Vanderbilt University
About
Vanderbilt University is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school with its initial $1 million endowment in the hopes that his gift, and the greater work of the university, would help to heal the sectional wounds inflicted by the American Civil War. Vanderbilt is a founding member of the Southeastern Conference and has been the conference's only private school since 1966.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Non-Pell students graduate at a 5.3-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 180 Title IV programs, 44 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 136 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing44 · 24.4%
- No Data136 · 75.6%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Programmatic accreditations · 23
Action history · 27
- Dec 2025Grant Substantive Change: OtherSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- Jul 2025Renewal of AccreditationAmerican Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Clinical Psychology (CLPSY) - PhD Doctoral programs
- Jun 2025Renewal of AccreditationCommission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools · Theology (THEOL) - Freestanding schools, as well as programs affiliated with larger institutions, offering graduate professional education for ministry and graduate study of theology
- Aug 2024Grant Substantive Change: ProgramSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- Aug 2024Renewal of AccreditationAmerican Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation · Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS)
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 1,803 students received $11.3M in Pell grants, alongside $124.8M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 1,394 borrowers who entered repayment, 8 (0.5%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at Vanderbilt
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 11
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus125
- Public property2
Includes 17 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
- Religion3
- Race2
- National origin1
- Sexual orientation1
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
- E. Bronson Ingram Hall2 firesCookingDamage $10,000-$24,999
- E. Bronson Ingram Hall2 firesOpen flamesDamage $0-$99
Data quality: 16 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Vanderbilt vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Vanderbilt selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectVanderbilt University | 94% | — | 13,575 | $15,846 | R1 Research |
| 89% | 11.1% | 37,737 | $24,402 | R1 Research | |
| 86% | 40.5% | 5,205 | $35,736 | R1 Research | |
| 96% | 5.4% | 11,956 | $25,184 | R1 Research | |
| 94% | 2.6% | 2,430 | $16,075 | R1 Research | |
| 94% | 11.7% | 15,888 | $31,944 | R1 Research | |
| 87% | 36.5% | 12,475 | $41,190 | R1 Research | |
| 96% | 4.0% | 35,173 | $21,590 | R1 Research | |
| 95% | 8.8% | 26,793 | $28,690 | R1 Research | |
| 96% | 5.4% | 6,938 | $29,519 | R1 Research | |
| 97% | 5.7% | 17,499 | $29,612 | R1 Research | |
| 91% | 10.6% | 15,175 | $22,585 | R1 Research | |
| 98% | 3.6% | 30,259 | $19,066 | R1 Research | |
| 94% | 6.4% | 30,210 | $18,809 | R1 Research | |
| 96% | 4.5% | 11,886 | $20,111 | R1 Research | |
| 88% | 9.2% | 56,832 | $37,050 | R1 Research | |
| 95% | 7.7% | 23,856 | $29,167 | R1 Research | |
| 98% | 4.6% | 9,137 | $6,128 | R1 Research | |
| 95% | 8.0% | 8,961 | $13,370 | R1 Research | |
| 92% | 3.6% | 18,625 | $13,807 | R1 Research | |
| 94% | 11.5% | 13,599 | $39,998 | R1 Research | |
| 86% | 14.0% | 13,310 | $39,949 | R1 Research | |
| 96% | 4.5% | 18,566 | $14,860 | R1 Research | |
| 97% | 5.4% | 29,109 | $28,699 | R1 Research | |
| 85% | 40.1% | 11,946 | $29,278 | R1 Research | |
| 92% | 9.8% | 46,566 | $32,740 | R1 Research | |
| 94% | 12.1% | 16,357 | $21,786 | R1 Research | |
| 96% | 3.9% | 15,564 | $23,777 | R1 Research | |
| Peer group median | 94% | 7.7% | 15,726 | $24,793 |
Institutions like Vanderbilt
Explore the federal data for institutions in Vanderbilt's comparison group.
- R1 ResearchMassachusetts
Boston University
Grad rate89%Admit rate11.1%Enrollment37,737Net price$24,402View data - R1 ResearchMassachusetts
Brandeis University
Grad rate86%Admit rate40.5%Enrollment5,205Net price$35,736View data - R1 ResearchRhode Island
Brown University
Grad rate96%Admit rate5.4%Enrollment11,956Net price$25,184View data - R1 ResearchCalifornia
California Institute of Technology
Grad rate94%Admit rate2.6%Enrollment2,430Net price$16,075View data - R1 ResearchPennsylvania
Carnegie Mellon University
Grad rate94%Admit rate11.7%Enrollment15,888Net price$31,944View data - R1 ResearchOhio
Case Western Reserve University
Grad rate87%Admit rate36.5%Enrollment12,475Net price$41,190View data - R1 ResearchNew York
Columbia University in the City of New York
Grad rate96%Admit rate4.0%Enrollment35,173Net price$21,590View data - R1 ResearchNew York
Cornell University
Grad rate95%Admit rate8.8%Enrollment26,793Net price$28,690View data - R1 ResearchNew Hampshire
Dartmouth College
Grad rate96%Admit rate5.4%Enrollment6,938Net price$29,519View data - R1 ResearchNorth Carolina
Duke University
Grad rate97%Admit rate5.7%Enrollment17,499Net price$29,612View data - R1 ResearchGeorgia
Emory University
Grad rate91%Admit rate10.6%Enrollment15,175Net price$22,585View data - R1 ResearchMassachusetts
Harvard University
Grad rate98%Admit rate3.6%Enrollment30,259Net price$19,066View data - R1 ResearchMaryland
Johns Hopkins University
Grad rate94%Admit rate6.4%Enrollment30,210Net price$18,809View data - R1 ResearchMassachusetts
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Grad rate96%Admit rate4.5%Enrollment11,886Net price$20,111View data - R1 ResearchNew York
New York University
Grad rate88%Admit rate9.2%Enrollment56,832Net price$37,050View data - R1 ResearchIllinois
