Vanderbilt Common Data Set 2025-2026
Vanderbilt University’s 2025-2026 Common Data Set gives applicants a detailed look at how selective Vanderbilt has become, what the university says it values in admissions, what test-optional means in practice, and how students should think about Early Decision, financial aid, and academic fit.
Below is what the latest data reveals about Vanderbilt’s admissions process and what applicants should take away from it.
A Sharper Look at Vanderbilt’s Selectivity
Vanderbilt remains one of the most selective universities in the country. For the class entering in Fall 2025:
Applications received: 48,196
Students admitted: 2,593
Students enrolled: 1,635
Acceptance rate: roughly 5.4 percent
Yield rate: roughly 63.1 percent
That means Vanderbilt admitted only about five students out of every hundred who applied. This is not a school where being “qualified” is enough. Most applicants with excellent grades, rigorous coursework, and strong scores will still be denied.
The yield rate is also important. A 63 percent yield means Vanderbilt is not merely a school students apply to as a backup for Ivy League or Ivy-plus admissions. A large share of admitted students actually enroll, which gives Vanderbilt confidence in shaping its class.
Early Decision Matters at Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt offers Early Decision and does not offer Early Action. The Common Data Set reports:
Early Decision applications: 6,202
Early Decision admits: 874
Early Decision acceptance rate: roughly 14.1 percent
First Early Decision deadline: November 1
First Early Decision notification: December 15
Other Early Decision deadline: January 1
Early Action: not offered
By comparison, the overall admit rate was about 5.4 percent. If we subtract Early Decision from the total pool, the remaining applicant pool had roughly 41,994 applicants and 1,719 admits, an implied admit rate of about 4.1 percent.
That does not mean every student should apply Early Decision. ED pools contain recruited athletes, institutional priorities, legacy applicants, and students who are often unusually prepared. But the data does show that Vanderbilt’s Early Decision round is a major part of how the university builds its class.
For a student who truly has Vanderbilt as a first choice, has a polished application by November, and has a family that understands the financial commitment of a binding plan, Early Decision can be a serious strategic advantage.
The Academic Profile of Enrolled Students
Among enrolled students who submitted scores, Vanderbilt’s testing profile was extremely high:
SAT composite: 1510 to 1560, median 1530
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing: 740 to 770, median 750
SAT Math: 770 to 790, median 780
ACT composite: 34 to 35, median 35
ACT Math: 33 to 35, median 34
ACT English: 34 to 36, median 35
ACT Reading: 34 to 36, median 35
ACT Science: 33 to 36, median 34
Submitted an SAT: 24 percent
Submitted an ACT: 28 percent
The score distribution is just as revealing. Among students who submitted SAT scores, 98.2 percent had a composite score between 1400 and 1600. Among students who submitted ACT scores, 99.3 percent had a composite score between 30 and 36.
Vanderbilt also reports GPA data. Among all enrolled first-year students who submitted high school GPA:
Average high school GPA: 3.895
4.0 GPA: 31.6 percent
3.75 to 3.99 GPA: 56.6 percent
3.50 to 3.74 GPA: 9.1 percent
Below 3.50 GPA: about 2.7 percent
Percent submitting high school GPA: 99.8 percent
This means that about 88.2 percent of enrolled students had a GPA of 3.75 or higher, and almost every enrolled student submitted GPA data.
Vanderbilt Is Test-Optional, but Scores Still Matter
Vanderbilt reports that SAT or ACT scores are not required for admission, but are considered if submitted. More importantly, Vanderbilt rates standardized test scores as Important in admissions.
That matters. Some selective colleges list test scores as merely considered. Vanderbilt places them one level higher.
The practical takeaway is straightforward:
A score near or above Vanderbilt’s middle 50 percent range can help.
A score well below Vanderbilt’s range may not help, especially if the rest of the academic record is strong.
Applying without scores is possible, but the transcript, GPA, recommendations, essays, and academic rigor must carry more weight.
