Costs and Funding
PhD
All PhD students are fully funded. This includes full coverage of tuition, the student health fee, and individual health insurance, with an annual stipend (currently $38,000). The funding mechanism is a fellowship, research assistantship, or training grant. Continuation of funding is dependent upon the student making good academic progress in the program (as determined by their dissertation committee, their advisor, and the director of graduate studies) and satisfactory performance on their research assistantship. When these conditions are met, funding typically lasts for at least five years.
Academic year 2024–2025
| Expense | Vanderbilt/Funder Responsibility | Student Responsibility |
| Tuition: $2,349/hour | 100% | 0% |
| Health insurance: $4,169/year (or comparable insurance) | 100% | 0% |
| Health fee: $968/year | 100% | 0% |
| Additional allowances: a one-time $2,000 student success stipend*; up to three $1,000 student travel awards for presenting research at major meetings and conferences; $500 when completing the oral qualifying examination | ||
MS
All MS students receive an 80% tuition award. Over the course of a two-year MS program, students must earn credit for at least 30 credit hours; the tuition award currently corresponds to $56,376, with students responsible for the remaining $14,094 ($3,524 per semester). Continuation of this award is dependent on the student making good academic progress in the program (as determined by their academic performance, their advisor, and the director of graduate studies).
Academic year 2024–2025
| Expense | Vanderbilt/Funder Responsibility | Student Responsibility |
| Tuition: $2,349/hour | 80% | 20% |
| Health insurance: $4,169/year (or comparable insurance) | 0% | 100% |
| Health fee: $968/year | 0% | 100% |
| Additional allowances provided: a one-time $2,000 student success stipend*; up to three $1,000 student travel awards for presenting research at major meetings and conferences | ||
* The success stipend is paid to admitted students the summer before their arrival, to offset relocation expenses.
Additional information regarding tuition and fees can be found at the Vanderbilt University Student Accounts site.