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Why Vanderbilt

Affordability

Vanderbilt is surprisingly affordable.  Not only were we ranked the 15th Best Value by U.S. News & World Report, we are one of only thirty colleges and universities that consider applications on a need–blind basis and meet 100% of demonstrated need. Your ability to pay is not considered as part of your admission to Vanderbilt

We are committed to meeting 100% of a student’s demonstrated need for financial aid.  The amount of need–based financial aid awarded is the difference between the amount a student and family are expected to pay toward college and the total cost of attendance.  Although costs vary among institutions, students who receive financial aid often pay no more to attend Vanderbilt than they would to attend a college with a lower total cost.

Students

Vanderbilt’s diverse student body represents every state in the U.S. and over thirty countries worldwide. Our undergraduate population is 53% female and 25% students of color.  Vanderbilt students compete successfully for the most prestigious scholarships and awards, such as the Fulbright, Truman, Goldwater and Marshall.  The concept of balance between academics and activities permeates the undergraduate experience at Vanderbilt.

Service

Culturally and academically, Vanderbilt students, alumni, faculty, and staff are a remarkable community whose efforts reach far beyond our campus borders.  Four Vanderbilt students founded Alternative Spring Break, and the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to alumnus Muhammad Yunus for promoting economic and social development in rural South Asia through small loans to entrepreneurs.  The Vanderbilt family is dedicated to giving their best to the world.

The First–Year Experience

Some statistics are more telling than others, and the fact that 96% of freshmen students return to Vanderbilt for their sophomore year should tell you just how serious we take your acclimation into our community.  We are continually looking for new ways to introduce you to life at Vanderbilt and most exciting right now is a $150 million investment in The Commons. This dynamic and supportive learning community will bring all first–year students together in ten houses on the historic Peabody campus.

Commodore Spirit

As a member of the Division I Southeastern Conference, our Commodores are proud to compete at the highest level with sixteen varsity sports teams.  Tennis and basketball are traditionally the strongest sports, but lacrosse, bowling, and baseball are experiencing national success.  Varsity athletic events are free to undergraduates, and our students show the Commodore spirit in support of their favorite teams every week.

Nashville

Visit Nashville to experience the unexpected.  We love our hometown and it is consistently ranked among the country’s most livable cities.  A metro area with over one million people, Nashville–an international hub of health care, education, publishing, and music–is nestled on the scenic Cumberland River among the rolling hills of Middle Tennessee.  If you love the great outdoors, you are just hours from Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Appalachian Trail.  Located in the Midtown district of Nashville, the Vanderbilt campus is conveniently located to many of the city’s favorite restaurants, music venues, and attractions.

Research

As a comprehensive, interdisciplinary university, Vanderbilt prides itself on being at the forefront of groundbreaking research for the past 130 years.  With total research expenditures nearing $400 million last year, Vanderbilt is 23rd in federal research and development funding among all U.S. colleges and universities.

Research and teaching join traditionally diverse disciplines through more than 120 centers and institutes that include: the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, the W.M. Keck Free–Electron Laser Center, the Vanderbilt–Ingram Cancer Center, the Financial Markets Research Center, the Intelligent Robotics Lab, and the Vanderbilt Institute for Public Policy Studies among others listed here.

Medical Center

Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) has built a strong reputation as a leader in medical education, research and patient care over its 127–year history.  VUMC’s programs in cancer; ear, nose, and throat; hormonal disorders; gynecology; kidney disease; orthopaedics; pulmonary disease; rheumatology; and urology are among the most nationally recognized programs

Among Vanderbilt’s specialty clinics are the Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center, which provides care for cancer patients along with research; Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital and its 19 specialty services, including the Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and a dedicated pediatric emergency department that are the only programs of their kind in middle Tennessee; the Vanderbilt Heart Institute which is one of the nation’s foremost cardiac research programs; the Vanderbilt Transplant Center which performed over 400 transplants last year. During the last fiscal year, these and other Vanderbilt clinics treated over 20,000 patients.

VUMC has an annual economic impact of more than $2.7 billion. Vanderbilt leads all private universities in support of the United Way and Combined Charities, and VUMC leads one of the country’s largest fundraising efforts for the American Heart Association.