Vanderbilt University, located in Nashville, Tennessee, has seen a significant rise in popularity in recent years. (For a deeper look at the growing appeal of Southern colleges, check out our blog post, “The Rising Popularity of Southern Colleges.”) The Common Data Set shows an approximate 25% increase in yield over the last 10 years. It’s also frequently described as both a “Southern Ivy” and a “New Ivy.”
VANDERBILT ACCEPTANCE RATE
Vanderbilt had another record-low acceptance rate for the Regular Decision round this year — just 3.3%, according to The Vanderbilt Hustler. The overall acceptance rate for the Class of 2029 was 4.7%, compared to last year’s 5.2%.
Vanderbilt also saw a 16% increase in applications for its ED 1 and 2 programs, receiving over 6,700 applications and consequently having its ED acceptance rate drop to 13.2% compared to the Class of 2028’s 15.2%.
“Every year, it is increasingly harder to be admitted to Vanderbilt,” Doug Christiansen, Vice Provost for University Enrollment Affairs and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, said. “The Vanderbilt degree continues to grow in value in the job marketplace because so many great students are here. As yield goes up, that means we’re admitting less [students].”
The yield rate for the Class of 2028 was 61.2%.
Christiansen added that around 10% of the Class of 2029 will come from the waitlist, citing the on-campus housing requirement at Vanderbilt as to why peer institutions admit fewer waitlisted students. This also may be one way that Vanderbilt ensures a higher yield percentage year over year.
Additionally, around 8-10% of the incoming class are students who were originally deferred during ED but admitted RD.
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The Class of 2029 is the second class to be admitted following the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling banning affirmative action. Colleges can now only release limited biographical data about the incoming class, but Christiansen said that 15.2% of RD admits were international students and 15.5% identified as first-generation college students.
TTA TOP TIP: Vanderbilt is increasingly difficult to get into — for first years. But Vanderbilt’s transfer acceptance rate is actually quite high, all things considered — 18.9% in 2024. If you meet the transfer requirements and feel that Vanderbilt is a better fit, it can be worth considering applying. If you applied and were denied admissions from a school in your original round of applications, be sure to emphasize your college career to date, your growth over the year, and your certitude about the school’s fit for your goals.
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At Top Tier Admissions, we are committed to making the college admissions process more transparent. Easy access to clear data helps families understand trends in college admissions to make more informed decisions. This year we’re once again collecting acceptance rate data at selective schools and providing insight and analysis of our own.
WANT TO READ MORE?
Are you thinking about applying to Vanderbilt? Curious about admissions trends and strategies to improve your odds? Contact us to discuss our Application Boot Camp® or Private Counseling program— we look forward to supporting you!
- Vanderbilt: Class of 2028 Acceptance Rate
- The Madness of March
- The Best Schools for Transferring
- Average ACT Scores at Top Colleges
- Average GPA and Class Rank at Top Colleges
- Get Into Vanderbilt
- The Rising Cost of College Tuition
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