Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University is a private university located a little over a mile from downtown Nashville, Tennessee. The university tends to place well in national rankings with particular strengths in education, law, medicine, and business. Because of its strong emphasis on research, Vanderbilt is a member of the Association of American Universities. Its strengths in the liberal arts and sciences earned the school a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. In athletics, Vanderbilt is the only private university in the NCAA Division I Southeastern Conference.

Admissions Data (2010):

• Percent of Applicants Admitted: 18%
• GPA, ACT and SAT graph for Vanderbilt
• What Are Your Chances? (from Cappex.com)
• Test Scores -- 25th / 75th Percentile
  • SAT Critical Reading: 670 / 760
  • SAT Math: 690 / 770
  • SAT Writing: 660 / 750
    • What these SAT numbers mean
    • Tennessee colleges SAT comparison
    • Top university SAT score comparison
    • SEC SAT score comparison chart
  • ACT Composite: 30 / 34
  • ACT English: 31 / 35
  • ACT Math: 29 / 34
  • ACT Writing: 8 / 9
    • What these ACT numbers mean
    • Tennessee colleges ACT comparison
    • Top university ACT score comparison
    • SEC ACT comparison chart

Enrollment (2009):

• Total Enrollment: 12,506 (6,794 undergraduates)
• Gender Breakdown: 48% Male / 52% Female
• 99% Full-time

Costs (2010 - 11):

• Tuition and Fees: $39,930
• Books: $1,344 (why so much?)
• Room and Board: $13,058
• Other Expenses: $2,302
• Total Cost: $56,634

Vanderbilt University Financial Aid (2008 - 09):

• Percentage of New Students Receiving Aid: 62%
• Vanderbilt Scholarships (Cappex.com)
• Percentage of New Students Receiving Types of Aid
  • Grants: 57%
  • Loans: 27%
• Average Amount of Aid
  • Grants: $31,857
  • Loans: $5,336

Most Popular Majors:

Biomedical Engineering, Communication Studies, Economics, Engineering Science, English, History, Mechanical Engineering, Political Science, Psychology, Social Sciences

Graduation and Retention Rates:

• First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 96%
• 4-Year Graduation Rate: 84%
• 6-Year Graduation Rate: 91%

Data Source:

National Center for Educational Statistics

Vanderbilt and the Common Application

Vanderbilt University uses the Common Application. These articles can help guide you:

• Common Application essay tips and samples
• Short answer tips and samples
• Supplemental essay tips and samples

Vanderbilt University Mission, Values and Goals Statement:

The following statement is from http://www.vanderbilt.edu/mission.html Vanderbilt University is a center for scholarly research, informed and creative teaching, and service to the community and society at large. Vanderbilt will uphold the highest standards and be a leader in the

• quest for new knowledge through scholarship,
• dissemination of knowledge through teaching and outreach,
• creative experimentation of ideas and concepts.

In pursuit of these goals, Vanderbilt values most highly

• intellectual freedom that supports open inquiry,
• equality, compassion, and excellence in all endeavors.