# Vanderbilt University

Private nonprofit college in Nashville, TN. IPEDS ID 221999.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/vanderbilt-university · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/vanderbilt-university.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 6% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $15,846 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 94%; beats 100% of TN colleges and 98% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $91,565; beats 100% of TN colleges and 97% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $12,913

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $3,414 |
| 30-48k | $1,876 |
| 48-75k | $4,498 |
| 75-110k | $12,153 |
| 110k+ | $45,145 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.07 years on average (87% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $91,565 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $34,518 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TN (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| 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 |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $89,590
- Tuition and fees: $67,498
- Housing and meals: $21,054; books: $1,194

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 730–770; SAT math: 770–800; ACT: 34–35 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 45,313 applicants, 2,844 admitted, 1,622 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 6%, ACT 34–35 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 6%, ACT 34–35 (IPEDS Admissions)

## Majors (53 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $122,244 | $160,021 | $14,500 |
| Mathematics | $103,812 | $141,171 | $10,000 |
| Economics | $84,311 | $140,337 | $12,424 |
| Chemical Engineering | $75,639 | $121,641 | not reported |
| Biomedical Engineering | $63,402 | $116,662 | $19,500 |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | $47,208 | $114,368 | $12,000 |
| Social Sciences | $61,389 | $103,229 | $11,000 |
| Political Science | $46,843 | $102,789 | $12,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $78,009 | $101,345 | $14,000 |
| Public Policy Analysis | $57,023 | $91,265 | not reported |
| Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $37,276 | $86,559 | $12,000 |
| Sociology | not reported | $83,649 | not reported |
| Civil Engineering | not reported | $82,744 | not reported |
| Psychology | $36,716 | $71,584 | $11,209 |
| History | $46,856 | $69,820 | $15,000 |
| English | $34,633 | $60,439 | $13,420 |
| Neuroscience | $25,830 | $59,575 | $15,796 |
| Music | not reported | $59,217 | $21,500 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | not reported | $55,188 | not reported |
| Architectural History, Criticism, and Conservation | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Area Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Ethnic / Gender Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Communications | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Special Education | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Computer Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Electrical Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Engineering Science | $81,126 | not reported | $15,000 |
| Electrical and Computer Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| German | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Classics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Human Development and Family Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Legal Studies / Paralegal | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biochemistry | not reported | not reported | $14,250 |
| Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Science, Technology and Society | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Classical and Ancient Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Cognitive Science | $38,752 | not reported | not reported |
| Sustainability Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Philosophy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Religious Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Geology / Earth Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Psychology (Research) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Anthropology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Theatre | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Film and Photography | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Studio Art | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Computer Science → Software developer: median wage $126,610 (Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN), $122,430 (TN), $135,980 (U.S.)
- Mechanical Engineering → Mechanical engineer: median wage $99,440 (Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN), $99,550 (TN), $104,110 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).