Growth Initiatives

West Palm Beach

Vanderbilt University is engaged in discussions about expanding its business education and computing programs to West Palm Beach—an area of tremendous growth and investment in private equity, venture capital, fintech and investment banking.

Aerial view of West Palm Beach, Florida.
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Expanding our U.S. Presence

Vanderbilt is always exploring new opportunities to expand our impact and further our mission. South Florida's recent growth as a finance hub in the south allows us the opportunity to expand into areas of focus that align with the university's expertise and that we don't currently have in Nashville.

Plans for a West Palm Beach campus require approval by accrediting bodies and state regulatory authorities. The university has presented its intentions to the local community and is engaging with West Palm Beach and Palm Beach County officials and community leaders about how Vanderbilt can best contribute to the community.   

West Palm Beach

FAQs

  • Why South Florida?

    West Palm Beach is earning the nickname “Wall Street South” because of the thousands of financial services firms that have located there during the last several years. This industry shift is creating a pipeline of jobs in private equity, venture capital, fintech and investment banking that do not exist to the same degree in Nashville. The region houses nearly 20,000 financial services companies that employ more than 250,000 people. Between 2020 and 2023, more than $1 trillion in assets under management relocated to Florida.

  • How will a West Palm Beach campus benefit the region?

    Vanderbilt’s presence in West Palm Beach will bring activity and attention to the area through research initiatives and scholarly events, enhancing the city’s reputation as a growing metropolitan hub. This will benefit all residents by elevating the area’s profile and potentially attracting other businesses and institutions of higher learning. The campus will help position Palm Beach County and West Palm Beach as leaders in high-quality education and research, and its presence will help foster local growth and innovation. Additionally, the campus aims to provide executive education and workforce development programs that local residents can access to enhance their skills and advance their careers.

    The broader impacts of Vanderbilt’s research and collaborations with local government and businesses will include increased funding, job growth and entrepreneurial opportunities, benefiting the entire community. Vanderbilt commissioned a third-party economic impact report from the economic analysis firm TXP about the impact of this specific project. When adding together construction costs, annual university operations, and the positive impacts to the local business environment Vanderbilt’s presence will provide, TXP estimates the campus will provide $7B in economic impact during the first 25 years and add around 35,000 new jobs.

  • What academic programming will be offered at this location?

    We are currently working with the Florida Commission for Independent Education and other accrediting bodies on the plans for academic programming. Our vision is for the campus to serve as a fully operational graduate business school, with a focus on finance, real estate and fintech. Additionally, we plan to offer graduate-level education in computing, data science and AI. Specific academic programming is subject to approval by the necessary accrediting agencies.

  • Why expand Vanderbilt’s presence beyond Nashville?

    As part of our ongoing effort to bring the world to Vanderbilt and Vanderbilt to the world, we are always exploring opportunities to expand Vanderbilt’s presence in the United States and abroad. Expanding our presence to great cities such as West Palm Beach is part of an overall growth strategy focused on improving our reach, impact and reputation worldwide, which, in turn, will increase our ability to positively impact the community in Nashville. We will deepen our relationships within West Palm Beach and South Florida, and broaden opportunities for students, faculty, alumni and supporters.

  • What are the next steps?

    Vanderbilt is working closely with accrediting bodies and state regulators to gain the necessary approvals for the West Palm Beach campus. Simultaneously, the university is continuing its discussions with local officials, business leaders and the community to refine plans and determine how Vanderbilt’s presence can best support West Palm Beach and Palm Beach County’s economic and educational landscape.

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