Test-optional does not mean test-blind. At Vanderbilt, test scores remain one meaningful piece of evidence in the admissions process.
Who Makes Up the First-Year Class
Vanderbilt’s Fall 2025 first-year class included 1,635 degree-seeking students. By racial and ethnic category, the first-year class was reported as:
White: 39.5 percent
Asian: 17.4 percent
International or nonresident: 13.1 percent
Hispanic or Latino: 10.3 percent
Race or ethnicity unknown: 7.2 percent
Two or more races: 6.0 percent
Black or African American: 5.9 percent
American Indian or Alaska Native: 0.5 percent
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander: 0.1 percent
As with all Common Data Set reporting, international students are counted separately as nonresidents rather than included in domestic racial and ethnic categories.
Vanderbilt also reports that 84 percent of first-year students are from out of state, excluding international students from the calculation. This confirms Vanderbilt’s national draw. It is not primarily a Tennessee regional school in its undergraduate admissions profile.
How Vanderbilt Weighs Each Part of the Application
Vanderbilt’s admissions factor ratings are one of the most useful parts of the Common Data Set.
Rated Very Important:
Rigor of secondary school record
Class rank
Academic GPA
Application essay
Extracurricular activities
Character and personal qualities
Rated Important:
Standardized test scores
Recommendations
Talent or ability
Rated Considered:
Interview
First-generation status
Alumni relation
Geographic residence
State residency
Volunteer work
Work experience
Rated Not Considered:
Religious affiliation or commitment
Level of applicant’s interest
The most important point is that Vanderbilt cares intensely about academic strength, but not only academic strength. Rigor, class rank, GPA, essays, extracurriculars, and character are all in the top category.
This is why Vanderbilt is such a difficult admit. The applicant needs to be academically excellent, but also needs to come across as someone with initiative, maturity, depth, and a clear ability to contribute to campus life.
Demonstrated Interest Does Not Matter
Vanderbilt reports that an applicant’s level of interest is Not Considered.
That is an important contrast with schools that do track or value demonstrated interest. For Vanderbilt, signing up for every webinar, opening every email, or visiting campus is not going to be an admissions factor according to the Common Data Set.
That does not mean students should ignore research. The reason to research Vanderbilt is not to “show interest.” The reason is to write better essays, make smarter decisions about Early Decision, and understand whether Vanderbilt is actually the right fit.
The strongest Vanderbilt applicants should still know the school deeply, but they should not confuse performative interest with substantive fit.
What the Top Factors Actually Mean
The six Very Important factors are where Vanderbilt applications are won or lost.
Rigor of secondary school record. Vanderbilt wants students who challenged themselves with the most demanding courses available to them. AP, IB, honors, dual enrollment, advanced STEM courses, and advanced humanities coursework all matter in context.
Class rank. Vanderbilt rates class rank as Very Important. Only 19.8 percent of enrolled students submitted rank, but among those who did, 91.4 percent were in the top tenth of their graduating class and 95.4 percent were in the top quarter.
Academic GPA. Vanderbilt’s enrolled GPA profile is extremely strong. A 3.75+ GPA is not unusual in the Vanderbilt pool. It is closer to the baseline for being competitive.
Application essay. Vanderbilt places the essay in the highest tier. This means essays are not decorative. They are one of the main places where a student can show judgment, intellectual direction, values, personality, and fit.
Extracurricular activities. Vanderbilt wants depth and impact. A list of club memberships is not enough. The strongest applicants show initiative, leadership, commitment, and evidence that they have made something happen.
Character and personal qualities. Vanderbilt explicitly places character in the top tier. This shows up through essays, recommendations, activities, service, leadership, and the way an applicant’s choices fit together.
What This Means If You Are Applying
The Vanderbilt application should be built around a clear academic and personal case.
First, the transcript has to be excellent. Vanderbilt values rigor, class rank, and GPA at the highest level. Second, the applicant needs activities that show more than participation. Vanderbilt is looking for students who have done something meaningful with their opportunities. Third, the essays need to show a real person with judgment, motivation, and direction. Fourth, because recommendations are rated Important, teacher letters should reinforce the student’s intellectual seriousness and character.
