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Is Vanderbilt University worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Vanderbilt, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Affordable
Vanderbilt lands in the affordable band for a typical family. Graduates earn a median of $91,565 ten years after enrolling, and that makes the median debt of $14,000 more manageable than it looks at first glance. For context, Vanderbilt's net price runs about 17% above the typical 4-year, private nonprofit school. On the numbers alone, this school clears the bar comfortably.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 1237 similar 4-year, private nonprofit schools
This school
$26,689
/yrAverage school like this
$22,837
/yrThis weighs on your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $3,852 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $15,000 in extra cost.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price sits in a range that leaves more room for family cash flow and lower borrowing.
Outcome
40% weight
Graduation and earnings data create a stronger long-run payoff picture.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$15,846
Median earnings 10 years out
$91,565
Median debt at graduation
$14,000
Graduation rate
93%
At Vanderbilt, a typical graduate carries about $14,000 in student debt and earns roughly $91,565 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $159 per month, or 2% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
How earnings compare to a high school diploma
Graduates earn $49,765 more than the typical high school graduate ($41,800) ten years after entering this school. A federal rule finalized in July 2026 ties undergraduate student-loan eligibility to a comparison like this one, with the first calculations expected in 2027.
91% of former students here out-earned that benchmark ten years after entry, per College Scorecard.
Context, not a federal determination: the official test will use earnings measured four years after completion and thresholds the Department of Education has not yet published, which may vary by state. Our figure is College Scorecard median earnings ten years after entry. How this works
What this means for your family
Vanderbilt is a private nonprofit four year school in Nashville, TN. Private pricing can swing more dramatically based on aid, so your personalized score matters more here than the national average view alone.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Private nonprofit 4-year
Trevecca Nazarene
Nashville, TN
Worth-It Score: 59/100
Median net price: $16,813
Private nonprofit 4-year
Tennessee Wesleyan
Athens, TN
Worth-It Score: 57/100
Median net price: $14,836
Private nonprofit 4-year
Cumberland
Lebanon, TN
Worth-It Score: 58/100
Median net price: $18,759
Private nonprofit 4-year
Lee
Cleveland, TN
Worth-It Score: 54/100
Median net price: $18,878
Private nonprofit 4-year
Maryville
Maryville, TN
Worth-It Score: 52/100
Median net price: $19,360
Common questions about Vanderbilt
The median net price at Vanderbilt is $15,846 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at private colleges options in Tennessee? See the most affordable private colleges in Tennessee →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →
Now work out how to pay for it, cheapest money first.
A Worth-It Score tells you whether the price is justified. The 2026-27 funding guide covers the borrowing order, what changed on July 1, 2026, and the current limits.
Open the 2026-27 funding guide →