Stanford vs Vanderbilt

Stanford University and Vanderbilt University, two prestigious institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Stanford, located in the heart of Silicon Valley, is renowned for its strong ties to the tech industry and its highly selective admissions process, with an acceptance rate of only 4%. Vanderbilt, situated in the vibrant city of Nashville, boasts a more diverse student body and a wider range of academic programs, with an acceptance rate of 12%. While both universities excel in various fields, Stanford is particularly known for its engineering, computer science, and business programs, while Vanderbilt is recognized for its strength in medicine, nursing, and music. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details about these universities, including their graduation rates, popular majors, student demographics, and more, to determine which institution best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Stanford University logo

Stanford University

Vanderbilt University logo

Vanderbilt University

Overview

Location Stanford, California Nashville, Tennessee
Campus setting Suburb: Large City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Quarter Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 98.0% 97.0%
Common app member No Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 3.9% 7.1%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $90

Graduate: $125
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $95
SAT range 1470 - 1570 1480 - 1570
ACT range 34 - 35 34 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 15.0% 25.0%
Students submitting ACT score 11.0% 32.0%
Total number of applicants 55,471 47,152
Total number of admissions given out 2,190 3,368
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,757 1,626
Yield rate 80.2% 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 $78,898 $79,538
Average net price $14,402 $27,553
Tuition $55,473 $54,840
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $11,166

Meal plan: $6,694
Room/dormitory: $12,000

Meal plan: $6,376
Available payment plans

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

61.0%
Average amount $56,211
64.0%
Average amount $49,730
Students receiving federal student loan 5.0%
Average amount $5,151
10.0%
Average amount $4,979
Students taking out private loans 1.0%
Average amount $17,186
2.0%
Average amount $27,798

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 7,645
Men 49.4% Women 50.6%
7,111
Men 48.9% Women 51.1%
Graduate students 10,035
Men 56.5% Women 43.5%
6,685
Men 39.5% Women 60.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 58.5% 89.5%
International students 24.4% 11.7%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large City: Large
Dormitory capacity 14,621 5,598
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from California Texas Washington New York Illinois Tennessee California New York Florida Texas

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Engineering
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Business
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Physical Science
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Legal Profession
Students to faculty ratio 5:1 8:1
Institutional accreditation Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 95.5% 93.4%
Dropout rate 1.7% 6.4%
Transferred out 0.6% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $151,574
  • Year 2: $170,457
  • Year 3: $210,837
Computer Science (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $159,729
  • Year 2: $168,942
  • Year 3: $203,193
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $164,734
  • Year 2: $163,337
  • Year 3: $187,054
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $137,457
  • Year 2: $150,874
  • Year 3: $173,548
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $136,126
  • Year 2: $136,499
  • Year 3: $165,375
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $128,556
  • Year 2: $135,709
  • Year 3: $157,500
Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $123,354
  • Year 2: $106,421
  • Year 3: $139,234
Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $105,326
  • Year 2: $111,435
  • Year 3: $126,185
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $108,457
  • Year 2: $90,856
  • Year 3: $107,477
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,475
  • Year 2: $85,391
  • Year 3: $104,592
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

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