Illinois vs. Vanderbilt

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

 Illinois Vanderbilt
Location Champaign, IL Nashville, TN
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 56,916 13,710
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #106 #14
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website illinois.edu vanderbilt.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Illinois Vanderbilt
Tuition (In State) $12,474 $58,130
Tuition (Out of State) $30,446 $58,130
Room & Board $12,720 $19,862
Avg Net Price $14,544 $25,606
Avg Grant Aid $16,552 $53,932
% Receiving Grant Aid 54% 65%

Admission

 Illinois Vanderbilt
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 63,257 46,377
Admitted 28,354 3,093
Acceptance Rate 44.8% 6.7%
Enrolled % 28.1% 52.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.79 3.89
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Elite
Applicant Competition Low Extreme
ACT Range 29/34 34/35
SAT Range 1320/1510 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 5, 2025 Jan 1, 2025

Academics

 Illinois Vanderbilt
Student to Faculty Ratio 21:1 7:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (16%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • General Studies (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (6%)
  • Psychology (6%)

Outcomes

 Illinois Vanderbilt
Graduation Rate 82% 92%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $66,500 $83,100
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 83%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,500 $14,000
Median Loan Payment $211 $144

Diversity

 Illinois Vanderbilt
% Men 54% 44%
% Women 46% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 48% 55%
% Black 6% 8%
% Hispanic 10% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 5%
% International 16% 7%
% Unknown Race 1% 5%

Students

 Illinois Vanderbilt
% In-State 71% 9%
% Out-of-State 11% 79%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign is larger than than Vanderbilt based on total student enrollment (56,916 students vs. 13,710 students)

Illinois vs. Vanderbilt Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Illinois or Vanderbilt?

  • Vanderbilt University is 366% more expensive to attend than Illinois for in-state tuition ($58,130.00 vs. $12,474.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 90.9% higher at Vanderbilt than University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign ($58,130.00 vs. $30,446.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign than Vanderbilt ($14,544 vs. $25,606)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign are 56.1% lower than costs at Vanderbilt University ($12,720 vs. $19,862)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Vanderbilt University than University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (65% vs. 54%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Vanderbilt University students is 225.8% larger than aid received University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign ($53,932 vs. $16,552)

Illinois vs. Vanderbilt Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Vanderbilt University (1498) is 193 points higher than at Illinois (1305)
  • Incoming Vanderbilt students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at Illinois (29)
  • Accepted freshman Vanderbilt students have a 0.1 point higher average high school GPA (3.89) than students at Illinois (3.79)
  • Illinois has a higher acceptance rate (44.8%) than Vanderbilt (6.7%)

Illinois vs. Vanderbilt Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Illinois 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 Illinois.

  • The graduation rate at Vanderbilt is higher than University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (92% vs. 82%)
  • Graduates from Vanderbilt University earn on average $16,600 more per year than Illinois graduates after ten years. ($83,100 vs. $66,500)
  • Vanderbilt University students graduate with a $6,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Illinois graduates. ($14,000 vs. $20,500)
  • Vanderbilt graduates are paying $67 less per month on federal student loans than Illinois graduates. ($144 vs. $211)
  • More Vanderbilt graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Illinois students, three years after graduation. (83% vs. 78%)

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