More selective than 100% of Tennessee colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $89,590. College Scorecard.
Higher than 100% of Tennessee colleges we cover and 98% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 100% of Tennessee colleges we cover and 97% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Vanderbilt University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 45,313 applicants, Vanderbilt University admitted 2,844 and 1,622 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1500–1570 on the SAT or 34–35 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Vanderbilt University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Vanderbilt University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Vanderbilt University took 4.1 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Tennessee. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $3,414 | $13,895 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $1,876 | $7,635 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $4,498 | $18,307 | under 1 year |
| $75–110k | $12,153 | $49,463 | under 1 year |
| $110k+ | $45,145 | $183,740 | 3.2 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (87% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($91,565) minus $34,518 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $57,047 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Vanderbilt University majors, earnings & careers
Vanderbilt University offers 53 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 12
- Science & Math · 10
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 10
- Engineering · 9
- Education · 5
- Arts & Design · 4
- Business & Finance · 1
- Communications & Media · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at Vanderbilt University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $160,021 | $14,500 |
| Mathematics | $141,171 | $10,000 |
| Economics | $140,337 | $12,424 |
| Chemical Engineering | $121,641 | — |
| Biomedical Engineering | $116,662 | $19,500 |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | $114,368 | $12,000 |
| Social Sciences | $103,229 | $11,000 |
| Political Science | $102,789 | $12,000 |
Quick list of all 53 majors
- Anthropology—
- Architectural History, Criticism, and Conservation—
- Area Studies—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology—
- Biomedical Engineering$116,662
- Chemical Engineering$121,641
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering$82,744
- Classical and Ancient Studies—
- Classics—
- Cognitive Science—
- Communications—
- Computer Engineering—
- Computer Science$160,021
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Economics$140,337
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$55,188
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Education, Other—
- Electrical and Computer Engineering—
- Electrical Engineering—
- Engineering Science—
- English$60,439
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Film and Photography—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- German—
- History$69,820
- Human Development and Family Studies—
- Legal Studies / Paralegal—
- Mathematics$141,171
- Mechanical Engineering$101,345
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$86,559
- Music$59,217
- Neuroscience$59,575
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$102,789
- Psychology$71,584
- Psychology (Research)—
- Public Policy Analysis$91,265
- Religious Studies—
- Science, Technology and Society—
- Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Social Sciences$103,229
- Sociology$83,649
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$114,368
- Special Education—
- Studio Art—
- Sustainability Studies—
- Theatre—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Computer Science → Software developer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Mechanical Engineering → Mechanical engineer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 11.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Nashville
Overall prices in the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,798. Housing costs 5% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 55 inches of rain a year, 5 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Davidson County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Davidson County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Vanderbilt University with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Tennessee by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt University | 6% | $15,846 | 94% | $91,565 | This school |
| Rhodes College | 50% | $28,585 | 85% | $66,651 | |
| The University of the South | 57% | $27,872 | 80% | $64,911 | |
| Lipscomb University | 68% | $24,739 | 72% | $55,541 | |
| Freed-Hardeman University | 60% | $21,574 | 71% | $47,485 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Vanderbilt University would cost you $12,739 less per year than Rhodes College, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Vanderbilt University, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$10,388).
- Vanderbilt University gives aided families $31,193 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Tennessee resident | Vanderbilt University | Rhodes College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $67,498 | $57,110 | +$10,388 |
| Books & supplies | $1,194 | $1,125 | +$69 |
| Housing & meals | $21,054 | $12,910 | +$8,144 |
| Personal & travel | $3,396 | $2,619 | +$777 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,552 | −$2,628 | −$924 |
| Sticker price | $89,590 | $71,136 | +$18,454 |
| Average grants | −$73,744 | −$42,551 | −$31,193 |
| You pay | $15,846 | $28,585 | −$12,739 |
“+” means Vanderbilt University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Vanderbilt University
What is the Vanderbilt University acceptance rate?
Vanderbilt University accepts 6% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 2,844 of 45,313 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1500–1570 on the SAT or 34–35 on the ACT.
How much does Vanderbilt University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $89,590 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $15,846 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $3,414 and families earning $110k+ pay $45,145.
How much do Vanderbilt University graduates earn?
Former Vanderbilt University students earn a median $91,565 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Vanderbilt University graduation rate?
94% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 96% return for their second year.
How long does a Vanderbilt University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Vanderbilt University costs about $18,307 after grants ($4,498 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $91,565 ten years after starting, $57,047 more than high school graduates in Tennessee ($34,518), so the cost is repaid in under 1 year of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Vanderbilt University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/vanderbilt-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).