Brown vs. Vanderbilt

Should I go to Brown University or Vanderbilt University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Brown or Vanderbilt is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Brown University vs. Vanderbilt University comparison
Brown University Vanderbilt University College 3 College 4
Brown University Vanderbilt University
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Overview

Brown Vanderbilt
Location Providence, RI Nashville, TN
Setting Midsize City Large City
Enrollment 11,189 13,710
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #11 #14
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website brown.edu vanderbilt.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Brown Vanderbilt
Tuition (In State) $62,680 $58,130
Tuition (Out of State) $62,680 $58,130
Room & Board $15,840 $19,862
Avg Net Price $26,723 $25,606
Avg Grant Aid $55,847 $53,932
% Receiving Grant Aid 46% 65%

Admission

Brown Vanderbilt
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 50,649 46,377
Admitted 2,562 3,093
Acceptance Rate 5.1% 6.7%
Enrolled % 67% 52.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.94 3.89
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme Extreme
ACT Range 34/36 34/35
SAT Range 1490/1580 1490/1570
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 5, 2025 Jan 1, 2025

Academics

Brown Vanderbilt
Student to Faculty Ratio 6:1 7:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • English and Literature (6%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • General Studies (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (6%)
  • Psychology (6%)

Outcomes

Brown Vanderbilt
Graduation Rate 95% 92%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $87,600 $83,100
Making Student Loan Payments 89% 83%
Median Student Loan Debt $15,000 $14,000
Median Loan Payment $155 $144

Diversity

Brown Vanderbilt
% Men 48% 44%
% Women 52% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 43% 55%
% Black 7% 8%
% Hispanic 11% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 5%
% International 12% 7%
% Unknown Race 7% 5%

Students

Brown Vanderbilt
% In-State 3% 9%
% Out-of-State 79% 79%

Campus

Brown Vanderbilt
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Vanderbilt University is larger than than Brown based on total student enrollment (13,710 students vs. 11,189 students)

Brown vs. Vanderbilt Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Brown or Vanderbilt?

  • Brown University is 7.8% more expensive to attend than Vanderbilt for in-state tuition ($62,680.00 vs. $58,130.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 7.8% higher at Brown than Vanderbilt University ($62,680.00 vs. $58,130.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Vanderbilt University than Brown ($25,606 vs. $26,723)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Brown University are 25.4% lower than costs at Vanderbilt University ($15,840 vs. $19,862)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Vanderbilt University than Brown University (65% vs. 46%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Brown University students is 3.6% larger than aid received Vanderbilt University ($55,847 vs. $53,932)

Brown vs. Vanderbilt Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Brown or Vanderbilt? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Vanderbilt or Brown .

  • The average SAT score at Vanderbilt University (1498) is 41 points higher than at Brown (1457)
  • Incoming Vanderbilt students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at Brown (33)
  • Accepted freshman Brown students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.94) than students at Vanderbilt (3.89)
  • Vanderbilt has a higher acceptance rate (6.7%) than Brown (5.1%)

Brown vs. Vanderbilt Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Brown or Vanderbilt? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Vanderbilt and Brown.

  • The graduation rate at Brown is higher than Vanderbilt University (95% vs. 92%)
  • Graduates from Brown University earn on average $4,500 more per year than Vanderbilt graduates after ten years. ($87,600 vs. $83,100)
  • Vanderbilt University students graduate with a $1,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Brown graduates. ($14,000 vs. $15,000)
  • Vanderbilt graduates are paying $11 less per month on federal student loans than Brown graduates. ($144 vs. $155)
  • More Brown graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Vanderbilt students, three years after graduation. (89% vs. 83%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/