big-city, urban vibe. The grass roots are deep here: Social activism, volunteerism, environmentalism and entrepreneurism have long been outstanding features of the Burlington community landscape.
No car? No problem. The City of Burlington has been designed for foot traffic. Burlington is safe, it’s well lit, it’s breathable, it’s got rhythm that’s not deafening, and it’s arguably one of the most scenically beautiful cities in the country.
Laid-back urban
As a Champlain College student, you will be minutes away from:
- Outstanding eateries, from outdoor cafes to rustic cellars, sushi to tapas. Burlington offers just about any kind of ambiance and cuisine you want.
- Lake Champlain, a mecca for boaters, features waterfront trails, swings and a ferry to upstate New York.
- Funky boutiques, North Face down jackets, Bennington pottery—downtown Burlington is an eclectic mix of small shops and name-brand stores.
- Numerous year-round festivals: Green Mountain Chew Chew Food & Music, Lake Champlain Dragon Boat, Discover Jazz, Art Hop, Brewers and Winter—to name a few.
Church Street Marketplace
The epicenter of the city is a four-block, cobblestoned, outdoor marketplace cordoned off exclusively for pedestrians. The place hops. Street performers, cart vendors and outdoor eatery seating enliven the well-balanced distribution of national storefronts (like Border’s, Macy’s, Banana Republic and Urban Outfitters) among an eclectic roster of locally owned shops.
Ultimate College Town
As well as being home to the approximately 24-acre Champlain College campus, Burlington boasts three other colleges and one major university research hospital; students represent a full one-fourth of Burlington’s total population. Champlain and other local colleges offer a full calendar of open-to-the-public cultural events, concerts, lecture series and sporting events.
Dubbed by msn.com as one of “America’s Coolest College Towns,” and “One of the 10 Great Places for Campus Culture” by USA Today Travel Guide, Burlington is such a distinctive city, it shows up in the top of many “best” lists, including:
- TOP ADVENTURE TOWN: Voted #14 in the list of Top 100 Adventure Towns by National Geographic Adventure magazine.
- HEALTHIEST: Burlington was named Healthiest City in the U.S. in a 2008 report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- BEST SKIING: Sugarbush Ski Resort, Vermont, ranked #1 for “Terrain Variety” in 2008 by Ski Magazine. Sugarbush offers deeply discounted season passes to all Champlain students.
- BEST PLACE TO LIVE: Burlington named the “Best of the Best” places to live by Men’s Journal Magazine (top 5 of their “50 Best Places to Live”).
A Rock the Vote poster created by a graphics design student.