Vanderbilt University

www.vanderbilt.edu/

Add Comparison

2021 Undergraduate Tuition

$54,840

3.9% growth from 2020

2021 Average Net Price

$27,553

After Financial Aid

2019 Student Loan

0.574%

Default Rate

2021 Acceptance Rate

7.14%

94,304 Applicants

2021 Enrolled Students

27,592

91.3% Full-Time

2021 Graduation Rate

93.4%

2,992 Graduates

About

Vanderbilt University is a higher education institution located in Davidson County, TN. In 2021, the most popular Bachelors Degree concentrations at Vanderbilt University were Other Multidisciplinary Studies (286 degrees awarded), General Social Sciences (258 degrees), and Econometrics & Quantitative Economics (211 degrees).

In 2021, 4,734 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Vanderbilt University. 57.1% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 42.9% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (2,556 degrees), 5.38 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (475 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at Vanderbilt University is $54,840, which is $25,848 more than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,992).

Photo by Erik Przekop

Doctoral Universities: Highest Research Activity Doctoral Universities

Costs

In 2021, the median undergraduate tuition at Vanderbilt University is $54,840, which is $25,848 more than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,992).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $27,553.

In 2021, 65% of undergraduate students attending Vanderbilt University received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 11% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$54,840

2021 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2021, the cost of tuition at Vanderbilt University was $54,840. The cost of tuition at Vanderbilt University is $25,848 more than than the overall (public and private) national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,992).

This chart compares the tuition costs of Vanderbilt University (in red) with those of other similar universities.

Average Net Price

$27,553

2021 Value

6.78%

1 Year Growth

In 2021 Vanderbilt University had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $27,553. Between 2020 and 2021, the average net price of Vanderbilt University grew by 6.78%.

This chart compares the average net price of Vanderbilt University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

$17,670

Room and Board

$1,194

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at Vanderbilt University was of $17,670 in 2021. The cost of room and board increased by 4.49% between 2020 and 2021.

During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,194. The cost of books and supplies decreased by 7.73% during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at Vanderbilt University (in red) with that of similar universities.

Financial Aid by Income Level

65%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

11%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

65% of undergraduate students at Vanderbilt University received financial aid through grants or loans in 2021. This represents a growth of 0% with respect to 2020, when 65% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at Vanderbilt University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

Student Loan Default Rate

Cohort default rates only account for borrowers who default in the first three years, and some schools only have a small proportion of borrowers entering repayment. These rates should be interpreted with caution, as they may not be reflective of the entire school population.

0.574%

2019 Default Rate

Number of Defaults

In 2019 the default rate for borrower's at Vanderbilt University was 0.574%, which represents 8 out of the 1394 total borrowers.

A cohort default rate is the percentage of a school's borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year (FY), October 1 to September 30, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year.

Admissions

Vanderbilt University received 94,304 undergraduate applications in 2021, which represents a 28.7% annual growth. Out of those 94,304 applicants, 6,736 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 7.14% acceptance rate.

There were 27,592 students enrolled at Vanderbilt University in 2021. 25% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

Vanderbilt University has an overall enrollment yield of 48.3%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

7.14%

Acceptance Rate in 2021

6,736

Accepted Out of 94,304

In 2021, the undergraduate acceptance rate of Vanderbilt University was 7.14% (6,736 admissions from 94,304 applications). This is lower than the acceptance rate of 2020, which was 11.6%. Between 2020 and 2021, the number of applicants grew by 28.7%, while admissions declined by −20.9%..

This chart compares the acceptance rate of Vanderbilt University (in red) with that of other similar universities, and the chart below shows the acceptance rate by gender.

SAT Scores

25%

Submission Percentage (2021)

806

Scores Submitted (2021)

25% of enrolled first-time students at Vanderbilt University in 2021 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

This chart shows the SAT scores for the 25th and 75th percentile of applicants broken out into each section of the test that their are evaluated on.

