Vanderbilt vs. Stanford

Should I go to Vanderbilt University or Stanford University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Vanderbilt or Stanford 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Harvard Duke WUSTL Caltech Emory MIT UC Berkeley Rice UCLA USC Notre Dame Yale
Vanderbilt University vs. Stanford University comparison
Vanderbilt University Stanford University College 3 College 4
Vanderbilt University Stanford University
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

Vanderbilt Stanford
Location Nashville, TN Stanford, CA
Setting Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 13,710 18,283
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #14 #2
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website vanderbilt.edu stanford.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Vanderbilt Stanford
Tuition (In State) $58,130 $57,693
Tuition (Out of State) $58,130 $57,693
Room & Board $19,862 $18,619
Avg Net Price $25,606 $18,279
Avg Grant Aid $53,932 $60,619
% Receiving Grant Aid 65% 53%

Admission

Vanderbilt Stanford
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 46,377 56,378
Admitted 3,093 2,075
Acceptance Rate 6.7% 3.7%
Enrolled % 52.3% 83.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.89 3.96
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme Extreme
ACT Range 34/35 33/35
SAT Range 1490/1570 1500/1580
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 2, 2025

Academics

Vanderbilt Stanford
Student to Faculty Ratio 7:1 5:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • General Studies (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (6%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Social Sciences (21%)
  • General Studies (16%)
  • Engineering (15%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (5%)

Outcomes

Vanderbilt Stanford
Graduation Rate 92% 96%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $83,100 $122,900
Making Student Loan Payments 83% 88%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,000 $12,475
Median Loan Payment $144 $128

Diversity

Vanderbilt Stanford
% Men 44% 53%
% Women 56% 47%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 55% 37%
% Black 8% 6%
% Hispanic 8% 15%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 10%
% International 7% 9%
% Unknown Race 5% 0%

Students

Vanderbilt Stanford
% In-State 9% 35%
% Out-of-State 79% 48%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Stanford University is larger than than Vanderbilt based on total student enrollment (18,283 students vs. 13,710 students)

Vanderbilt vs. Stanford Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Vanderbilt or Stanford?

  • Vanderbilt University is 0.8% more expensive to attend than Stanford for in-state tuition ($58,130.00 vs. $57,693.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.8% higher at Vanderbilt than Stanford University ($58,130.00 vs. $57,693.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Stanford University than Vanderbilt ($18,279 vs. $25,606)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Stanford University are 6.7% lower than costs at Vanderbilt University ($18,619 vs. $19,862)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Vanderbilt University than Stanford University (65% vs. 53%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Stanford University students is 12.4% larger than aid received Vanderbilt University ($60,619 vs. $53,932)

Vanderbilt vs. Stanford Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Vanderbilt University (1498) is 19 points higher than at Stanford (1479)
  • Incoming Vanderbilt students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at Stanford (33)
  • Accepted freshman Stanford students have a 0.07 point higher average high school GPA (3.96) than students at Vanderbilt (3.89)
  • Vanderbilt has a higher acceptance rate (6.7%) than Stanford (3.7%)

Vanderbilt vs. Stanford Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Vanderbilt or Stanford? 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 Stanford and Vanderbilt.

  • The graduation rate at Stanford is higher than Vanderbilt University (96% vs. 92%)
  • Graduates from Stanford University earn on average $39,800 more per year than Vanderbilt graduates after ten years. ($122,900 vs. $83,100)
  • Stanford University students graduate with a $1,525 lower median federal student loan debt than Vanderbilt graduates. ($12,475 vs. $14,000)
  • Stanford graduates are paying $16 less per month on federal student loans than Vanderbilt graduates. ($128 vs. $144)
  • More Stanford graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Vanderbilt students, three years after graduation. (88% vs. 83%)

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