Is University of Vermont or Rutgers better value for an in-state student?

The biggest practical tradeoff is this: Rutgers gives New Jersey residents a true in-state public university price, while the University of Vermont would usually be an out-of-state option unless you are actually a Vermont resident. That means the cost gap is often large before you even compare academics, and for value, sticker price matters a lot. Rutgers also has the scale and program breadth of a major state flagship, which can make it easier to access a wide range of majors, research, and recruiting without paying private-school-level tuition.

If you are a New Jersey in-state student choosing between Rutgers and UVM, Rutgers is usually the better financial value. Rutgers also has strong name recognition in the Northeast and especially in New Jersey, which helps on the return-on-investment side if you plan to work in the region.

UVM can still make sense if it offers unusually strong merit aid or if you have a very specific reason to prefer it, such as a particular environmental, health, or campus-culture fit that matters enough to justify the extra cost. But absent a generous scholarship package from UVM, it is hard to call it the better value for a New Jersey resident when Rutgers offers a solid education at the in-state rate.

If you meant you are in-state for Vermont, then the comparison flips quite a bit. In that case UVM becomes much more competitive on value, and Rutgers would likely be the pricier out-of-state choice. But for the more common reading of your question, a New Jersey in-state student will usually get the better return from Rutgers.