Acceptance Rate History
Vanderbilt University Acceptance Rate: 5.4% in 2025 (2013–2025 history)
TN · Current rate: 5.4%
Vanderbilt University admits the SAT 1510–1560 range — you might be closer than you think.
This page is one school. The answer weighs it against the rest of your list, from what each school published.
What is Vanderbilt University's acceptance rate in 2025?
Vanderbilt University's acceptance rate in 2025 is 5.4%, roughly unchanged from 5.9% in 2024.
Common Data Set 2025-2026
Regular Decision acceptance rate at Vanderbilt University
Outside Early Decision, Vanderbilt University admitted 1,719 of 41,994 applicants in the 2025-2026 cycle: 4.1%. That counts everyone who did not apply Early Decision.
Vanderbilt University's Early Decision II deadline for the 2026-27 cycle is Jan 1, 2027.
Calculated from published counts · Common Data Set 2025-2026 · checked Aug 2026
How many applicants does Vanderbilt University admit, and what is its acceptance rate?
In its 2025 admissions cycle, Vanderbilt University admitted 2,593 of 48,196 applicants — an overall acceptance rate of 5.4%.
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
Does Vanderbilt University's 2025 acceptance rate include early-round applicants?
Yes. The 5.4% rate is one whole-cycle figure covering all 48,196 applicants Vanderbilt University received for 2025, early and regular rounds counted together; it is not the rate of any single round.
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
Year-by-Year Data
| Year | Acceptance Rate | Applicants | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5.4% | 48,196 | 2,593 |
| 2024 | 5.9% | 45,409 | 2,662 |
| 2023 | 6.3% | 45,313 | 2,844 |
| 2022 | 6.7% | 46,377 | 3,093 |
| 2021 | 7.1% | 47,152 | 3,368 |
| 2020 | 11.6% | 36,646 | 4,259 |
| 2019 | 9.1% | 37,310 | 3,402 |
| 2018 | 9.6% | 34,313 | 3,298 |
| 2017 | 10.9% | 31,462 | 3,415 |
| 2016 | 10.8% | 32,442 | 3,487 |
| 2015 | 11.7% | 31,464 | 3,674 |
| 2014 | 13.1% | 29,518 | 3,865 |
| 2013 | 12.7% | 31,099 | 3,963 |
Source: IPEDS Admissions Survey (NCES) · College Scorecard
Cost
The same school, two different prices
Family income under $30k: $3,414/yr · Family income over $110k: $45,145/yr (AY 2023–24)
Average paid by students receiving federal aid, by family income (College Scorecard). International students are not eligible for U.S. federal aid, so they are not in this cohort and typically pay closer to the sticker price.
High-income families typically pay closer to sticker.
Aid for international students
Vanderbilt University awarded institutional aid to 266 international undergraduates (2025-2026 Common Data Set).
These figures describe only the international students who actually received aid — not what a typical international admit can expect. International students outside this group pay the full sticker price.
Source: official Common Data Set filing
Admitted Student Profile
SAT Range · Middle 50% (25th–75th)
1510–1560
Common Data Set 2025-2026
Admitted students at Vanderbilt University scored between 1510 and 1560 on the SAT (middle 50%).
Source: College Scorecard · U.S. Dept of Education
What this school weighs — Vanderbilt University
Course rigor and GPA are not in this table. Nearly every school rates both at the top, so they tell you nothing about this one. These six are where schools differ.
| Class rank | Very important |
|---|---|
| Standardized test scores | Important |
| Application essay | Very important |
| Recommendations | Important |
| Extracurricular activities | Very important |
| Character / personal qualities | Very important |
Vanderbilt University Common Data Set 2025–26, section C7
How to read these numbers
- The 2025 rate covers Vanderbilt University's whole applicant pool — early and regular applications counted together in one figure. It is not the rate of any single round.
- 1510–1560 is the middle half of admitted scores, not a cutoff: a quarter of admitted students scored below 1510, and a quarter scored above 1560.
- The table above holds 13 reported years, 2013 through 2025. Across them Vanderbilt University's rate ranged from 5.4% to 13.1%, so any single year is one point inside that range.
Each figure above describes a class a school already admitted in a completed cycle. It is a record of who was admitted, not a measurement of any one application.
Source: College Scorecard · IPEDS Admissions Survey (NCES) · U.S. Dept. of Education
Where do you stand?
School
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
SAT
Middle 50% of admitted students scored 1510–1560.
This is SAT only — one slice of an application, not the whole of it.
Your odds at every school on your list — $9.99 through Nov 15 →
Trend Analysis
Vanderbilt University's acceptance rate has decreased from 12.7% in 2013 to 5.4% in 2025, reflecting increased selectivity. The most notable shift occurred in 2021.
Analysis compiled from official data trends.
Similar Schools — Acceptance Rate History
Data sourced from IPEDS and College Scorecard. Does not represent endorsements or guarantee admission outcomes.