Brown University vs Vanderbilt

Brown University and Vanderbilt University, two prestigious private research universities, offer distinct educational experiences. Brown, located in Providence, Rhode Island, boasts an acceptance rate of 7.1% and is known for its open curriculum, allowing students to design their own academic paths. Vanderbilt, situated in Nashville, Tennessee, has a slightly higher acceptance rate of 10.3% and is renowned for its strong pre-professional programs, particularly in medicine, law, and business. While both universities attract talented students from diverse backgrounds, Brown's student body is slightly larger, with an undergraduate enrollment of 6,700 compared to Vanderbilt's 6,300. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about these institutions' differences in popular majors, graduation rates, and other key aspects, helping you make an informed decision about your higher education journey.
Brown University logo

Brown University

Vanderbilt University logo

Vanderbilt University

Overview

Location Providence, Rhode Island Nashville, Tennessee
Campus setting City: Midsize City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 98.0% 97.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 5.5% 7.1%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $75
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $95
SAT range 1460 - 1570 1480 - 1570
ACT range 33 - 35 34 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 51.0% 25.0%
Students submitting ACT score 30.0% 32.0%
Total number of applicants 46,568 47,152
Total number of admissions given out 2,568 3,368
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,705 1,626
Yield rate 66.4% 48.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Required
Recommendation letters Required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $82,570 $79,538
Average net price $25,028 $27,553
Tuition $60,944 $54,840
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $10,054

Meal plan: $6,292
Room/dormitory: $12,000

Meal plan: $6,376
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

46.0%
Average amount $55,420
64.0%
Average amount $49,730
Students receiving federal student loan 9.0%
Average amount $5,159
10.0%
Average amount $4,979
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $27,008
2.0%
Average amount $27,798

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 7,349
Men 48.1% Women 51.9%
7,111
Men 48.9% Women 51.1%
Graduate students 3,347
Men 50.0% Women 50.0%
6,685
Men 39.5% Women 60.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 96.5% 89.5%
International students 18.6% 11.7%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize City: Large
Dormitory capacity 5,013 5,598
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from New York California Mississippi New Jersey Texas Tennessee California New York Florida Texas

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Social Sciences
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Engineering
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Legal Profession
Students to faculty ratio 6:1 8:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 95.8% 93.4%
Dropout rate 3.7% 6.4%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $130,101
  • Year 2: $153,718
  • Year 3: $184,762
Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $105,532
  • Year 2: $88,506
  • Year 3: $97,037
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,171
  • Year 2: $73,769
  • Year 3: $91,029
Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $70,583
  • Year 2: $75,921
  • Year 3: $80,783
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,028
  • Year 2: $63,302
  • Year 3: $78,949
Public Policy Analysis (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,505
  • Year 2: $61,020
  • Year 3: $74,894
Medicine (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,843
  • Year 2: $61,294
  • Year 3: $73,224
International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,882
  • Year 2: $50,105
  • Year 3: $65,953
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,247
  • Year 2: $58,673
  • Year 3: $63,507
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $50,186
  • Year 2: $53,108
  • Year 3: $62,581
Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $101,041
  • Year 2: $122,038
  • Year 3: $169,145
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $129,825
  • Year 2: $130,517
  • Year 3: $144,008
Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $131,102
  • Year 2: $117,572
  • Year 3: $133,025
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $128,494
  • Year 2: $127,087
  • Year 3: $132,454
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $132,293
  • Year 2: $114,324
  • Year 3: $130,516
Marketing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $108,764
  • Year 2: $111,620
  • Year 3: $121,754
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $126,876
  • Year 2: $119,805
  • Year 3: $112,193
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $91,224
  • Year 2: $104,192
  • Year 3: $108,525
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $99,979
  • Year 2: $93,249
  • Year 3: $101,010
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $76,609
  • Year 2: $80,309
  • Year 3: $95,754

Compare Similar Colleges

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