Northwestern vs. Vanderbilt

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

Northwestern Vanderbilt
Location Evanston, IL Nashville, TN
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 23,161 13,710
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #15 #14
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website northwestern.edu vanderbilt.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Northwestern Vanderbilt
Tuition (In State) $62,391 $58,130
Tuition (Out of State) $62,391 $58,130
Room & Board $19,440 $19,862
Avg Net Price $22,095 $25,606
Avg Grant Aid $61,716 $53,932
% Receiving Grant Aid 50% 65%

Admission

Northwestern Vanderbilt
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 51,261 46,377
Admitted 3,695 3,093
Acceptance Rate 7.2% 6.7%
Enrolled % 55.2% 52.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.92 3.89
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme Extreme
ACT Range 33/35 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

Northwestern Vanderbilt
Student to Faculty Ratio 6:1 7:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Communication (14%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • General Studies (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (6%)
  • Psychology (6%)

Outcomes

Northwestern Vanderbilt
Graduation Rate 94% 92%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $89,800 $83,100
Making Student Loan Payments 87% 83%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,378 $14,000
Median Loan Payment $200 $144

Diversity

Northwestern Vanderbilt
% Men 46% 44%
% Women 54% 56%
Racial Diversity High High
HBCU No No
% White 50% 55%
% Black 6% 8%
% Hispanic 12% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 5%
% International 8% 7%
% Unknown Race 2% 5%

Students

Northwestern Vanderbilt
% In-State 22% 9%
% Out-of-State 67% 79%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Northwestern University is larger than than Vanderbilt based on total student enrollment (23,161 students vs. 13,710 students)

Northwestern vs. Vanderbilt Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Northwestern or Vanderbilt?

  • Northwestern University is 7.3% more expensive to attend than Vanderbilt for in-state tuition ($62,391.00 vs. $58,130.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 7.3% higher at Northwestern than Vanderbilt University ($62,391.00 vs. $58,130.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Northwestern University than Vanderbilt ($22,095 vs. $25,606)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Northwestern University are 2.2% lower than costs at Vanderbilt University ($19,440 vs. $19,862)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Vanderbilt University than Northwestern University (65% vs. 50%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Northwestern University students is 14.4% larger than aid received Vanderbilt University ($61,716 vs. $53,932)

Northwestern vs. Vanderbilt Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Vanderbilt University (1498) is 38 points higher than at Northwestern (1460)
  • Incoming Vanderbilt students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at Northwestern (33)
  • Accepted freshman Northwestern students have a 0.03 point higher average high school GPA (3.92) than students at Vanderbilt (3.89)
  • Northwestern has a higher acceptance rate (7.2%) than Vanderbilt (6.7%)

Northwestern vs. Vanderbilt Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Northwestern 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 Northwestern.

  • The graduation rate at Northwestern is higher than Vanderbilt University (94% vs. 92%)
  • Graduates from Northwestern University earn on average $6,700 more per year than Vanderbilt graduates after ten years. ($89,800 vs. $83,100)
  • Vanderbilt University students graduate with a $5,378 lower median federal student loan debt than Northwestern graduates. ($14,000 vs. $19,378)
  • Vanderbilt graduates are paying $56 less per month on federal student loans than Northwestern graduates. ($144 vs. $200)
  • More Northwestern graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Vanderbilt students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 83%)

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