Acceptance Rate
6%
Avg. SAT
1570
75th percentile
“Vanderbilt blends Southern charm and academic intensity in Music City's heart, where you'll chase ambitions amid live music and magnolia trees.”
Nashville, TN
Location
Large City
Campus Setting
You'll step onto a campus Cornelius Vanderbilt bankrolled in 1873 with a then-unprecedented $1 million donation—equivalent to over $30 million today—transforming a modest Nashville academy into a research powerhouse that ditched its Methodist roots early to chase secular excellence. Ambitious students who crave collaboration over cutthroat competition thrive here, drawn to Vandy's preppy yet approachable personality: think collared shirts at tailgates, intellectual debates over hot chicken, and a diverse crowd that's 40% Southern but pulls from everywhere. Nashville pulses around you—country music meccas like the Bluebird Cafe blocks away, booming healthcare and tech scenes—but tradeoffs hit hard: sweltering, humid summers test your grit, and the city's party reputation spills onto campus, tempting even the most focused.
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Admissions
Acceptance Rate
Test Policy
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Average GPA
Application Fee
Academics
Student-Faculty Ratio
Programs Offered
Full-Time Faculty
Women Faculty
Research Spending
Degree Levels Offered
In Vanderbilt's intimate seminars fueled by a 7:1 student-faculty ratio—rarer than at all but a handful of peers—you'll dissect human development counseling through Peabody College's top-ranked programs or pioneer biomedical engineering breakthroughs in labs humming with undergrads, not just PhDs. Professors push you to connect dots across disciplines, like fusing Owen School finance with music industry tracks at the Blair School, fostering a curious, supportive vibe where research gigs start freshman year. Yet, the workload demands discipline; weaker departments like humanities lag behind STEM stars, and you'll compete fiercely for spots in oversubscribed pre-med tracks.
Student Body
Total Enrollment
7,221 undergrad • 6,354 grad
Undergraduate
Graduate
International
White
46%
Black / African American
9%
Hispanic / Latino
10%
Asian
13%
Other / Multi-racial
21%
Campus Life
Campus Setting
Nashville, TN
Varsity Athletics
NCAA Athletics
Your week pulses with morning lectures, afternoon club meetings among 500+ groups—from improv troupes to investment funds—and evenings at Greek mixers, since half the undergrads pledge in one of the South's most active scenes. Residential life anchors you in five themed colleges like the artsy Ingram Commons, where you'll bond over communal dinners and late-night study sessions in Gothic quads shaded by oaks. Traditions like Rites of Spring's mud-soaked concert or football "Doresgiving" feasts keep spirits high, but challenges loom: Greek dominance can sideline independents, weekends skew boozy, and Nashville's temptations—endless honky-tonks—pull you off-campus more than you'd expect, all under relentless humidity.
Housing
On-Campus Housing
Housing Capacity
Meal Plan Available
Average Room & Board
Athletics
Athletic Association
Southeastern Conference
ROTC & Veteran Support
Army
Yes
Navy
Yes
Air Force
Yes
Veteran’s Programs Available
Yellow Ribbon Program (Post-9/11 GI Bill)
Yes
Cost & Aid
In-State Tuition
Out-of-State Tuition
Room & Board
Estimated Cost
Financial Aid
Students Receiving Aid
Receiving Pell Grants
Average Grant
Average Federal Loan
Net Annual Cost by Household Income
Household Income
Avg. Net Cost
$0 – $30K
$4,752
$30K – $48K
$7,456
$48K – $75K
$9,117
$75K – $110K
$16,889
$110K+
$43,395
Apply for Financial Aid
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Costs shown are before financial aid. Most students receive some form of aid. Complete the FAFSA to see what you qualify for.
Outcomes & Earnings
Retention Rate
96%
4 Years Graduation Rate
90%
6 Years Graduation Rate
94%
Median 10-Year Earnings
$91,565
96% of first-time, full-time students complete their freshman year at Vanderbilt University and return in the fall. 90% of first-time, full-time students graduate in 4 years, and 94% graduate within 6 years.
Graduation Rate
4-year grads
90%
4-6 years
4%
Non-grad
6%
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Key Statistics
Type
Private
Tuition
$58,130
Acceptance
6%
Undergrads
7,221
4-Year Grad Rate
90%
Endowment
$4.2B
Nashville, TN 37240
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