Enrollment

Vanderbilt University had a total enrollment of 27,592 students in 2021. The full-time enrollment at Vanderbilt University is 25,200 students and the part-time enrollment is 2,392. This means that 91.3% of students enrolled at Vanderbilt University are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at Vanderbilt University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 50.4% White, 11.5% Asian, 9.23% Black or African American, 9.13% Hispanic or Latino, 4.51% Two or More Races, 0.333% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.225% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

Students enrolled at Vanderbilt University in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Female (21.4%), followed by White Male (19.9%) and Asian Female (8.32%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Female (35.6%), followed by White Male (23.1%) and Hispanic or Latino Female (4.59%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

91.3%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Vanderbilt University in 2021, both undergraduate and graduate, is 27,592 students. The full-time enrollment at Vanderbilt University is 25,200 and the part-time enrollment is 2,392. This means that 91.3% of students enrolled at Vanderbilt University are enrolled full-time compared with 76.6% at similar Doctoral Universities.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at Vanderbilt University (in red) compares to similar universities.

Retention Rate over Time

97%

2021 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at Vanderbilt University was 97%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Doctoral Universities (84%), Vanderbilt University had a retention rate higher than its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at Vanderbilt University (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity (2021)

White
13,920 enrolled students
Asian
3,172 enrolled students
Black or African American
2,548 enrolled students

The enrolled student population at Vanderbilt University is 50.4% White, 11.5% Asian, 9.23% Black or African American, 9.13% Hispanic or Latino, 4.51% Two or More Races, 0.333% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.225% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Doctoral Universities is 48.9% White, 15.1% Hispanic or Latino, and 9.56% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 802 students (2.91%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2021, 670 more women than men received degrees from Vanderbilt University. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at Vanderbilt University is white (2,556 degrees awarded). There were 5.38 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (475 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at Vanderbilt University is Other Multidisciplinary Studies (286 degrees awarded), followed by General Social Sciences (258 degrees) and Econometrics & Quantitative Economics (211 degrees).

In 2021, the most specialized majors across all degree types at Vanderbilt University, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Math & Statistics (289 degrees awarded), Legal (230 degrees), and Social Sciences (705 degrees).

Common Jobs by Major

Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Vanderbilt University are Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers (354,564 people), Other managers (267,465 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (188,939 people), Postsecondary teachers (165,575 people), and Chief executives & legislators (125,701 people).

The most specialized majors at Vanderbilt University in 2021 are Math & Statistics (289 degrees awarded), Legal (230 degrees), Social Sciences (705 degrees), Interdisciplinary Studies (383 degrees), and Philosophy and Religious Studies (51 degrees) (as of 2021).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Surgeons

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Vanderbilt University are Surgeons, Cardiovascular technologists and technicians, Aerospace engineers, Physicians, and Computer and information research scientists

The most specialized majors at Vanderbilt University are Math & Statistics (289 degrees awarded), Legal (230 degrees), Social Sciences (705 degrees), Interdisciplinary Studies (383 degrees), and Philosophy and Religious Studies (51 degrees) (as of 2021).

Common Industries by Major

Elementary & secondary schools

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Vanderbilt University are Elementary & secondary schools (436,399 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (338,363 people), Legal services (293,337 people), Computer Systems Design (243,237 people), and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (214,962 people).

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by Vanderbilt University.

Most Common (2021)

Other Multidisciplinary Studies
286 degree-majors awarded
General Social Sciences
258 degree-majors awarded
Econometrics & Quantitative Economics
211 degree-majors awarded

In 2021, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Vanderbilt University was Other Multidisciplinary Studies with 286 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at Vanderbilt University according to their major.

Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

2,032

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2021

2,702

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2021

In 2021, 2,032 degrees were awarded to men at Vanderbilt University, which is 0.752 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (2,702).

This chart displays the sex disparity between the top 5 majors at Vanderbilt University by degrees awarded.

