For more than a century, excellence, purpose, and collaboration have marked the Vanderbilt experience. With more than 70 majors, over 475 student organizations, and a 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio, Vanderbilt fosters an innovative living and learning environment for students to explore their passions, engage in academic research with world-renowned faculty, and build lasting connections within a diverse and dynamic student community.
If you'd like to receive more information about Vanderbilt, including about campus visit opportunities and Vanderbilt events in your area, join our mailing list.
At Vanderbilt, we encourage students to study across disciplines to feed their passions and inspire new ways to address issues and impact the world. Use the find your major tool to explore our majors, minors, and pre-professional programs and discover your own academic path at Vanderbilt.
At the heart of the Vanderbilt experience are our four undergraduate schools.
Among the many decisions you are currently facing regarding your college search may be the choice between a top-tier research university and a teaching-focused liberal arts college. At Vanderbilt, you do not have to choose. Vanderbilt students conduct research across academic disciplines regardless of their major field of study.
The Martha Rivers Ingram Commons is composed of ten houses designed exclusively for first-year students and their faculty heads of house, a dining center, seminar and study rooms, generous public spaces, and endless opportunities for engagement, enrichment, and leadership. E. Bronson Ingram College, Moore College, Nicholas S. Zeppos College, Rothschild College and Warren College each house upper-division students and are led by faculty heads and Residential Colleges staff. The next upper-division residential college is scheduled to open in fall 2024 as part of Vanderbilt’s FutureVU initiative.
On The Ingram Commons, first-year students transition from high school into a diverse living and learning community of peers and faculty. From move-in day on, new Commodores build relationships fostering social, cultural, and intellectual growth. All first-year students live in one of 10 houses. Each is guided by a faculty head of house who lives among the students.
National Team Championships
Vanderbilt supports student’s physical and emotional well-being through these campus resources:
Vanderbilt has over 475 opportunities to help students connect with our community, from organizations focused on service, culture, arts and religion, to groups for sports, Greek life, student government and other special interests. For a full list of organizations, browse the Anchor Link directory.
The Vanderbilt Programming Board
This student-run organization sponsors social, cultural, educational, recreational and multicultural activities, including speakers, concerts and off-campus trips.
Nashville is a dynamic city full of opportunity and diverse offerings; students consistently cite Nashville as an invaluable part of the Vanderbilt experience.
The Vanderbilt Career Center offers:
We meet 100% of every admitted student’s demonstrated financial need, without loans.
Our resolve to make a Vanderbilt education accessible and affordable to all admitted students is stronger than ever. Both our need-based and merit-based scholarships reflect our dedication to making a Vanderbilt education possible.
For international students admitted for fall 2023, Vanderbilt offered need-based aid and/or merit scholarships to 72 students representing 42 countries. The range of awards offered was $18,600–$98,552 per year for four years.
Our net price calculator can be used to estimate your need-based financial aid eligibility at Vanderbilt.
million in scholarships for 2023–24 first-year students
of undergrads receive some form of financial assistance
2023–24 average financial aid package for students with demonstrated financial need
Vanderbilt awards merit-based scholarships to applicants who demonstrate exceptional accomplishment and intellectual promise. Three signature scholarships — the Ingram Scholars Program, the Cornelius Vanderbilt Scholarship, and the Chancellor’s Scholarship — comprise the majority of Vanderbilt’s merit-based awards. Recipients of these scholarships are guaranteed full-tuition awards for up to eight semesters that include a stipend for research, study abroad, a creative endeavor, or the required Immersion Vanderbilt experience.
Admission is competitive and selective, but, above all, the application process is context-based and holistic. We consider the academic record within the context of the high school as well as leadership and engagement outside the classroom, the application essay, letters of recommendation, and standardized test scores (if submitted).
Undergraduate 7,152
Graduate and professional 6,304
Total 13,456
Female 52%
Male 48%
American Indian/Alaska Native 0.5%
Asian American 18.7%
Black/African American 11.5%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.3%
Hispanic or Latino 12.9%
International 10.7%
Multiracial (non-Hispanic) 6.2%
Not reported 3.0%
White 36.3%
ACT Middle 50% 34–35
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing
Middle 50% 740–770
SAT Mathematics Middle 50% 770–790
National Merit Scholars 169
Academics
Undergraduate colleges & schools 4
Student-to-faculty ratio 7:1
Classes with fewer than 50 students 91%
Female faculty 44%
Minority faculty 21%
Undergraduate Admission (Fall 2023)
First-year applicants 46,248
Admits 2,844
Admit rate 6.1%
Campus Life
Student organizations 475+
Commodore Athletics
Varsity teams 11 women’s, 6 men’s
NCAA championships 6
Club sports 32
Intramural sports leagues 40+
Financial Aid & Scholarships 2023–24
Undergraduates receiving some form of financial assistance 65%
Average financial aid package $71,283
First-Year Student Retention Rate 96%
Students Graduating in 6 Years 93%
Africa Burundi | Asia and Pacific Rim Australia | Middle East and Southern Asia Bangladesh |
Central and Eastern Europe Bulgaria | Western Europe Austria | South America Argentina |
Central and North America Canada | Caribbean Barbados |