Accolades

Here, you’ll find a recent history of accolades, awards, and recognition for Champlain College by some of the industry’s most-respected critics and organizations.

• 2025
  • Champlain College is ranked as one of the “Best Colleges” by U.S. News & World Report for 2025.
  • Named one of the “Best 390 Colleges” by The Princeton Review for 2025, including among its “Best Northeastern colleges.”
  • Champlain College is also recognized by The Princeton Review in its Guide to Green Colleges: 2025 Edition.
  • Niche.com ranks Champlain College as #33 for “Best Schools for Information Technology.”
  • Champlain College achieves Silver STARS (Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment & Rating System) rating for sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).
• 2024
  • Champlain College is featured in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2024, as one of the 300 “best and most interesting” colleges in the U.S., Canada, and UK.
  • Champlain College is designated a 2024-2025 Military Friendly® School.
  • Named one of the “Best 388 Colleges” by The Princeton Review for 2023, including among its “Best Northeastern colleges.”
  • Champlain College is also recognized by The Princeton Review in it’s Guide to Green Colleges: 2024 Edition.
  • Niche.com ranks Champlain College as one of the Top 30 “Best Schools for Information Technology.”
  • Champlain College achieves Silver STARS (Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment & Rating System) rating for sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).
• 2023
  • Champlain College is recognized as a 2023 College of Distinction.
  • Champlain College is designated a 2023-2024 Military Friendly® School.
  • Money Magazine names Champlain College in it’s 2023 Best Colleges in America list based on quality and affordability.
  • Niche.com ranks Champlain College 35 out of 293 schools for “Best Schools for Information Technology.”
  • Named one of the “Best 388 Colleges” by The Princeton Review for 2023, including among its “Best Northeastern colleges.”
  • Champlain College is also recognized by The Princeton Review in it’s Guide to Green Colleges: 2023 Edition.
  • Niche.com names Champlain College to it’s “Best College Locations in America” list and “Best College Dorms in America” list.
  • Champlain College achieves Silver STARS (Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment & Rating System) rating for sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)
• 2022
  • Champlain College is featured in the Princeton Review’s “Top Schools for Game Design.”
  • Niche.com ranks Champlain College as one of the Top 30 “Best Schools for Information Technology.
  • For the seventh year in a row, Champlain was named a “Most Innovative School” in the North by U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges.”
  • Champlain College is featured in the Broadcast Education Association’s “Top Documentary Programs,” based on student achievement.
  • Champlain College achieves Silver STARS (Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment & Rating System) rating for sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)
• 2021
  • Fiske Guide to Colleges 2021 selects Champlain as one of the “best and most interesting schools” in the United States, Canada and Great Britain.
  • Champlain is featured in The Princeton Review’s 2021 “The Best 386 Colleges,” including among its “Best Northeastern colleges.”
  • For the sixth year in a row, Champlain is named a “Most Innovative School” in the North by U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” and is recognized as a “Best Value School.”
  • Champlain College is recognized as a 2021 College of Distinction.
• 2020
  • Champlain is featured in The Princeton Review’s 2020 “The Best 385 Colleges,” including among its “Best Northeastern colleges.”
  • For the fifth year in a row, Champlain is named a “Most Innovative School” in the North by U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges.”
  • Champlain College is recognized as a 2020 College of Distinction.
  • Fiske Guide to Colleges 2020 selects Champlain as one of the “best and most interesting schools” in the United States, Canada and Great Britain.
• 2019
  • Champlain is featured in The Princeton Review’s 2019 “The Best 384 Colleges,” including among its “Best Northeastern colleges.”
  • Champlain College is also recognized by The Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges: 2019 Edition, ranking #25 in the country.
  • For the fourth year in a row, Champlain is named a “Most Innovative School” in the North by U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges.”
  • Fiske Guide to Colleges 2019 recognizes Champlain as one of the “best and most interesting schools” in the United States, Canada and Great Britain.
  • Champlain College is recognized as a 2019 College of Distinction.
  • Champlain improves STARS Silver rating for sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).
• 2018
  • Fiske Guide to Colleges 2018 recognizes Champlain as one of the “best and most interesting schools” in the United States, Canada and Great Britain.
  • For the third year in a row, Champlain is named a “Most Innovative School” in the North by U.S. News & World Report‘s “America’s Best Colleges.”
  • Champlain is featured in The Princeton Review’s 2018 “The Best 382 Colleges,” including among its “Best Northeastern” colleges, top “Regional Universities in the North” and as a “Best Value School.”
  • Champlain is also named a “Top School for Game Design” in 2018 by The Princeton Review.
  • Champlain College is recognized as a 2018 College of Distinction.
  • The National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security designate Champlain College as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education.
• 2017
  • The Institute of International Education ranks Champlain #12 in the nation for percentage of students studying abroad among leading colleges and universities.
  • Champlain is named a “Military Friendly School” by Victory Media.
  • The Princeton Review recognizes Champlain College as a “Top School for Video Game Design” in 2017.
  • Champlain is named a “Most Innovative School” by U.S. News and World Report in its “America’s Best Colleges” 2017 ranking of regional universities in the North.
  • Champlain is cited as one of the “Best College for Veterans” in U.S. News and World Report‘s “America’s Best Colleges” 2017.
  • Champlain receives STARS (Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment & Rating System) Silver rating for sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).
  • Fiske Guide to Colleges 2017 recognizes Champlain as one of the “best and most interesting schools” in the United States, Canada and Great Britain.
  • Champlain is featured in The Princeton Review’s 2017 “The Best 381 Colleges.”
  • Champlain is recognized as a 2017 College of Distinction for “excellence in undergraduate education,” according to Colleges of Distinction.
  • Champlain College is included in the Princeton Review’s 2017 “Guide to 375 Green Colleges.”
