Carnegie Mellon vs. Vanderbilt

Should I go to Carnegie Mellon University or Vanderbilt University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Carnegie Mellon 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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Carnegie Mellon University vs. Vanderbilt University comparison
Carnegie Mellon University Vanderbilt University College 3 College 4
Carnegie Mellon University Vanderbilt University
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Overview

 Carnegie Mellon Vanderbilt
Location Pittsburgh, PA Nashville, TN
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 16,002 13,710
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #41 #14
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cmu.edu vanderbilt.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Carnegie Mellon Vanderbilt
Tuition (In State) $59,864 $58,130
Tuition (Out of State) $59,864 $58,130
Room & Board $16,486 $19,862
Avg Net Price $33,499 $25,606
Avg Grant Aid $43,966 $53,932
% Receiving Grant Aid 47% 65%

Admission

 Carnegie Mellon Vanderbilt
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 34,261 46,377
Admitted 3,873 3,093
Acceptance Rate 11.3% 6.7%
Enrolled % 44.3% 52.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.89 3.89
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Very High Extreme
ACT Range 34/35 34/35
SAT Range 1490/1570 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 1, 2025 Jan 1, 2025

Academics

 Carnegie Mellon Vanderbilt
Student to Faculty Ratio 5:1 7:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (26%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (14%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • General Studies (8%)
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • General Studies (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (6%)
  • Psychology (6%)

Outcomes

 Carnegie Mellon Vanderbilt
Graduation Rate 87% 92%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $102,700 $83,100
Making Student Loan Payments 91% 83%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,250 $14,000
Median Loan Payment $271 $144

Diversity

 Carnegie Mellon Vanderbilt
% Men 56% 44%
% Women 44% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 32% 55%
% Black 5% 8%
% Hispanic 8% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 5%
% International 18% 7%
% Unknown Race 5% 5%

Students

 Carnegie Mellon Vanderbilt
% In-State 11% 9%
% Out-of-State 69% 79%

Campus

 Carnegie Mellon 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

  • Carnegie Mellon University is larger than than Vanderbilt based on total student enrollment (16,002 students vs. 13,710 students)

Carnegie Mellon vs. Vanderbilt Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Carnegie Mellon or Vanderbilt?

  • Carnegie Mellon University is 3% more expensive to attend than Vanderbilt for in-state tuition ($59,864.00 vs. $58,130.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 3% higher at Carnegie Mellon than Vanderbilt University ($59,864.00 vs. $58,130.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Vanderbilt University than Carnegie Mellon ($25,606 vs. $33,499)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Carnegie Mellon University are 20.5% lower than costs at Vanderbilt University ($16,486 vs. $19,862)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Vanderbilt University than Carnegie Mellon University (65% vs. 47%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Vanderbilt University students is 22.7% larger than aid received Carnegie Mellon University ($53,932 vs. $43,966)

Carnegie Mellon vs. Vanderbilt Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Vanderbilt University (1498) is 50 points higher than at Carnegie Mellon (1448)
  • Incoming Vanderbilt students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at Carnegie Mellon (33)
  • Accepted freshman Carnegie Mellon students have at the same average high school GPA (3.89) as students at Vanderbilt (3.89)
  • Carnegie Mellon has a higher acceptance rate (11.3%) than Vanderbilt (6.7%)

Carnegie Mellon vs. Vanderbilt Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Carnegie Mellon 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 Carnegie Mellon.

  • The graduation rate at Vanderbilt is higher than Carnegie Mellon University (92% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Carnegie Mellon University earn on average $19,600 more per year than Vanderbilt graduates after ten years. ($102,700 vs. $83,100)
  • Vanderbilt University students graduate with a $12,250 lower median federal student loan debt than Carnegie Mellon graduates. ($14,000 vs. $26,250)
  • Vanderbilt graduates are paying $127 less per month on federal student loans than Carnegie Mellon graduates. ($144 vs. $271)
  • More Carnegie Mellon graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Vanderbilt students, three years after graduation. (91% vs. 83%)

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