Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt publishes 5.4% (Fall 2025 entering). Early Decision applicants got in at 14%; everyone else at 4.1%.
Acceptance rate
What Vanderbilt's 5.4% is made of
The published rate averages groups with very different odds. These are the splits Vanderbilt reports itself.
By application round
Fall 2025 entering (first-time, first-year) class — Common Data Set 2025-2026, item C1 (Total applied 48,196; total admitted 2,593)
Read the full decomposition →Early Decision advantage
14% of 6,202 ED applicants were admitted (874), against 4.1% for everyone else.
Fall 2025 entering class — Common Data Set 2025-2026, items C1 (total) and C21 (Early Decision) · as of August 2026
See where Vanderbilt ranks →Transfer
Fall 2025 transfer entrants (CDS 2025-2026, Section D2) · as of August 2026 · 4.9× easier than first-year
Read the transfer analysis →Part of Real Acceptance Rates, our series decomposing published rates from each school's own Common Data Set.
Testing
Test-Optional for 2026-27
- Policy
Vanderbilt's admissions.vanderbilt.edu confirms test-optional continues for students entering fall 2027 and fall 2028 (i.e., covers the current 2026-27 application cycle). In July 2026 Vanderbilt announced testing will be required for the class entering fall 2029 and beyond.
Announced change: required from 2028-29 cycle (fall 2029 entry)
- SAT middle 50%
- 1500–1570sum of section 25th–75th percentiles
- ACT middle 50%
- 34–35
- Average HS GPA
- Not published by the school
Applying
Deadlines, essays and AI policy
- Early deadlines
- Nov 1, 2026 (ED1); Jan 1, 2027 (ED2)
- Regular decision
- Jan 1, 2027Source
- Supplemental essays
- 1 required
One required ~250-word supplemental essay (the 'Dare to Grow' prompt on identity/culture/background and contribution to the Vanderbilt community).
- AI use in essays
Limited Use Allowed — applies to Essay portions of the application (personal essay and short-answer responses)
“However, students should understand that it would not be proper to ask a teacher or parent to come up with the essay topic or to re-write an essay for the student. Likewise, AI should never be used to replace independent thinking on the part of the applicant. As applicants complete the essay portions of the application, they should always use their own voice and write about their own life experiences.”
Full cycle calendar: Application Deadlines.
At a glance
Size and cost
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 7,208
- Tuition (out-of-state)
- $67,498
- Category
- Elite Private
- Admissions site
- www.vanderbilt.edu
Dewey Smart
Dewey students who got into Vanderbilt
What should this school mean for your list?
A published rate is one input. Working out what it means alongside the rest of your list is the part that actually changes an application. Free 25-minute call, no commitment.
Sources
- Vanderbilt test policy (2026-27)
- Vanderbilt deadlines
- Vanderbilt AI-use policy
- Vanderbilt admissions pages
- Vanderbilt admissions pages
- Acceptance rate, test-score percentiles, enrollment and tuition: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, pulled 2026-08-19.
Test policy and deadlines last verified 2026-08-17.
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