University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) vs Vanderbilt

When it comes to higher education, University of Pennsylvania and Vanderbilt University stand out as two of the most prestigious institutions in the United States. Both offer a world-class education, but there are some key differences between the two that prospective students should consider. From acceptance rates and popular majors to student body demographics and graduation rates, this side-by-side comparison will help you understand the unique strengths and characteristics of each university. Dive into the comparison table to discover which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences, setting you on the path to success in your chosen field.
University of Pennsylvania logo

University of Pennsylvania

Vanderbilt University logo

Vanderbilt University

Overview

Location Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 98.0% 97.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 5.9% 7.1%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $90
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $95
SAT range 1480 - 1570 1480 - 1570
ACT range 33 - 35 34 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 49.0% 25.0%
Students submitting ACT score 30.0% 32.0%
Total number of applicants 56,332 47,152
Total number of admissions given out 3,304 3,368
Admitted students who chose to enroll 2,418 1,626
Yield rate 73.2% 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) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $80,496 $79,538
Average net price $14,578 $27,553
Tuition $54,652 $54,840
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $11,358

Meal plan: $5,946
Room/dormitory: $12,000

Meal plan: $6,376
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

52.0%
Average amount $50,778
64.0%
Average amount $49,730
Students receiving federal student loan 9.0%
Average amount $5,030
10.0%
Average amount $4,979
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $27,160
2.0%
Average amount $27,798

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 11,292
Men 44.7% Women 55.3%
7,111
Men 48.9% Women 51.1%
Graduate students 16,746
Men 43.8% Women 56.2%
6,685
Men 39.5% Women 60.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 82.7% 89.5%
International students 22.8% 11.7%
Campus local/setting City: Large City: Large
Dormitory capacity 6,400 5,598
First year students are required to live on campus? No Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Pennsylvania New York California New Jersey Florida Tennessee California New York Florida Texas

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Education
  • Legal Profession
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Legal Profession
Students to faculty ratio 6:1 8:1
Institutional accreditation Middle States Commission on Higher Education Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 96.2% 93.4%
Dropout rate 2.8% 6.4%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $189,905
  • Year 2: $201,334
  • Year 3: $249,574
International/Global Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $162,528
  • Year 2: $182,280
  • Year 3: $234,875
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $68,404
  • Year 2: $198,043
  • Year 3: $227,605
Real Estate (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $119,383
  • Year 2: $169,894
  • Year 3: $224,847
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $186,571
  • Year 2: $177,119
  • Year 3: $218,410
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $245,155
  • Year 3: $214,930
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $177,203
  • Year 2: $202,922
  • Year 3: $214,927
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $169,238
  • Year 2: $174,994
  • Year 3: $208,033
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $102,195
  • Year 2: $138,932
  • Year 3: $197,810
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $179,063
  • Year 2: $175,674
  • Year 3: $186,790
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

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
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