Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University is a private, nonprofit school in an urban setting in Nashville, Tennessee. Vanderbilt was founded in 1873 and now enrolls around 13,537 students a year, including 7,057 undergrads. Vanderbilt provides housing for students. The majority of students live on campus, and first year-students are required to live in campus housing.

There are many ways for students to get involved at Vanderbilt! Love music or performing? Join a campus band, sing in a chorus, or perform with one of Vanderbilt's theater groups.

Interested in journalism or communications? Vanderbilt students can write for the campus newspaper, host a radio show or be a producer for the student-run television channel.

Thinking of pledging? Vanderbilt has fraternities and sororities.

Planning to play sports? Vanderbilt has many options for athletes. See them all and learn more about life at Vanderbilt on the Student Life page.

Learn more about life at Vanderbilt on the Student Life page.

Mark your calendar! January 1, 2022 is the final deadline to submit an application for Fall. Regular decision applicants for Fall 2022 should receive admissions decisions by April 1.

Is Vanderbilt a Good School?

The definition of a "good school" is different for different people. Admissions criteria, acceptance rate and average GPA are good indicators of how selective an institution is, but they don't say much about the quality of the education or the student experience. There are a few statistics that can give you a good idea of how satisfied students are and how well a school supports its students.

Let's take a look at each of these factors to get a clearer sense of what Vanderbilt offers and if it sounds like a good choice for you.

Vanderbilt Acceptance Rate 2021

It is extremely difficult to get into Vanderbilt. Around 12% of applicants get into Vanderbilt each year. In 2021, just 4,259 out of the 36,646 students who applied were accepted.

Retention and Graduation Rates at Vanderbilt

Retention is the number of students that stay enrolled at a school over time. This is a way to get a sense of how satisfied students are with their school experience, and if they have the support necessary to succeed in college.

Out of all the first-year, full-time undergrads who start at Vanderbilt, around 96% come back their sophomore year. Around 93% of students who started at Vanderbilt earn their Bachelor's degrees within six years. Compare this to the average six-year graduation rate for colleges and universities in the U.S., which is around 61% for public schools and 67% for private.

Job Outcomes for Vanderbilt Grads

Job placement statistics for recent graduates can give you a sense of the return on investment a school offers.

Vanderbilt's Endowment

An endowment is the total value of a school's investments, donations, and assets. Endowment is not necessarily an indicator of the quality of a school, but it can give you a sense of how much money a college can afford to invest in expanding programs, improving facilities, and support students. As of 2021, the total market value of the school endowment was $6.9 billion. The average college endowment was $905 million in 2021. For each full-time student, Vanderbilt spends about $55,951 a year.

Tuition and Financial Aid at Vanderbilt

Cost is another important factor when choose a college. Some colleges may have high tuition, but do a better job at meeting students' financial need. Vanderbilt meets 100% of the demonstrated financial need for undergraduates. First-year students that attend Vanderbilt full-time are awarded $56,842 a year in financial aid, on average.

The average student debt for graduates in the class of 2021 was around $22,808 per student, not including those with no debt. For context, compare this number with the average national debt, which is around $36,000 per borrower.

The 2022-2023 FAFSA Opened on October 1st, 2021

Some aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so fill out the FAFSA asap. Visit the FAFSA website to apply for student aid. Remember, the first F in FAFSA stands for FREE! You should never have to pay to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), so be very wary of anyone asking you for money.

Learn more about Tuition and Financial Aid at Vanderbilt. Based on this information, how does Vanderbilt sound? Remember, a school that is perfect for one person may be a terrible fit for another! So ask yourself: Is Vanderbilt a good school for you?

If Vanderbilt University seems like a school you want to apply to, click the heart button to save it to your college list.

Still Doing Your Research?

Choose one of the options below to learn more about Vanderbilt:

Admissions

Student Life

Academics

Tuition & Aid

Vanderbilt Community Forums

Then use the college admissions predictor to take a data science look at your chances of getting into some of the schools in the U.S.

Where is Vanderbilt University Located?

Vanderbilt is located in the urban setting of Nashville, Tennessee, less than an hour from Nashville.

If you want to see Vanderbilt for yourself, plan a visit. The best way to reach campus is to take Interstate 65 to Nashville, or book a flight to the nearest airport, Nashville International.

You can also take a virtual campus tour to get a sense of what Vanderbilt and Nashville are like without leaving home.

Considering Going to School in Tennessee?

See a full list of colleges in Tennessee and save your favorites to your college list.