Vanderbilt in West Palm Beach

Florida’s innovation and industry density creates a launchpad for Vanderbilt, with strong momentum across aerospace/aviation, cleantech and energy, defense and national security, and manufacturing and advanced industry, supported by high quality of life and a business-friendly environment that encourages and supports rapid growth.

West Palm Beach and the Palm Beach Region offer our students and faculty enormous opportunities in the financial services industry, among others. Nicknamed "Wall Street South", the region is a rapidly growing financial hub and houses nearly 20,000 financial services companies that employ more than 250,000 people. Between 2020 and 2023, more than $1 trillion in assets under management relocated to Florida, signaling sustained capital and talent inflows.

Academic programming is in development and subject to necessary regulatory approvals.

Vanderbilt intends to offer graduate programs in finance, management, engineering, space technology and innovation, defense technology and manufacturing, and business innovation, with AI and data science integrated throughout, to meet the demands of the growing industries and emerging fields in South Florida. Vanderbilt expects to serve approximately 1,000 graduate students per year. This campus would also house a state-of-the-art innovation hub to connect the campus to the booming business growth in the Palm Beach region.

We also envision Vanderbilt undergraduate students interacting with this campus in various ways—using it as a base for immersive education experiences, engaging in semester-away opportunities, leveraging local connections for internship opportunities, auditing courses not required for their specific degree program and more. 

Vanderbilt also plans to offer executive education, customized programs co-designed with local employers, and workforce upskilling programs to empower and educate the next generation of leaders in a new technology era. Vanderbilt also will offer lifelong learning opportunities to engage residents across the Palm Beach region

The campus would also house a state-of-the-art innovation hub, offering robust community engagement and access to an ecosystem of entrepreneurial energy and opportunity. An innovation center of this kind would be revolutionary for Vanderbilt and the Palm Beach region and allow entrepreneurs to benefit from a wealth of knowledge, resources and new sources of investment capital to fund pathbreaking discoveries. 

We will share more specific details about academic programming as we are able.

Vanderbilt's West Palm Beach campus will bring Vanderbilt’s distinctive model of integrating world-class scholarship with hands-on, cross-disciplinary learning to South Florida, helping define the future of business education in the age of innovation. This initiative will not only enhance our academic offerings, but also create invaluable partnerships with local industries to drive innovation and economic development in the community. 

Graduates from Vanderbilt’s West Palm Beach campus will emerge with a world-class education, cutting-edge skills and hands-on experience, which will uniquely position them to meet the region’s growing demand for high-quality talent. A Vanderbilt campus in West Palm Beach will strengthen the local workforce, fuel economic growth and contribute to the area’s competitive edge in the global economy. Additionally, the campus aims to provide executive education and workforce development programs that local residents can access to enhance their skills and advance their careers. 

For more than 150 years, Vanderbilt has been woven into the fabric of Nashville, partnering with the community to drive meaningful progress. We have a proud history of local impact in Tennessee, and we are eager to build that same deep, mutually beneficial relationship with the Palm Beach region. Our presence will foster entrepreneurship, spur innovation and commercialization, and contribute to the overall development and vibrancy of the area.

We have a remarkable opportunity to expand our graduate education programs to South Florida. This strategic presence in West Palm Beach would let Vanderbilt expand in a region that’s poised for explosive growth and investment. By positioning ourselves in this burgeoning financial center with proximity to leading-edge industries, we can elevate our profile, expand our reach and solidify our status as a market leader. 

Site planning and design is underway. In January 2026, Vanderbilt announced plans to proceed with the next phase of the project. We are working on finalizing designs and with government officials to begin preparations for construction. We will provide updates as details are confirmed and are committed to a rollout that prioritizes quality and community benefit. 

We’re excited to begin offering programming in West Palm Beach as soon as possible after regulatory approval. We will provide updates as details are confirmed and are committed to a rollout that prioritizes quality and community benefit. 

Fundraising: The early generosity of key donors enables us to proceed, and we have launched the next phase of our fundraising campaign—with a $250 million goal. Additional fundraising will allow us to fully realize the vision for the campus. We call on the residents and businesses of South Florida, as well as the global Vanderbilt community, to join us in investing in this remarkable new campus and all it will create for the Palm Beach area’s economy, workforce and quality of life.   

Community Activation: We will expand our engagement with the West Palm Beach and Palm Beach communities throughout 2026 with community events and additional outreach to deepen collaboration and community connection.  

Site Planning and Design: We will finalize site planning for the new campus. We will also engage with the West Palm Beach City and Palm Beach County Commissions to close on the land conveyed to Vanderbilt and begin preparations for construction.  

Education Regulatory Approvals: We will finalize academic programming plans for approval by the relevant education regulatory agencies. We’re excited to begin offering programming in West Palm Beach as soon as possible after regulatory approval.