Tennessee Tech vs. Vanderbilt

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

Tennessee Tech Vanderbilt
Location Cookeville, TN Nashville, TN
Setting Remote Town Large City
Enrollment 9,902 13,710
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #570 #14
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website tntech.edu vanderbilt.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Tennessee Tech Vanderbilt
Tuition (In State) $8,520 $58,130
Tuition (Out of State) $18,552 $58,130
Room & Board $10,502 $19,862
Avg Net Price $15,188 $25,606
Avg Grant Aid $8,471 $53,932
% Receiving Grant Aid 96% 65%

Admission

Tennessee Tech Vanderbilt
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,229 46,377
Admitted 5,646 3,093
Acceptance Rate 78.1% 6.7%
Enrolled % 36.3% 52.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.89
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Challenging Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme
ACT Range 21/28 34/35
SAT Range 1030/1270 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 Aug 1, 2025 Jan 1, 2025

Academics

Tennessee Tech Vanderbilt
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 7:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (21%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Health Professions (6%)
  • Biology (5%)
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • General Studies (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (6%)
  • Psychology (6%)

Outcomes

Tennessee Tech Vanderbilt
Graduation Rate 50% 92%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,400 $83,100
Making Student Loan Payments 61% 83%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,000 $14,000
Median Loan Payment $165 $144

Diversity

Tennessee Tech Vanderbilt
% Men 53% 44%
% Women 47% 56%
Racial Diversity Very Low High
HBCU No No
% White 81% 55%
% Black 4% 8%
% Hispanic 3% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 5%
% International 7% 7%
% Unknown Race 0% 5%

Students

Tennessee Tech Vanderbilt
% In-State 94% 9%
% Out-of-State 5% 79%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Vanderbilt University is larger than than Tennessee Tech based on total student enrollment (13,710 students vs. 9,902 students)

Tennessee Tech vs. Vanderbilt Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Tennessee Tech or Vanderbilt?

  • Vanderbilt University is 582.3% more expensive to attend than Tennessee Tech for in-state tuition ($58,130.00 vs. $8,520.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 213.3% higher at Vanderbilt than Tennessee Technological University ($58,130.00 vs. $18,552.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Tennessee Technological University than Vanderbilt ($15,188 vs. $25,606)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Tennessee Technological University are 89.1% lower than costs at Vanderbilt University ($10,502 vs. $19,862)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Tennessee Technological University than Vanderbilt University (96% vs. 65%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Vanderbilt University students is 536.7% larger than aid received Tennessee Technological University ($53,932 vs. $8,471)

Tennessee Tech vs. Vanderbilt Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Vanderbilt University (1498) is 396 points higher than at Tennessee Tech (1102)
  • Incoming Vanderbilt students have a 10 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at Tennessee Tech (24)
  • Accepted freshman Vanderbilt students have a 0.26 point higher average high school GPA (3.89) than students at Tennessee Tech (3.63)
  • Tennessee Tech has a higher acceptance rate (78.1%) than Vanderbilt (6.7%)

Tennessee Tech vs. Vanderbilt Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Tennessee Tech 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 Tennessee Tech.

  • The graduation rate at Vanderbilt is higher than Tennessee Technological University (92% vs. 50%)
  • Graduates from Vanderbilt University earn on average $39,700 more per year than Tennessee Tech graduates after ten years. ($83,100 vs. $43,400)
  • Vanderbilt University students graduate with a $2,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Tennessee Tech graduates. ($14,000 vs. $16,000)
  • Vanderbilt graduates are paying $21 less per month on federal student loans than Tennessee Tech graduates. ($144 vs. $165)
  • More Vanderbilt graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Tennessee Tech students, three years after graduation. (83% vs. 61%)

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