Vanderbilt University is a private research university founded in 1873 and located roughly a mile and a half from downtown Nashville on a 333-acre campus. Cornelius Vanderbilt, the shipping and railroad magnate, donated $1 million to establish the institution, intending it to help heal sectional divisions after the Civil War. The university has since grown into one of the more selective and highly regarded research universities in the United States.
Rankings and Academic Standing
Vanderbilt ranked No. 17 among U.S. national universities in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report rankings, a position it has held near for several years. It ranked No. 6 in lowest acceptance rates, with an acceptance rate of approximately 6.3%. Total undergraduate enrollment is around 7,221 (fall 2024), with a student-faculty ratio of 8:1.
Six years after enrollment, the median salary for Vanderbilt graduates is approximately $73,909, which is about $30,000 above the national median for college graduates at the same time mark.
Other notable rankings: No. 8 on U.S. News Best Value Schools (for the second consecutive year), top 92 globally in Times Higher Education rankings, and No. 17 nationally for education programs where it ranks No. 1 in early childhood education.
Tuition and fees are approximately $71,226 annually. Fifty percent of first-year students receive need-based financial aid, and the average net price for federal loan recipients is around $20,917, making the effective cost significantly lower for middle-income families who qualify for aid.
Academic Structure
Vanderbilt operates through ten schools and colleges: the College of Arts and Science, Peabody College (education and human development, one of the top-ranked education schools in the country), the School of Engineering, Blair School of Music, the Owen Graduate School of Management (MBA), Vanderbilt Law School, and several graduate and professional programs. Vanderbilt University Medical Center, while now an independent legal entity, maintains a deep academic relationship with the university and remains among the country’s leading research hospitals.
The four-year graduation rate is 90%, significantly above national averages, reflecting both selectivity and institutional support.
What Vanderbilt Has Meant for Nashville
Vanderbilt functions as one of Nashville’s most significant economic and civic institutions. Vanderbilt University Medical Center employs over 28,000 people and anchors the healthcare ecosystem that defines Nashville’s economy. The university itself, including the medical center, generates billions in annual economic activity and is consistently among Nashville’s largest employers.
The campus location in Midtown puts a cluster of educated, young professionals within walking distance of Nashville’s restaurant and entertainment districts. Neighborhoods adjacent to Vanderbilt, particularly Hillsboro Village and the Vanderbilt-area streets of 21st Avenue, are shaped by the university’s presence in terms of retail, food, and walkability.
Vanderbilt graduates who stay in Nashville contribute to the city’s professional class in healthcare, law, finance, and business. The university also functions as one of the few national and international institutions in a city that otherwise has a regional identity.
Academic Culture
Vanderbilt has a reputation as a highly social, Greek-life-heavy undergraduate experience wrapped around serious academics. The student body is academically competitive, geographically diverse, and known for being politically moderate to conservative by selective-university standards. Nashville itself functions as an asset in admissions, and the university actively promotes the city as part of the student experience.
The research output is substantial across medicine, neuroscience, engineering, and social sciences. The Blair School of Music has a distinct reputation in performance training. The law school ranks consistently in the top 15-20 nationally.
Sources:
- U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges 2026: usnews.com
- Axios Nashville – Vanderbilt No. 17 (September 2025): axios.com
- Times Higher Education World University Rankings: timeshighereducation.com
- EDsmart College Rankings 2025: edsmart.org
- Vanderbilt University official website: vanderbilt.edu