Add a college to compare up to four schools
Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison.
Duke WUSTL UChicago Emory Rice Notre Dame Georgetown Johns Hopkins Cornell Michigan Stanford Loyola| Northwestern University | Vanderbilt University | College 3 | College 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|||
| Remove | Remove | +Add | +Add | |
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 |
|
|
||
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/