Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN2101 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN 37240
615-322-7311
Vanderbilt University is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the South. Vanderbilt hoped that his gift and the greater work of the university would help to heal the sectional wounds inflicted by the Civil War.
Today, Vanderbilt enrolls approximately 12,000 students from all 50 states and over 90 foreign countries in four undergraduate and six graduate and professional schools. The university is ranked as one of the top 30 universities in the United States and is one of the nation's top research universities. It is also home to a leading medical center and one of the nation's largest private law schools.
The university's athletic teams, the Vanderbilt Commodores, compete in the NCAA's Division I in the Southeastern Conference. Vanderbilt is the only private university in the SEC and is the conference's only member in Tennessee.
Vanderbilt University was founded in 1873 by a group of Southern Methodists and Presbyterians, led by former Confederate General James H. McHenry and shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt had donated $1 million to the new university, the largest philanthropic gift in the history of the United States at that time. The school was named in his honor.
The Civil War had left the South in economic ruin and Vanderbilt hoped that his gift would help to heal the sectional wounds inflicted by the war. He also hoped that the new university would help to build a new South that would be based on commerce and industry rather than agriculture.
The university was located on a campus of over 100 acres (40 hectares) just south of downtown Nashville. The first class of students, numbering less than 50, began classes in October 1875.
In its early years, Vanderbilt struggled to find its identity and purpose. It was not until the 1890s that the university began to gain a reputation for excellence in academics and research.
The university has grown steadily in size and reputation in the ensuing years. Today, Vanderbilt enrolls approximately 12,000 students from all 50 states and over 90 foreign countries. The university is ranked as one of the top 30 universities in the United States and is one of the nation's top research universities.
Vanderbilt is home to four undergraduate schools and six graduate and professional schools, including a leading medical center and one of the nation's largest private law schools.
The university's athletic teams, the Vanderbilt Commodores, compete in the NCAA's Division I in the Southeastern Conference. Vanderbilt is the only private university in the SEC and is the conference's only member in Tennessee.
Quick Facts
Enrollment: 13537
Acceptance Rate: 11.62%
Type: Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above
Main Website: https://www.vanderbilt.edu/
Financial Aid: https://www.vanderbilt.edu/financialaid/
Annual Costs
Total Cost In-State On-Campus: $76044
Total Cost Out-State On-Campus: $76044
Return on Investment Rating
The estimated cost for four years as an undergraduate at Vanderbilt University is $263161.19. This includes the average cost of attendance for four years plus the interest on the average loan over a ten year repayment minus the average of grants and scholarships per student.
We then contrast this figure with average early-career and mid-career average incomes of graduates of four year programs at Vanderbilt University. For graduates of Vanderbilt University, we saw an average early-career income of $71500.00 and mid-career income of $129600.00. We then ranked the school's value based on how many years of mid-career income it takes to repay the educational costs.