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Nashville, Tennessee's Vanderbilt University is one of the top academic institutions in the South, and in the nation. Their tradition of excellence dates back to 1875 when the school was founded as a true university that offered degrees beyond their baccalaureate program. Nowadays, Vanderbilt averages around 6,800 undergraduate students each year who are in pursuit of one of 70 bachelor's degree programs. Vanderbilt also has another 69 master’s degrees available and a whopping 58 doctoral degree programs.
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Overview of Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt's undergraduate students can earn bachelor's degrees in fields such as accounting, cognitive studies, computer science, engineering, as well as the full range fields within the humanities. Since Nashville is a thriving city, students are sure to find businesses that will take them on as interns. Students also find that Vanderbilt's campus life offers many opportunities to enrich their college experience.
Student organizations run the gamut from having a pure academic focus to intramural and club sports. Students can unwind and find fellowship over a board game such as Settlers of Catan or chess, while others get sweaty in a game of ultimate frisbee. Students also love the Recreation and Wellness Center, which is home to group exercise classes, a climbing wall, bowling alley, squash and racquetball courts, and a well-appointed fitness room for individual workouts.
General Information
School Type | Private not-for-profit |
---|---|
Campus Setting | City: Large |
Campus Housing | Yes |
Student Faculty Ratio | 7:1 |
Graduation Rate | 94% |
Year Founded | 1873 |
Student Enrollment
Total Students12,824
6,861
5,963
Undergraduate Student
Male 3,362
Female 3,499
Graduate Student
Male 2,922
Female 3,041
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Top Rankings For Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt Acceptance Rate and Admissions
APPLICATIONS37,310
ACCEPTANCE3,358
Acceptance Rate9%
Enrollment 1,578
Admissions | |
---|---|
Application Fee | $50 |
High School GPA | Required |
High School Rank | Recommended |
High School Transcripts | Required |
College Prep Courses | Required |
Recommendations | Recommended |
SAT/ACT | Required |
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) | Required |
Application Deadline | January 1 |
Common Application Accepted | Yes |
Vanderbilt Tuition Cost & Financial Aid
Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit institution. As such, its tuition rates are a bit higher than its publicly funded peers. In fact, a year of tuition, books, supplies, and other academic fees totals around $53,000. When living expenses are tallied, the gross cost of a year at Vanderbilt is $73,000 for on-campus living, and Vanderbilt didn't offer an estimate for off-campus students. However, this is before financial aid is calculated.
In fact, Vanderbilt's financial aid assistance is able to offset more than half of the total cost. The average net cost for a year at Vanderbilt is a mere $26,000. However, those from the lowest income bracket can pay staggeringly little, around $3,000. The highest earning households, on the other hand, still save quite a bit and pay and average of $37,000. This top figure is competitive with many state universities.
Average net price | 2017-2018 |
---|---|
Net Price | $23,596 |
Average Total Aid | $43,796 |
Students Receiving Financial Aid | 72% |
Room & Board | $16,910 |
Sticker Price
- Tuition In-State - $52,070
- Tuition Out-of-State - $52,070
- Books and Supplies - $1,294
- Room & Board - $16,910
- Other - $2,874
Academics
It almost goes without saying that Vanderbilt has one of the nation's best academic reputations. Since its founding, Vanderbilt has been synonymous with academic excellence, which is made evident in the educational statistics. For example, Vanderbilt retention rate is among the top in the nation. A full 97% of their first-time, full-time students return for a second year. That number is topped by the part-time students, 100% of whom return for a second year.
Vanderbilt students remain far beyond their first year. In fact, they have an amazing 93% overall graduation rate. This means that the friendships that form in the first-year dorms can persist clear through graduation, and for a lifetime.
These stellar retention and graduation numbers are surely supported by one key statistic: the student-to-faculty ratio. Though Vanderbilt has nearly 7,000 students, there is a faculty member for every seven students. This statistic is unmatched by even the smallest liberal arts college and indicates that Vanderbilt students receive personalized, focused instruction from their first days in class through their senior seminars.
Retention
Rate
4 year
Graduation
Rate
6 year
Graduation
Rate
Student Population Total
Student Population 12,824
6,861
5,963
Most Popular Programs & Majors
(# of Diplomas Awarded by Subject)
All Social Sciences Majors | 542 Total Graduates / 32% |
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Economics, General | 255 Graduates |
Social Sciences, General | 216 Graduates |
Political Science and Government, General | 50 Graduates |
Sociology | 11 Graduates |
Anthropology | 10 Graduates |
All Engineering Majors | 267 Total Graduates / 16% |
Mechanical Engineering | 77 Graduates |
Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering | 53 Graduates |
Chemical Engineering | 39 Graduates |
Engineering Science | 33 Graduates |
Civil Engineering, General | 23 Graduates |
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies | 201 Total Graduates / 12% |
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 163 Graduates |
Cognitive Science | 27 Graduates |
Science, Technology and Society | 6 Graduates |
Classical, Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies and Archaeology | 3 Graduates |
All Biological & Biomedical Majors | 130 Total Graduates / 8% |
Neuroscience | 79 Graduates |
Molecular Biology | 21 Graduates |
Biology/Biological Sciences, General | 12 Graduates |
Biochemistry | 10 Graduates |
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | 8 Graduates |
All Computer Information Science Majors | 95 Total Graduates / 6% |
Computer Science | 95 Graduates |
All Other Diplomas | 27% |
Outcome & Salary
Students, by and large, have great things to look forward to. Employers recognize their stellar academics and offer top salaries for Vanderbilt University alums. Among the top-earning majors, computer science students start out with the top salaries. Their median earnings are a whopping $97,000. Of the top-ten earners, the political science graduates bring up the rear with starting salaries of around $40,000. However, since Vanderbilt graduates have such a solid academic background, they can also easily enroll in graduate school and reap even greater financial rewards.
Graduates Salary | |
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College Grads Early Career Salary | $65,400 |
College Grads Average Salary | $80,000 |
College Grads Mid Career Salary | $119,100 |
Return on Investment (ROI) | |
---|---|
10 Year Salary Earnings Potential | $800,000 |
20 Year Salary Earnings Potential | $1,991,000 |
Cost of Education (Net Price) 4 Year | $94,384 |
10 Year Projected ROI | $705,616 |
20 Year Projected ROI | $1,896,616 |
No College Education Salary Comparison | |
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National Average Salary | $38,792 |
10 Year Projected Income | $387,920 |
20 Year Projected Income | $775,840 |
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