Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, blending a compact undergraduate college on a park-like, residential campus with top-ranked programs in engineering, education, music, and medicine. Admission is intensely competitive — Vanderbilt admitted about 5.4% of more than 48,000 applicants for its most recent class, and enrolled first-years posted middle-50% SAT scores of 1510–1560 and ACT scores of 34–35. Vanderbilt is test-optional and meets 100% of demonstrated financial need without loans through its Opportunity Vanderbilt program. The figures below are drawn directly from Vanderbilt's official Common Data Set.
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Vanderbilt admissions statistics
Acceptance rate
Total applicants, admitted students, and enrolled students for the most recent admission cycle.
Early decision
Vanderbilt offers binding Early Decision. Applying early can meaningfully change your odds — but ED commits you to enroll if admitted.
Admit rate by application plan
% admitted~3.4× higher admit rate applying early.
Standardized tests
Vanderbilt is currently test-optional — you may apply without submitting scores.
SAT Accepted?
ACT Accepted?
Test Optional?
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Vanderbilt supplemental essays — 2026-2027 cycle
Vanderbilt University's motto, Crescere aude, is Latin for "dare to grow." In your response, reflect on how one or more aspects of your identity, culture, or background has played a role in your personal growth, and how it will contribute to our campus community as you dare to grow at Vanderbilt.
Please provide your response in approximately 250 words.
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Admissions factors
How Vanderbilt weighs each part of your application.
Rigor of High School Record
Academic GPA
Standardized Test Scores
Application Essay
Recommendations
Extracurricular Activities
Character / Personal Qualities
Talent / Ability
First Generation
Level of Applicant's Interest
Class Rank
Volunteer Work
Work Experience
Geographical Residence
State Residency
Alumni Relation
Racial / Ethnic Status
Religious Affiliation
Cost of attendance
Estimated full-time annual cost from Vanderbilt's Common Data Set.
Private universities charge the same tuition regardless of state residency.
Financial aid
Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.
Frequently asked questions about Vanderbilt admissions
Yes, Vanderbilt is extremely selective. It admitted about 5.4% of applicants in the most recent cycle, offering admission to roughly 2,593 of more than 48,000 applicants. Enrolled first-years post middle-50% SAT scores of 1510-1560 and ACT scores of 34-35, so a strong academic record paired with the rigor Vanderbilt weighs very heavily is essential.
Vanderbilt's overall acceptance rate is about 5.4%, with roughly 2,593 of more than 48,000 applicants admitted and about 1,635 enrolling as first-years. Vanderbilt also runs a binding Early Decision plan, which drew 6,202 applications and admitted 874 of them.
Vanderbilt's binding Early Decision round admits at a higher rate than the overall pool: 874 of 6,202 ED applicants were admitted, roughly a 14% rate versus the 5.4% overall acceptance rate. ED is a binding commitment, so apply early only if Vanderbilt is clearly your first choice.
A 1500 is just below Vanderbilt's middle-50% range of 1510-1560, so it's slightly under the typical admitted profile rather than out of reach. About 98% of enrolled first-years who submitted the SAT scored 1400 or above. Vanderbilt is test-optional, so a score near but below that band doesn't have to be submitted if the rest of your application is stronger.
Enrolled first-years at Vanderbilt report an average high school GPA of about 3.90, and the admitted class sits overwhelmingly at the top of its cohort. There is no hard cutoff, but academic GPA, class rank, and the rigor of your course load are all weighed as very important factors in the review.
Vanderbilt is test-optional, so you may apply without submitting an SAT or ACT score. Among enrolled students who did submit, the middle 50% scored 1510-1560 on the SAT and 34-35 on the ACT, with standardized test scores weighed as an important (not very important) factor.
Tuition and required fees are about $73,206 per year, rising once housing and food are added in. Through Opportunity Vanderbilt the university meets 100% of demonstrated financial need without loans; about 59% of first-years receive aid, with an average need-based package of roughly $81,553.
Yes. Vanderbilt rates the application essay as a very important factor in its holistic review, on par with GPA, course rigor, extracurriculars, and personal qualities, and above standardized test scores. With an acceptance rate around 5.4%, a specific, well-revised essay is one of the clearest ways a strong applicant can stand out.
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Popular majors
Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.
Student-faculty ratio
The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.
Campus life
On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.
Enrollment by gender
Student diversity
Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.
Source: Vanderbilt University Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-06-07. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with Vanderbilt. Banner photo by Jaydenwithay, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0). Cite this page as: Esslo College Explorer, “Vanderbilt University admissions statistics, transcribed from the 2025-2026 Common Data Set,” https://www.esslo.org/colleges/vanderbilt (retrieved 2026-06-07).