Private nonprofit · Mostly bachelor's degrees · Large city

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee. 7,208 undergraduates. Admits 6% of applicants.

93%Graduation rate38 pts above the national median for similar colleges (54%)
$15,497Average net price per year22% below the national median for similar colleges ($19,899)
$99,080Median earnings 10 years after starting68% above the national median for similar colleges ($58,912)
$15,000Median debt at graduation31% below the national median for similar colleges ($21,609)
Our read

Graduates' median debt ($15,000) equals 15% of former students' median earnings ten years after starting ($99,080). That is a light load relative to pay.

What families actually pay

Under $30,000$3,637
$30,000–$48,000$1,908
$48,001–$75,000$5,651
$75,001–$110,000$11,284
Over $110,000$42,583

Average yearly net price for first-time, full-time students who received federal aid, by family income. Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships. Source: College Scorecard.

Compare net price across collegesPublished tuition and fees: $71,226.

Do students finish, and what do they earn?

MeasureThis collegeSimilar colleges nationally
Graduation rate93%54%
Return for second year96%76%
Median earnings, 6 years after starting$83,121$49,318
Median earnings, 10 years after starting$99,080$58,912
Median debt at graduation$15,000$21,609

Graduation rate within 150% of normal time; retention is the share of first-year students who return. Earnings are medians for former students who received federal aid, working and not enrolled. National comparison is the median for colleges of the same type (mostly bachelor's degrees).

Programs and what graduates earn

167 programs reported
ProgramGraduates / yrMedian earnings, 1 yrMedian earnings, 5 yrsMedian debt
Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies16—$243,537—
Health and Medical Administrative Services11$157,640$209,899—
Finance and Financial Management Services2—$197,241—
Applied Mathematics146$150,282$187,061—
Business Administration, Management and Operations127$167,246$186,557—
Public Health34$108,218$176,602—
Human Resources Management and Services32$74,629$161,031—
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods119$155,565——
Accounting and Related Services42$76,297$137,617—
Engineering, General36$129,720——
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing389$112,046$122,477—
Public Policy Analysis8$69,969$96,628—
Computational Science39$89,854——
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services26$62,443$88,337—
Marketing11$84,154——
Educational Administration and Supervision52$63,011$79,064—
Community Organization and Advocacy15$47,914$74,947—
Theological and Ministerial Studies24$47,518$71,941—
Curriculum and Instruction8—$71,522—
Special Education and Teaching47$60,124$64,872—
Student Counseling and Personnel Services0$56,559$60,427—
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services51$56,681——
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods27$54,570$56,207—
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas20$54,162——
Computer Science87———
Education, General3———
Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research22———
Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language19———
Biomedical/Medical Engineering7———
Chemical Engineering4———
Civil Engineering14———
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering8———
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering1———
Mechanical Engineering5———
Electrical and Computer Engineering4———
Engineering, Other4———
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies25———
English Language and Literature, General1———
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies8———
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities7———
Biology, General18———
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology3———
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology6———
Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology13———
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology13———
Mathematics1———
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other10———
Philosophy2———
Religion/Religious Studies6———
Chemistry7———
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences3———
Physics4———
Psychology, General4———
Research and Experimental Psychology55———
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology16———
Social Sciences, General13———
Economics20———
Political Science and Government4———
Sociology4———
Fine and Studio Arts3———
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions7———
Medical Illustration and Informatics6———
History14———

Program-level medians for graduates who received federal aid. A dash means the Department of Education suppressed the figure to protect privacy, usually because the program is small. At four-year colleges, certificate graduates often earned a bachelor's at the same time, so their earnings can reflect the degree. Source: College Scorecard, field of study data.

Getting in

6%Admission rate
1,549Average SAT of admitted students
34–35ACT middle 50%
8:1Students per faculty member
25%Undergraduates with a Pell Grant

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Quick answers

How much does Vanderbilt University cost per year?
The average net price at Vanderbilt University, what students pay after grants and scholarships, is $15,497 per year. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
How much do Vanderbilt University graduates earn?
Former Vanderbilt University students earn a median of $99,080 a year ten years after starting college. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
What is the graduation rate at Vanderbilt University?
93% of Vanderbilt University students graduate within 150% of normal time. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
How much student debt do Vanderbilt University graduates have?
The median federal student debt at graduation from Vanderbilt University is $15,000. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.