Wesleyan University vs Vanderbilt
Wesleyan University and Vanderbilt University, two prestigious private institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Wesleyan, located in Middletown, Connecticut, boasts a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 13%, while Vanderbilt, situated in Nashville, Tennessee, has a slightly higher acceptance rate of 14%. Both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, with popular majors at Wesleyan including social sciences, humanities, and biological sciences, and popular majors at Vanderbilt including engineering, social sciences, and business. Wesleyan's student body is predominantly White (56%) and female (54%), while Vanderbilt's student body is more diverse, with a larger proportion of Asian (14%) and Hispanic (10%) students and a more balanced gender ratio (51% female, 49% male). Wesleyan has a slightly higher graduation rate (92%) compared to Vanderbilt (90%). To help you make an informed decision about your higher education journey, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison
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![]() Vanderbilt University |
![]() Wesleyan University |
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Overview |
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Location | Nashville, Tennessee | Middletown, Connecticut |
Campus setting | City: Large | City: Small |
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 | 97.0% | 95.0% |
![]() |
Yes | Yes |
Religious affiliation | ||
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Admission |
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Acceptance rate | 7.1% | 19.4% |
Application fees |
Undergraduate:
$50
Graduate:
$95
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$55 |
SAT range | 1480 - 1570 | 1300 - 1510 |
ACT range | 34 - 35 | 31 - 34 |
Students submitting SAT score | 25.0% | 51.0% |
Students submitting ACT score | 32.0% | 27.0% |
Total number of applicants | 47,152 | 13,067 |
Total number of admissions given out | 3,368 | 2,540 |
Admitted students who chose to enroll | 1,626 | 910 |
Yield rate | 48.3% | 35.8% |
Test scores (SAT/ACT) | N/A | N/A |
High school GPA | Required | Not required |
Recommendation letters | Not required | Required |
High school transcript | Not required | Not required |
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) | Required | Required |
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Tuition and Fees |
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Sticker price | $79,538 | $82,245 |
Average net price | $27,553 | $20,535 |
Tuition | $54,840 | $61,449 |
Room & board |
Room/dormitory:
$12,000
Meal plan:
$6,376
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$17,531 |
Available payment plans |
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Financial Aid |
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Students receiving financial aid
(Grants & scholarships) |
64.0%
Average amount $49,730 |
40.0%
Average amount $58,925 |
Students receiving federal student loan |
10.0%
Average amount $4,979 |
18.0%
Average amount $3,834 |
Students taking out private loans |
2.0%
Average amount $27,798 |
2.0%
Average amount $27,881 |
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Students and Campus |
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Undergraduate students |
7,111
Men 48.9% Women 51.1% |
3,385
Men 43.8% Women 56.2% |
Graduate students |
6,685
Men 39.5% Women 60.5% |
196
Men 42.3% Women 57.7% |
Racial/ethnic diversity |
Moderate
|
Low
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Out-of-state students | 89.5% | 90.3% |
International students | 11.7% | 11.3% |
Campus local/setting | City: Large | City: Small |
Dormitory capacity | 5,598 | 3,063 |
First year students are required to live on campus? | Yes | Yes |
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from | Tennessee California New York Florida Texas | New York California Connecticut New Jersey Pennsylvania |
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Academics |
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Popular study areas |
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Students to faculty ratio | 8:1 | 8:1 |
Institutional accreditation | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges | New England Commission on Higher Education |
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Outcome |
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Graduation rate | 93.4% | 91.0% |
Dropout rate | 6.4% | 3.6% |
Transferred out | N/A | 5.3% |
Alumni salary by major (Top 10) |
Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies (Master's Degrees)
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees)
Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
Law (First Professional Degrees)
Marketing (Master's Degrees)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (First Professional Degrees)
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
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Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Doctoral Degrees)
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees)
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