George Washington University (GWU) vs Vanderbilt

When it comes to higher education, George Washington University (GWU) and Vanderbilt University (VU) stand out as two prestigious institutions with distinct offerings. GWU, located in the heart of Washington, D.C., boasts a vibrant urban campus and strong connections to government and international affairs. VU, nestled in Nashville, Tennessee, offers a beautiful campus, a renowned medical center, and a focus on interdisciplinary learning. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence, they differ in several key aspects, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
George Washington University logo

George Washington University

Vanderbilt University logo

Vanderbilt University

Overview

Location Washington, District of Columbia Nashville, Tennessee
Campus setting City: Large 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 91.0% 97.0%
Common app member No Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 49.7% 7.1%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $80

Graduate: $80
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $95
SAT range 1310 - 1490 1480 - 1570
ACT range 30 - 34 34 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 29.0% 25.0%
Students submitting ACT score 18.0% 32.0%
Total number of applicants 27,236 47,152
Total number of admissions given out 13,539 3,368
Admitted students who chose to enroll 2,571 1,626
Yield rate 19.0% 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) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $78,335 $79,538
Average net price $31,240 $27,553
Tuition $59,780 $54,840
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $15,260

Meal plan: $3,240
Room/dormitory: $12,000

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

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

74.0%
Average amount $31,678
64.0%
Average amount $49,730
Students receiving federal student loan 30.0%
Average amount $5,150
10.0%
Average amount $4,979
Students taking out private loans 5.0%
Average amount $25,366
2.0%
Average amount $27,798

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 11,502
Men 36.3% Women 63.7%
7,111
Men 48.9% Women 51.1%
Graduate students 14,955
Men 38.1% Women 61.9%
6,685
Men 39.5% Women 60.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 98.7% 89.5%
International students 11.6% 11.7%
Campus local/setting City: Large City: Large
Dormitory capacity 6,693 5,598
First year students are required to live on campus? No Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from New York New Jersey Virginia California Pennsylvania Tennessee California New York Florida Texas

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Social Sciences
  • Legal Profession
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Legal Profession
Students to faculty ratio 12:1 8:1
Institutional accreditation Middle States Commission on Higher Education Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 83.7% 93.4%
Dropout rate 16.1% 6.4%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Systems Engineering (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $160,692
  • Year 2: $146,893
  • Year 3: $153,607
Human Resources Management and Services (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $124,764
  • Year 2: $106,421
  • Year 3: $130,306
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $124,241
  • Year 2: $127,142
  • Year 3: $127,952
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $107,834
  • Year 2: $114,046
  • Year 3: $119,393
Systems Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $106,809
  • Year 2: $101,072
  • Year 3: $112,813
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $98,922
  • Year 2: $104,061
  • Year 3: $111,679
Public Health (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: $84,962
  • Year 2: $104,192
  • Year 3: $105,816
Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $104,747
  • Year 2: $96,405
  • Year 3: $105,562
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $95,274
  • Year 2: $101,254
  • Year 3: $103,350
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $77,345
  • Year 2: $83,177
  • Year 3: $102,875
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

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
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