Quick Facts
For more than 150 years, Vanderbilt University has forged a tradition of academic excellence infused with a unique spirit of collaboration and collegiality.
340.7
acre campus in Nashville, TN
2,400+
graduate students
1873
university founded
7,000+
undergraduate students
Academics
At Vanderbilt's schools and colleges, academics go beyond renowned degree programs led by world-class faculty at a top-tier research university – Immersion Vanderbilt and residential colleges bring learning to life every day.
-
7:1
student-to-faculty ratio
- 70+
- 57
Undergraduate Experience
Within Vanderbilt’s innovative living and learning environment, 7,000+ undergraduate students study across disciplines, explore their passions, and build lasting connections as part of a diverse and dynamic student community.
-
94%
of students live on campus all 4 years
-
50%
of students participate in study abroad
-
450+
student organizations
-
47.6%
of students come from diverse ethnic or racial backgrounds
-
58%
of students conduct research
-
10%
international students
Research and Innovation
As an R1 research university, Vanderbilt is a global hub for conducting scholarly research, advancing discoveries and fueling breakthroughs across multiple disciplines. Vanderbilt and Vanderbilt University Medical Center provide students and postdoctoral researchers with opportunities to participate in transformative discoveries that aim to change the world.
-
$1 billion+
in annual research and development expenditures
-
1,259
awards received totaling $298M in FY23
-
1,500+
patent applications, industry license agreements, and material transfer agreements completed in FY23
-
34
students and alumni named National Science Foundation graduate research fellows in 2024
-
Top 25
private universities for research and innovation by the National Science Foundation
Faculty Expertise
Our world-class, expert faculty are collaborators and innovators, recognized for their impact on our city, region and world. They are highly cited researchers, respected practitioners and award-winning scientists, musicians, authors and historians.
-
1,841
total faculty members
-
94%
hold the highest degree in their field
Affordability
At Vanderbilt, we believe cost should never be a barrier to a world-class education. That’s why we provide a variety of tuition scholarships, stipends and funding for undergraduate, graduate and Ph.D. students.
- Opportunity Vanderbilt provides undergraduate scholarships to meet 100% of every family’s demonstrated financial need without loans and full-tuition scholarships to households with income of $150K or less.
- For graduate and master’s students, a variety of financial aid and awards are available through the graduate school and professional schools.
- With an annual $5 million investment in enhanced doctoral education funding, Ph.D. students have several opportunities for stipends, supplements, awards and reimbursement.
Life After Vanderbilt
Notable Vanderbilt alumni include 6 Nobel Laureates, 27 Rhodes Scholars, 1 Grammy Winner, and trailblazers across multiple fields. In addition, our graduates excel beyond our peer schools in first destination outcomes data, including salary expectations and employment.
-
95%
of 2023 graduates were employed or enrolled in graduate school within 6 months of graduation
-
78%
of first-time applicants were accepted to medical school compared to the national rate of 46%
-
82%
of 2022 graduates enrolled in graduate or professional schools are attending their first-choice school