• 2016
  • Champlain is recognized as a 2016 College of Distinction.
  • Champlain College is included in the Princeton Review’s 2016 “Guide to 361 Green Colleges.”
  • Champlain is named #1 “Most Innovative School” by U.S. News & World Report‘s “America’s Best Colleges” 2016 ranking of regional colleges in the North.
  • Fiske Guide to Colleges 2016 recognizes Champlain as one of the “best and most interesting schools” in the United States, Canada and Great Britain.
  • Champlain is featured in The Princeton Review’s 2016 “Best 380 Colleges” and also listed in The Princeton Review’s “Guide to 353 Green Colleges.”
  • Champlain is featured in the top 10 of the “Best Colleges for Veterans” by U.S. News and World Report‘s “America’s Best Colleges” 2016.
  • Champlain is ranked in the top tier of the “Best Regional Colleges” in the North in “America’s Best Colleges” 2016 by U.S. News and World Report.
  • Champlain is one of the top five “A-Plus Schools for B Students” by U.S. News & World Report‘s “America’s Best Colleges” 2016 ranking of regional colleges in the North.
  • Champlain College Wellbeing Program is again awarded the “Governor’s Excellence in Worksite Wellness Award”. This is the 4th year we have received recognition from the Governor’s Council on Wellness.
  • In their 2016 rankings of Game Design/Development School Programs in the US, AnimationCareerReview names Champlain #24 of the “Top 50 Game Design Schools in the US,” #18 of the “Top 25 Private Game Design Schools in the US” and #10 in the “Top Game Design Schools on the East Coast.”
• 2015
  • Champlain is featured in The Princeton Review’s “Best 379 Colleges” and “Guide to 353 Green Colleges” for 2015.
  • Champlain is among U.S. News & World Report‘s “Best Regional Colleges” in the North for 2015.
  • Champlain is recognized for the second time as the winner of the 2015 SC Magazine award for Best Cybersecurity Higher Education Program.
  • The Princeton Review recognizes Champlain in the “Top 25 Game Design” schools as well as part of the “Best Northeastern” colleges in the U.S.
  • Champlain College is named a finalist in SC Magazine’s 2015 Awards for exemplary professional leadership in information technology security.
  • Champlain’s website is listed by Forbes as one of “10 Examples of Amazing Landing Pages.”
• 2014
  • Champlain College is included in The Princeton Review’s “The Best 378 Colleges” 2014 edition.
  • Champlain College is ranked one of the “Top 100 Graduate Degree Producers” by Diverse Issues in Higher Education.
  • Champlain College is selected the only “Up-and-Coming” regional college in the North in U.S. News & World Report‘s 2014 “Best Colleges.”
  • Champlain is ranked in the top tier of regional colleges in the North in U.S. News & World Report‘s 2014 “Best Colleges.”
  • The College’s Graphic Design & Digital Media BFA earns accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).
  • The College ranks #16 in The Princeton Review’s Top 25 Video Game Schools and Programs.
  • Champlain College is listed in the Top 25 Game Design and Development Schools on the East Coast by Animation Career Review.
  • The College’s Senator Patrick Leahy Center for Digital Investigation received the top public safety award at the 2014 US Ignite Application Summit in Silicon Valley.
  • Champlain is included for the third year in a row in The Princeton Review’s 2014 “Guide to 332 Green Colleges.”
  • Champlain College’s online and graduate degree programs are among the top ranked in the nation by U.S. News & World Report’s 2014 Best Online Bachelor’s Programs and Best Online Graduate Business Programs.
• 2013
  • The Atlantic releases an article about Champlain, “What Would an Ideal College Look Like? A Lot Like This,” as part of the American Futures project. Author John Tierney said, “American higher education would be better off if more colleges tried to replicate what’s going on here.”
  • Champlain is recognized for offering the nation’s “Best Cyber Security Higher Education” by SC Magazine in 2013 for its computer forensics and digital investigation programs.
  • Champlain is one of The Princeton Review’s “Top Undergraduate Schools to Study Video Game Design.”
  • Champlain is included in The Princeton Review’s “322 Green Colleges” guide.
  • GoLocal ranks Champlain in the Top New England Colleges.
  • The College is featured in The Princeton Review’s 2013 “The Best 377 Colleges.” Champlain is ranked second in the “Best Classroom Experience” category and eighth in the “Got Game?” category.
  • The College is ranked in the top 15 regional colleges in the North in U.S. News & World Report ‘s 2013 edition of “Best Colleges.”
  • Champlain makes Washington Monthly’s “America’s Best Bang for Your Buck Colleges” list.
  • Champlain is listed in the Top 100 Schools in Animation, Gaming and Design by Animation Career Review.
• 2012
  • The College is designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education.
  • Champlain’s library receives the 2012 Excellence in Academic Libraries Award from the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL).
  • Champlain is ranked 13th in the “Best Regional Colleges” in the North, 17th in the “Best Classroom Experience” category and third in the “Class Discussions Are Encouraged” category in The Princeton Review’s “The Best 376 Colleges: 2012 Edition.”
  • Champlain is included in The Princeton Review’s “322 Green Colleges” guide.
  • Six Champlain faculty members are included in The Princeton Review’s “Best 300 Professors”: J.C. Ellefson, English (Creative Writing); Jonathan Rajewski, Digital Forensics; John P. Rogate, Computer Science; Eric Ronis, Communication; Alan Stracke, Sociology; and Janice Gohm Webster, English.
  • The College is voted Best Training for Professional Education in the Champlain Business Journal‘s Best of the Best Business Awards.
  • The College is named one of the top 10 places to study game design by GamePro magazine.
  • The College receives an Exemplary Program Award for Improvement in General Education from the Association for General and Liberal Studies (AGLS).