Northwestern University
Grad rate95%Admit rate7.7%Enrollment23,856Net price$29,167View data - R1 ResearchNew Jersey
Princeton University
Grad rate98%Admit rate4.6%Enrollment9,137Net price$6,128View data - R1 ResearchTexas
Rice University
Grad rate95%Admit rate8.0%Enrollment8,961Net price$13,370View data - R1 ResearchCalifornia
Stanford University
Grad rate92%Admit rate3.6%Enrollment18,625Net price$13,807View data - R1 ResearchMassachusetts
Tufts University
Grad rate94%Admit rate11.5%Enrollment13,599Net price$39,998View data - R1 ResearchLouisiana
Tulane University of Louisiana
Grad rate86%Admit rate14.0%Enrollment13,310Net price$39,949View data - R1 ResearchIllinois
University of Chicago
Grad rate96%Admit rate4.5%Enrollment18,566Net price$14,860View data - R1 ResearchPennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
Grad rate97%Admit rate5.4%Enrollment29,109Net price$28,699View data - R1 ResearchNew York
University of Rochester
Grad rate85%Admit rate40.1%Enrollment11,946Net price$29,278View data - R1 ResearchCalifornia
University of Southern California
Grad rate92%Admit rate9.8%Enrollment46,566Net price$32,740View data - R1 ResearchMissouri
Washington University in St Louis
Grad rate94%Admit rate12.1%Enrollment16,357Net price$21,786View data - R1 ResearchConnecticut
Yale University
Grad rate96%Admit rate3.9%Enrollment15,564Net price$23,777View data
Vanderbilt Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The University Institutional Repository (VUIR) is a digital repository providing open access to scholarly research at Vanderbilt University.
Visit IR office page- Olivia Kew-FickusExecutive Director, Vanderbilt Institutional Research Group (VIRG)
- Richard J. IannelliSenior Director, Institutional Research and Academic Partnering
- Jennifer K. DoersamAssistant Director, Institutional Research
- Jesse TowInstitutional Research Analyst
- Sathvika TalakantiInstitutional Research Analyst
Research funding
External research funding from NSF, NIH, HERD, and federal spending sources.
Common Data Set
Vanderbilt's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.
Selectivity & Admissions
Admissions funnel
C148,196 applied → 2,593 admitted (5.4%) → 1,635 enrolled.
Selectivity
C1Most selective — 5.4% acceptance rate.
Admit rate by gender
C1Admit rate varies by gender.
SAT range (middle 50%)
C9Middle 50% SAT 1510–1560 (median 1530).
ACT range (middle 50%)
C9Middle 50% ACT 34–35 (median 35).
High-school class rank
C10Share of enrolled first-years by HS class-rank band.
What matters in admission
C7Relative importance of each admission factor.
Outcomes & Equity
Graduation & retention
B6-year graduation rate 94%; first-year retention 97%.
Equity: Pell graduation gap
B4Pell-grant recipients graduate 4 pts below the overall rate (89% vs 94%).
Academic Experience
Degrees by discipline
JSTEM-dominant: ~45% of bachelor's degrees are in computing, engineering, math & sciences.
Student Body & Diversity
Undergraduate race/ethnicity
B2Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity.
International students
B211% of undergraduates are international (nonresident).
Undergrad vs graduate
B17,366 undergraduates and 6,220 graduate students.
Reports & documents (4)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- Data definitionTracking History in Your Data: Slowly Changing Dimensions in Plain EnglishThis page from Vanderbilt University explains the concept of Slowly Changing Dimensions (SCDs) in data warehousing, highlighting how they manage data changes over time. It delineates the differences between SCD Type 1 and Type 2, illustrating scenarios where each type is applicable. It also discusses trade-offs of using SCD Type 2, proposes alternatives like census snapshots for historical data capture, and offers guidance on choosing the appropriate SCD type based on specific data tracking needs.vanderbilt.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- FactbookStudent Factbook2026The Vanderbilt University Student Factbook is part of a comprehensive suite of public data resources offered by the university. Accessible from the Data Homepage, it aggregates various informational sections including data governance, educational program admissions, research, and campus life. The factbook supports the university's commitment to equal opportunity and accessibility, providing insights into its administrative, academic, research, and student life dimensions.vanderbilt.edu
- GlossaryCommon Data Sets GlossaryThe glossary provides insight into the Common Data Sets used by Vanderbilt University, which standardizes data on admissions, enrollment, financial aid, and more for internal comparison and external reporting. It details terms related to the academic calendar, types of degrees offered, institutional control classification, and diversity efforts.vanderbilt.edu
Notable alumni of Vanderbilt (16)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Will W. AlexanderAcademia
- Robert BruininksAcademia
- Ellen GranbergAcademia
- Sheldon HackneyAcademia
- Charles N. MillicanAcademia
- The Rev. Edward MalloyAcademia
- Candice McQueenAcademia
- John J. TigertAcademia
- Anthea ButlerAcademia
- Jeff BalserAcademia
- Cleanth BrooksAcademia
- Herbert GurskyAcademia
Frequently asked questions about Vanderbilt University
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Vanderbilt.
What is the graduation rate at Vanderbilt University?
How many students attend Vanderbilt University?
What is the average net price at Vanderbilt University?
What is the yield rate at Vanderbilt University?
Where is Vanderbilt University located?
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
Have a question this page can’t answer?
Ask Clema anything about Vanderbilt University and its peers — plain language in, cited answers out, in minutes instead of days.
Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card