The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) vs Vanderbilt

In the realm of higher education, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Vanderbilt University stand as distinct entities, each offering unique opportunities for intellectual and personal growth. While both institutions are located in the vibrant city of Nashville, Tennessee, they diverge in several key aspects. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, a private Christian university, boasts a significantly lower acceptance rate compared to Vanderbilt University, a private research university. Furthermore, the student body demographics vary, with The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary having a predominantly White student population, while Vanderbilt University's student body is more diverse. Additionally, the two institutions differ in their popular majors, with The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary focusing on theological studies and Vanderbilt University offering a wider range of undergraduate and graduate programs. To help you make an informed decision about your educational journey, we have compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these differences and more, including graduation rates, tuition fees, and available financial aid.

	The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary	Vanderbilt University
Overview
Location	Louisville, Kentucky	Nashville, Tennessee
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	83.0%	97.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation	Baptist

Admission
Acceptance rate	80.3%	7.1%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $40	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $95
SAT range	1040 - 1250	1480 - 1570
ACT range	19 - 27	34 - 35
Students submitting SAT score	31.0%	25.0%
Students submitting ACT score	39.0%	32.0%
Total number of applicants	355	47,152
Total number of admissions given out	285	3,368
Admitted students who chose to enroll	193	1,626
Yield rate	67.7%	48.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$17,556	$79,538
Average net price	$18,180	$27,553
Tuition	$11,400	$54,840
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,468 Meal plan: $2,982	Room/dormitory: $12,000 Meal plan: $6,376
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	42.0% Average amount $3,019	64.0% Average amount $49,730
Students receiving federal student loan	0.0% Average amount $0	10.0% Average amount $4,979
Students taking out private loans	23.0% Average amount $13,723	2.0% Average amount $27,798

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,019 Men 53.6% Women 46.4%	7,111 Men 48.9% Women 51.1%
Graduate students	3,429 Men 86.2% Women 13.8%	6,685 Men 39.5% Women 60.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	89.5%
International students	15.5%	11.7%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	511	5,598
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Tennessee California New York Florida Texas

Academics
Popular study areas	Theology Business Education Liberal Arts Philosophy and Religious Studies	Health Professions Education Engineering Business Legal Profession
Students to faculty ratio	18:1	8:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	41.9%	93.4%
Dropout rate	N/A	6.4%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: N/A Year 3: $78,559 Theological and Ministerial Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,633 Year 2: $45,119 Year 3: $58,703	Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $101,041 Year 2: $122,038 Year 3: $169,145 Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $129,825 Year 2: $130,517 Year 3: $144,008 Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $131,102 Year 2: $117,572 Year 3: $133,025 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $128,494 Year 2: $127,087 Year 3: $132,454 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $132,293 Year 2: $114,324 Year 3: $130,516 Marketing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $108,764 Year 2: $111,620 Year 3: $121,754 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $126,876 Year 2: $119,805 Year 3: $112,193 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $91,224 Year 2: $104,192 Year 3: $108,525 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $99,979 Year 2: $93,249 Year 3: $101,010 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $76,609 Year 2: $80,309 Year 3: $95,754

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