Vanderbilt University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
Vanderbilt University is a private college in Tennessee that admits about 6% of applicants, which puts it in the most selective range. A rate like this means it admits roughly one in ten applicants or fewer; the bar is less about clearing a single cutoff and more about how your full profile compares to admitted students.
Use this page to see what Vanderbilt University weighs, where it ranks among Tennessee schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1560, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
Vanderbilt University application deadlines, 2026-27 · Vanderbilt University supplemental essays, 2026-27
What do students study at Vanderbilt University?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into Vanderbilt University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Vanderbilt University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Vanderbilt University?
At Vanderbilt University, your real chance depends on far more than the published 6% admit rate. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Vanderbilt University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Vanderbilt University hard to get into?
Vanderbilt University is most selective: it admits roughly one in ten applicants or fewer, with about a 6% acceptance rate. At this level, strong grades and scores are the baseline, so essays, recommendations, and a distinctive story are what separate admits.
What GPA do you need to get into Vanderbilt University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Vanderbilt University, but admitted students almost universally present a 3.9 to 4.0 GPA earned in the most demanding courses their school offers. Vanderbilt University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Vanderbilt University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Vanderbilt University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 6 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at Vanderbilt University with a 3.9 GPA and a 1540 SAT?
About 12% (Reach), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.9 unweighted GPA and a 1540 SAT, the middle of Vanderbilt University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 4.0 GPA with a 1570 SAT comes out near 13%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/vanderbilt-university.
How to get into Vanderbilt University
Built from Vanderbilt University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
Getting into Vanderbilt University comes down to four decisions, each one visible in the data on this page.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Vanderbilt University carries about a 3.93 core GPA and a 1520 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. At this selectivity that is the entry ticket, not the deciding factor.
The admitted middle 50% is 1500 to 1570 SAT (34 to 35 ACT). Submit a score at 1535 or higher; below 1500, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Vanderbilt University rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
Selective private colleges admit a larger share of their class in binding Early Decision; if Vanderbilt University is your clear first choice and the net price works, ED is the single biggest lever an applicant controls. Most early deadlines fall on November 1 and Regular Decision on January 1 to 15; confirm Vanderbilt University's exact dates at www.vanderbilt.edu.
How many students apply to Vanderbilt University, and how many get in?
45,313 students applied to Vanderbilt University for fall 2023; 2,844 were admitted (6.3%). 1,622 enrolled. Roughly 57% of admitted students enrolled, a typical yield for a school in this range. Vanderbilt University enrolls about 7,208 undergraduates in total, 52% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Vanderbilt University?
Admitted students at Vanderbilt University post SAT scores of 1500 to 1570 in the middle 50%, with an average of 1549. On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 34 to 35. A score above 1570 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1500 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Vanderbilt University is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Vanderbilt University looks for
What Vanderbilt University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
Vanderbilt University signals that it values rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores above the rest of the file. At this level of selectivity, the difference between admits is rarely the transcript alone; essays, recommendations, and a coherent story matter. These ratings come from Vanderbilt University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Vanderbilt University
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does Vanderbilt University cost after financial aid?
The full sticker price at Vanderbilt University (tuition, fees, housing, food, books) is about $89,590 a year. Tuition and fees alone are $67,498. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $15,846 a year, and it ranges from $3,414 for families earning under $30,000 to $45,145 for families earning over $110,000. 20% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do Vanderbilt University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Median earnings for Vanderbilt University students ten years after entry are $91,565 ($73,909 at the six-year mark). 94% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 96% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $14,000; 10% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Vanderbilt University compares in Tennessee
Vanderbilt University ranks #1 most selective of 33 schools in Tennessee in our database.
Among the 33 Tennessee schools we track, Vanderbilt University ranks the most selective by acceptance rate. Nothing else in the state is harder to get into; the next tier down includes Fisk University at 37%.
Similar to Vanderbilt University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
If Vanderbilt University is on your list, schools with a similar admit profile are worth a look: Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, and Brown University. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is Vanderbilt University's acceptance rate?
Vanderbilt University admitted 2,844 of 45,313 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 6.3% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 57% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Vanderbilt University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1500 to 1570 on the SAT and 34 to 35 on the ACT. A score above 1570 is in the top quarter of admits. Vanderbilt University is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Vanderbilt University test-optional?
Yes. Vanderbilt University reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does Vanderbilt University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Vanderbilt University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $15,846 a year against a sticker price of about $89,590. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $3,414 on average.
What do Vanderbilt University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Vanderbilt University are $91,565 a year among students who received federal aid, and 94% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Vanderbilt University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Vanderbilt University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Vanderbilt University consider legacy or demonstrated interest?
Many private colleges weigh legacy relationships and demonstrated interest. Vanderbilt University's full factor profile is charted on this page, and CollegeCalcAI models a legacy effect scaled to a school's selectivity.
How can I improve my chances at Vanderbilt University?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Vanderbilt University specifically.
Can I get into Vanderbilt University with a perfect GPA and test scores?
Top grades and scores are necessary but not sufficient at Vanderbilt University. At this selectivity most applicants are already academically qualified, so essays, recommendations, and a distinctive story are what separate admits.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.