Vanderbilt vs Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Vanderbilt University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) stand as two of the most prestigious universities in the United States, each offering a unique educational experience. Vanderbilt, a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, boasts a beautiful campus, a diverse student body, and a strong focus on undergraduate education. MIT, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is renowned for its exceptional programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), attracting brilliant minds from around the world. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence, they differ in several key aspects, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Vanderbilt University
Overview
Location	Cambridge, Massachusetts	Nashville, Tennessee
Campus setting	City: Midsize	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	4-1-4	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	99.0%	97.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	4.1%	7.1%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $75	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $95
SAT range	N/A	1480 - 1570
ACT range	N/A	34 - 35
Students submitting SAT score		25.0%
Students submitting ACT score		32.0%
Total number of applicants	33,240	47,152
Total number of admissions given out	1,365	3,368
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,177	1,626
Yield rate	86.2%	48.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not 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	$58,920	$79,538
Average net price	$30,958	$27,553
Tuition	$55,510	$54,840
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $11,550 Meal plan: $6,550	Room/dormitory: $12,000 Meal plan: $6,376
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $32,562	64.0% Average amount $49,730
Students receiving federal student loan	6.0% Average amount $5,112	10.0% Average amount $4,979
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $17,891	2.0% Average amount $27,798

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	4,638 Men 51.9% Women 48.1%	7,111 Men 48.9% Women 51.1%
Graduate students	7,296 Men 62.0% Women 38.0%	6,685 Men 39.5% Women 60.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	89.5%
International students	29.2%	11.7%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	6,280	5,598
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California Texas New York Florida New Jersey	Tennessee California New York Florida Texas

Academics
Popular study areas	Engineering Business Computer and Information Science Architecture Mathematics and Statistics	Health Professions Education Engineering Business Legal Profession
Students to faculty ratio	3:1	8:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	96.2%	93.4%
Dropout rate	3.0%	6.4%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $144,716 Year 2: $150,045 Year 3: $183,153 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $170,089 Year 2: $165,236 Year 3: $182,183 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $118,191 Year 2: $127,993 Year 3: $163,496 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $82,796 Year 2: $117,572 Year 3: $155,540 Systems Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $133,685 Year 2: $137,214 Year 3: $155,079 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $104,229 Year 2: $121,226 Year 3: $139,548 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $141,603 Year 2: $126,504 Year 3: $132,987 Mechanical Engineering (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $112,885 Year 3: $124,425 Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $135,266 Year 2: $111,435 Year 3: $112,404 Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $109,955 Year 2: $104,749 Year 3: $109,672	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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