For students applying with test scores, the score should strengthen the file. For students applying without scores, every other academic indicator needs to be especially convincing.
The mistake many applicants make is treating Vanderbilt as a school where “well-rounded” is enough. The data suggests otherwise. Vanderbilt wants strong academics, strong personal qualities, and a clear reason to believe the student will add something meaningful to campus.
Cost and Financial Aid
Vanderbilt’s published 2026-2027 costs are high:
Tuition: $69,822
Required fees: $3,384
Food and housing for first-year students: $23,690
Books and supplies: $1,100
Other expenses: $2,000
Transportation: varies
Estimated total before transportation: $99,996
The sticker price is significant, but Vanderbilt’s financial aid can be very generous. Vanderbilt reports that it meets 100 percent of admitted students’ demonstrated financial need without loans.
For first-time, full-time first-year students receiving need-based aid:
Average financial aid package: $81,553
Average need-based scholarship or grant: $77,563
Average need-based self-help award: $2,229
Average need-based loan: $2,931
Vanderbilt also reports institutional financial aid for undergraduate nonresidents. In the reported year, 266 undergraduate degree-seeking nonresidents received institutional aid, with an average award of $79,879.
The loan data is also worth noting. Among 1,561 students in the 2025 undergraduate class who started at Vanderbilt as first-time students and graduated with a bachelor’s degree, 293 borrowed from some loan source. That is about 18.8 percent of the class, with an average cumulative borrowed amount of $30,578 among borrowers.
Families should not judge Vanderbilt affordability from the sticker price alone. They should run Vanderbilt’s net price calculator before deciding whether the university is financially realistic.
Life and Academics Once You Arrive
The Common Data Set also gives a picture of the undergraduate experience:
First-year retention rate: 97 percent
Six-year graduation rate: 92.6 percent for the Fall 2019 cohort
Student-to-faculty ratio: 8 to 1
First-year students living in college-owned, operated, or affiliated housing: 100 percent
Undergraduates living in college-owned, operated, or affiliated housing: 74.5 percent
Undergraduate class sections with fewer than 20 students: about 57 percent
Undergraduate class sections with fewer than 30 students: about 77 percent
Vanderbilt also reports strong academic opportunities, including accelerated programs, double majors, independent study, internships, student-designed majors, study abroad, teacher certification, and undergraduate research.
The most common undergraduate degree areas by percentage of bachelor’s degrees conferred include:
Social sciences: 26.8 percent
Interdisciplinary studies: 16.0 percent
Computer and information sciences: 9.3 percent
Engineering: 8.8 percent
Biological and life sciences: 7.6 percent
Mathematics and statistics: 7.1 percent
Psychology: 5.2 percent
This is useful for applicants because Vanderbilt’s academic profile is broad. It is not just a pre-med school, not just a humanities school, and not just a Southern Ivy-style liberal arts experience. It combines strong undergraduate teaching, research opportunities, professional pathways, and a highly residential campus culture.
Deadlines and Application Logistics
Key dates and policies from Vanderbilt’s Common Data Set:
Application fee: $50
Fee waivers: available for applicants with financial need
Regular application closing date: January 1
Priority date: January 1
Admission notification: by April 1
Reply deadline: May 1
Early Decision deadline: November 1
Early Decision notification: December 15
Other Early Decision deadline: January 1
Early Action: not offered
Deferred admission: allowed
Maximum postponement: 2 years
Vanderbilt also reports that it uses a waitlist. For Fall 2025, 207 waitlisted students were admitted, but the Common Data Set does not report how many students were offered a place on the waitlist or how many accepted a waitlist spot. Vanderbilt also reports that its waitlist is not ranked.
If you are preparing a Vanderbilt application for the 2026-2027 cycle and want experienced guidance on the pieces that actually move the needle, schedule a consultation with a T20 admissions expert today.
