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REQUIREMENTS AND CAMPUS GUIDE

Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt is consistently ranked as one of the top 20 universities in the United States. Based in the heart of “Music City” Nashville, Tennessee, this private university hosts a lively campus in the middle of a thriving urban center. Home to just over 7,000 undergraduate students, Vanderbilt has over 100 undergraduate majors and minors in four schools, 500+ student organizations, and endless research and internship opportunities. This “southern Ivy” is renowned for its great academics, lively campus culture, and strong undergraduate school spirit, all while retaining the feel of a small school. If you’re considering applying to Vanderbilt, read on to learn more about the school!

REQUIREMENTS AND CAMPUS GUIDE

Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt is consistently ranked as one of the top 20 universities in the United States. Based in the heart of “Music City” Nashville, Tennessee, this private university hosts a lively campus in the middle of a thriving urban center. Home to just over 7,000 undergraduate students, Vanderbilt has over 100 undergraduate majors and minors in four schools, 500+ student organizations, and endless research and internship opportunities. This “southern Ivy” is renowned for its great academics, lively campus culture, and strong undergraduate school spirit, all while retaining the feel of a small school. If you’re considering applying to Vanderbilt, read on to learn more about the school!

REQUIREMENTS AND CAMPUS GUIDE

Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt is consistently ranked as one of the top 20 universities in the United States. Based in the heart of “Music City” Nashville, Tennessee, this private university hosts a lively campus in the middle of a thriving urban center. Home to just over 7,000 undergraduate students, Vanderbilt has over 100 undergraduate majors and minors in four schools, 500+ student organizations, and endless research and internship opportunities. This “southern Ivy” is renowned for its great academics, lively campus culture, and strong undergraduate school spirit, all while retaining the feel of a small school. If you’re considering applying to Vanderbilt, read on to learn more about the school!

School Location:

NASHVILLE, TN

School Type:

PRIVATE RESEARCH UNIVERSITY

Admissions Rates:

ADMITTED: 6.28%

GENERAL INFO

SAT/ACT Scores:

Test Optional for 2024-2025
Admission Cycle

Class of 2027 Test Scores
Middle 50% SAT: 1500-1560
Middle 50% ACT: 34-35

Dates/Deadlines:

Early Decision (ED):
November 1
Regular Decision:
January 1

School Information:

Undergraduate population:
7.086
Faculty Ratio: 7:1
Interviews Considered:
Yes

VANDERBILT TIPS & GUIDE

How difficult is it to get into Vanderbilt?

Vanderbilt is a particularly competitive school to gain admissions to. Of the 45,313 students who applied to join Vanderbilt’s Class of 2027, 2,844 were admitted, yielding a low acceptance rate of just 6.28%. The 25th-75th percentile range for SAT Composite scores was 1500-1560 and a 34-35 for ACT composite scores. 92.5% of students were in the top tenth of their high school class.

In their Common Data Set, Vanderbilt admissions indicates that they consider six criteria to be very important in the admissions process; rigor of high school courses, class rank, GPA, application essays, extracurricular activities, and character. Recommendations, standardized test scores, and talent are considered, while level of applicant interest and religious affiliation are not. With such a low acceptance rate, Vanderbilt should be considered a “high reach” school for all applicants!

What is the campus like at Vanderbilt?

Vanderbilt is located in the heart of Nashville, one of the fastest growing cities in the nation. As a Vanderbilt student, you have access to this city’s rich musical history. You can see a show at a honky-tonk on Nashville’s famous Broadway strip or at music venues such as the Ryman Auditorium, Ascend Amphitheater, and the Basement. Nashville is also home to many sports teams, and you can attend a Tennessee Titans or Nashville Predators game. You can also explore the Nashville Farmers’ Market, discover Nashville’s increasingly renowned food scene in Nashville’s restaurants, or see a movie at the Belcourt movie theater.

Students also have a plethora of opportunities to become involved on Vanderbilt’s campus. Due to the school’s belief that on-campus living increases academic and social success, all undergraduate students are required to reside on campus, though seniors may apply for off-campus housing. To support undergraduates in their successful transition to Vanderbilt, all freshmen live together in the Martha Rivers Ingram Commons, a collaborative learning environment comprised of 10 houses and The Commons Center, where students live with their faculty heads of house and have access to a dining center, a gym, seminar/study rooms, public spaces, pre-major advising, and other resources for underclassmen. All freshmen also participate in a meal plan during their first year of enrollment.

Vanderbilt’s not all work and no play. Most students consider the school culture to encourage a “work hard play hard” attitude as Vanderbilt has one of the most active social scenes amongst top schools in the country. Vanderbilt’s tight-knit community begins forming when students are freshmen living in the Commons. Among 500+ student organizations, Vanderbilt offers ample communities to explore and organizations for students to join, such performing arts, community service, and intramural sports and Greek life. Vanderbilt’s thriving Greek life includes fraternities, sororities, and co-ed organizations. Freshmen officially rush in the spring to join a sorority or fraternity starting the fall of their sophomore year.

As for arts and cultural activities to get involved in at Vanderbilt, first look to the historic Dyer Observatory. Students can get involved in one of Vanderbilt’s many arts extracurriculars, from the Rhythm and Roots Performance Company to Vanderbilt’s University Band Program. Students interested in media and communications can write for the school newspaper, The Vanderbilt Hustler, or participate in a variety of other student-run media outlets.