Most Common Male Majors

In 2021, 172 degrees were awarded to men at Vanderbilt University in Computer Science, which is 3.02 times more than the 57 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2021, 225 degrees were awarded to men at Vanderbilt University in Other Multidisciplinary Studies, which is 3.17 times more than the 71 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

88%

100% Completion Time

93%

150% Completion Time

In 2021, 88% of students graduating from Vanderbilt University completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 93% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 93% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Doctoral Universities Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

Graduation Rate by Race and Sex

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

Asian Female

Highest Graduation Rate (100%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate in 2021 at Vanderbilt University is Female and Asian (100% graduation rate). Across all Doctoral Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (72.9%).

The department of education defines graduation rate as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within 150% of "normal time" to completion.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) categorizes any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the graduation rate of those students is shown in the chart below. Additionally, 4.08% of graduates (122 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity (2021)

White
2,556 degrees awarded
Asian
475 degrees awarded
Black or African American
423 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at Vanderbilt University is white (2,556 degrees awarded). There were 5.38 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (475 degrees).

3.68% of degree recipients (174 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic (2021)

White Female
1,506 degrees awarded
White Male
1,050 degrees awarded
Black or African American Female
277 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at Vanderbilt University is white female (1,506 degrees awarded). There were 1.43 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white male (1050 degrees).

Operations

Vanderbilt University has an endowment valued at nearly $10.9B, as of the end of the 2021 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of 7.94B (72.7%) compared to the 10.4% average return (40.5M on 388M) across all Doctoral Universities.

In 2021, Vanderbilt University had a total salary expenditure of 1.31B. Vanderbilt University employs 840 Professors, 538 Assistant professors and 492 Associate professors. Most academics at Vanderbilt University are Male Professor (590), Female Assistant professor (332), and Female Associate professor (252).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Vanderbilt University are: Service, with 1,372 employees, Business and Financial Operations, with 1,220 employees, and Computer, Engineering, and Science with 1,116 employees.

Endowment

$10.9B

2021 Endowment

58%

growth from 2020

Vanderbilt University has an endowment valued at about $10.9B, as of the end of the 2021 fiscal year. The endowment of Vanderbilt University grew 58% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $10.5B higher than than the median endowment of Doctoral Universities according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at Vanderbilt University (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Doctoral Universities: Highest Research Activity Carnegie Classification grouping.

Government Grants and Contracts

Grants & Contracts

$478M - Federal
$11.9M - State
$2.66M - Local

As of 2021, Vanderbilt University received $478M in grants and contracts from the federal government, $11.9M from state grants and contracts, and $2.66M from local grants and contracts.

Salary Expenditure

$608M

2021 Salaries

1.41%

decline from 2020

In 2021, Vanderbilt University paid a median of $608M in salaries, which represents 46.5% of their overall expenditure ($1.31B) and a 1.41% decline from the previous year.

The median for similar Doctoral Universities is 234M (42.8% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$321M

Instructional Salaries

2,298

Number of Employees

In 2021, Vanderbilt University paid a total of $321M to 2,298 employees working as instructors, which represents 26.4% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $142M (60.6%) for similar Doctoral Universities.

Occupations by Share

Professor

Most Common Instructor

840 Employees

Service

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

1,372 Employees

In 2021, the most common positions for instructional staff at Vanderbilt University were Professor with 840 employees, Assistant professor with 538 employees, and Associate professor with 492 employees.

In 2021, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Vanderbilt University were Service with 1,372 employees, Business and Financial Operations with 1,220 employees, and Computer, Engineering, and Science with 1,116 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Sex

Most Common Demographic (2021)

Male Professor
Female Assistant professor
Female Associate professor

In 2021, the most common demographic for instructional staff at Vanderbilt University was Male Professor with 590 employees, Female Assistant professor with 332 employees, and Female Associate professor with 252 employees.

This chart shows the sex split between each academic rank present at Vanderbilt University.