Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University is a private, nonprofit school located in the urban setting of Nashville, TN, less than an hour from Nashville, TN.

Founded in 1873, Vanderbilt currently enrolls around 13,537 students a year, including 7,057 undergrads. The institution runs on a semester academic calendar.

Vanderbilt's endowment was valued at $6,917,371,000 in 2021. For each full-time student, Vanderbilt spends about $55,951.

2021 Admissions Facts About Vanderbilt

Acceptance rate: 12%

Average GPA: 3.86

Early Decision or Early Action: Yes/No

2022 Regular Decision Deadline: January 1

2022 Regular Decision Notification Date: April 1

What is Vanderbilt University's acceptance rate?

Admission to Vanderbilt is extremely difficult. Around 12 percent of all applicants are admitted to Vanderbilt each year.

The average high school GPA for a student at Vanderbilt is 3.86 /4.0.

In 2021, 0 applicants were waitlisted and 479 waitlisted students got accepted.

Is Vanderbilt a good school?

Different people have different ideas about what makes a "good" school. 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.

Retention, graduation rates, and job placement statistics can help you understand how satisfied students are with their school experience, and how effectively an institution prepares students for careers.

Retention and graduation rates

About 96 percent of students who start at Vanderbilt return the next year. Out of the 1,604 students who started at Vanderbilt as first-time freshman, 1,416 graduate within four years.

Vanderbilt's six-year graduation for undergrads is 93 percent. The average six-year graduation rate for U.S. colleges and universities is 61 percent for public schools, and 67 percent for private, non-profit schools.

Job outcomes and student debt

Job placement rates after graduation, average starting salaries, and the debt students graduate with can all give important clues about the value of a degree from a specific school. Students in the class of 2021 who had taken out student loans graduated with an average of $22,808 of debt. For context, compare this number with the average national debt, which is around $36,000 per borrower.

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 the real question to ask yourself: is Vanderbilt a good school for YOU?

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Vanderbilt's application deadline is January 1. All applicants will be notified by April 1.

Read on to find out more about the admissions requirements and deadlines, student life, academics and majors and more. Or, visit the College Confidential forums to join the conversation about Vanderbilt and get personalized recommendations for more schools that might be a good fit for you.