Vanderbilt also has a large number of student-run service organizations celebrating the diverse cultures and identities that make up Vanderbilt’s student body. If students can’t find a club they want to join, they are encouraged to start a club of their own.

What is Vanderbilt known for?

Beyond its excellent academics and fun social scene, Vanderbilt is also a thriving research institution. The school received $298M in funding (FY 23) to fund its interdisciplinary research, conducted in the school’s numerous centers and institutes, including Vanderbilt’s Innovation Center, the Vanderbilt Institute for Surgery and Engineering, and the Center for Digital Humanities. Undergraduate students at Vanderbilt are highly encouraged to participate in research, and the school fosters involvement through a number of research programs like research assistantships or the Vanderbilt Undergraduate Summer Research Program, as well as various funding opportunities. Vanderbilt students are also known for their large school spirit; many are found supporting the Vanderbilt Commodores at football and other sports games on the weekends.

How diverse is Vanderbilt?

Of the 7.152 undergraduate students enrolled in Vanderbilt in 2023, 717 or 10% were international, 854 or 11.9% were Hispanic or Latino, 746 or 10.4% were Black or African American, 2,779 or 38.9% were white, 32 were American Indian or Alaska Natives, 1,327 or 18.6% were Asian, 22 were Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, 420 or 5.9% were of two or more races, and 255 or 3.6% were of an unknown race or ethnicity. In the fall of 2023, international students hailed from 72 countries and have 82 citizenships!

Does Vanderbilt have a good athletic department?

The Vanderbilt Commodores compete in NCAA Division I. Men compete in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, and tennis, and women in basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field, and volleyball. Vanderbilt students can frequently be found at sporting events as spectators or athletes!

How do I apply to Vanderbilt?

Students can apply to Vanderbilt via the Common Application, Coalition (via Scoir), or QuestBridge. Vanderbilt offers three timelines for application: Early Decision I, Early Decision II, or Regular Decision.

  • The deadline for Early Decision I is November 1st, and you’ll find out whether you were accepted by mid December.
  • The deadline for Early Decision II is January 1st, and you’ll find out whether you were accepted by mid February.
    • Early Decision I and II are a binding commitment, meaning that you commit to attending Vanderbilt if you are admitted. If Vanderbilt is your top choice, applying early will show admissions how serious you are about attending if selected. Alternatively, you can also choose to apply Regular Decision. The deadline for Regular Decision is January 1st and you’ll be notified by late March.

Students who want to apply to Vanderbilt must submit the following:

  • Common Application or Coalition Application or Questbridge application
  • Vanderbilt-specific supplemental essay
  • Official High School transcript
  • Counselor letter of recommendation
  • Two teacher recommendations
  • Mid year report
  • $50 application fee
  • Note: SAT/ACT submission remains optional through fall of 2027
    • While not required, Vanderbilt will accept SAT subject tests if you submit them
  • *Note: In addition to submitting the application for admission, applicants to Blair School of Music requires several additional items:
    • One artistic recommendation
    • Music resume
    • Repertoire list
    • Pre-screening video
  • Applicants whose first language or language of instruction in secondary school was not English, or who score below 26 on the ACT English section or 630 on the SAT Evidence based Reading and Writing section must submit English proficiency exam scores. Further instructions can be found here.

What are Vanderbilt’s core curriculum and programs?

Vanderbilt is comprised of 10 schools and colleges, four of which offer undergraduate courses:

While students must apply to one of our four undergraduate schools, they are encouraged to take advantage of Vanderbilt’s interdisciplinary approach to taking classes and exploring their interests across schools.

Students have over 70 bachelor’s degree programs to choose from and are not required to declare their major until the end of their sophomore year. Vanderbilt prides itself on its 7:1 student to faculty ratio. Each of the four undergraduate schools has its own advising system. In addition to advising, Vanderbilt offers students tutoring, walk-in advising, critical thinking and writing workshops, and pre-professional advising in pre-medicine/health professions, pre-business/managerial studies, pre-law, pre-architecture, and pre-nursing.

Vanderbilt is also proud of Immersion Vanderbilt, which gives undergraduate students the opportunity to undertake an intensive learning experience in and beyond the classroom through immersive experiences, including study abroad, internships, research, leadership and professional development, civic and community engagement, and other various creative endeavors.

Can I afford Vanderbilt?

Vanderbilt offers both need-based and merit-based financial aid. For the year 2024-2025, Vanderbilt’s annual estimated cost for room, board, and other fees is $94,072. While the cost of attending Vanderbilt seems astronomically expensive for the average family, Vanderbilt’s undergraduate financial aid program meets 100% of demonstrated financial need.

Through Opportunity Vanderbilt, Vanderbilt states any student can enroll at Vanderbilt:

  • Your ability to pay is not part of the admission decision. (For U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens only.)
  • We meet 100% of your family’s demonstrated financial needs.
  • Your financial aid award will not include loans. Financial aid packages for undergraduate students include only grant assistance and a reasonable work expectation.

You can also use Vanderbilt’s Net Price Calculator to estimate your family’s costs and potential financial aid funding, here.

Guide Last Updated in 2024

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