Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt

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

Tennessee Vanderbilt
Location Knoxville, TN Nashville, TN
Setting Midsize City Large City
Enrollment 33,805 13,710
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #232 #14
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website tennessee.edu vanderbilt.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Tennessee Vanderbilt
Tuition (In State) $11,332 $58,130
Tuition (Out of State) $29,522 $58,130
Room & Board $12,150 $19,862
Avg Net Price $21,880 $25,606
Avg Grant Aid $10,593 $53,932
% Receiving Grant Aid 88% 65%

Admission

Tennessee Vanderbilt
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 36,290 46,377
Admitted 24,826 3,093
Acceptance Rate 68.4% 6.7%
Enrolled % 27.6% 52.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.66 3.89
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Elite
Applicant Competition Low Extreme
ACT Range 25/31 34/35
SAT Range 1170/1330 1490/1570
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 1, 2025

Academics

Tennessee Vanderbilt
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 7:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • General Studies (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (6%)
  • Psychology (6%)

Outcomes

Tennessee Vanderbilt
Graduation Rate 63% 92%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $56,300 $83,100
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 83%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,000 $14,000
Median Loan Payment $206 $144

Diversity

Tennessee Vanderbilt
% Men 45% 44%
% Women 55% 56%
Racial Diversity Low High
HBCU No No
% White 79% 55%
% Black 7% 8%
% Hispanic 3% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 5%
% International 1% 7%
% Unknown Race 3% 5%

Students

Tennessee Vanderbilt
% In-State 54% 9%
% Out-of-State 45% 79%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • The University of Tennessee is larger than than Vanderbilt based on total student enrollment (33,805 students vs. 13,710 students)

Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Tennessee or Vanderbilt?

  • Vanderbilt University is 413% more expensive to attend than Tennessee for in-state tuition ($58,130.00 vs. $11,332.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 96.9% higher at Vanderbilt than The University of Tennessee ($58,130.00 vs. $29,522.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at The University of Tennessee than Vanderbilt ($21,880 vs. $25,606)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at The University of Tennessee are 63.5% lower than costs at Vanderbilt University ($12,150 vs. $19,862)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at The University of Tennessee than Vanderbilt University (88% vs. 65%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Vanderbilt University students is 409.1% larger than aid received The University of Tennessee ($53,932 vs. $10,593)

Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Vanderbilt University (1498) is 284 points higher than at Tennessee (1214)
  • Incoming Vanderbilt students have a 7 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at Tennessee (27)
  • Accepted freshman Vanderbilt students have a 0.23 point higher average high school GPA (3.89) than students at Tennessee (3.66)
  • Tennessee has a higher acceptance rate (68.4%) than Vanderbilt (6.7%)

Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Tennessee 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.

  • The graduation rate at Vanderbilt is higher than The University of Tennessee (92% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Vanderbilt University earn on average $26,800 more per year than Tennessee graduates after ten years. ($83,100 vs. $56,300)
  • Vanderbilt University students graduate with a $6,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Tennessee graduates. ($14,000 vs. $20,000)
  • Vanderbilt graduates are paying $62 less per month on federal student loans than Tennessee graduates. ($144 vs. $206)
  • More Vanderbilt graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Tennessee students, three years after graduation. (83% vs. 69%)

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