Cost & aid
What it costs
In 2023–24, the average first-year paid an estimated $46,508 in total (tuition, housing, food, books and other costs, after grants), $22.2K more than the national median. The 67% who received grants paid $25,186 on average; the other 33% paid the full sticker price of $89,590.
- Full price
- $89,590 a year
- tuition, housing, food, books, and other costs
- Need-based aid
- Published data end at $110K
- use the college's net price calculator for higher incomes
- Merit aid
- 8.2% · avg $33K
- of first-years without need got merit aid
Cost by family income
Per year for a typical family of four with one child in college. Up to $110K it is the average price federal aid recipients paid (2023–24).
Hover, tap, or use the arrow keys to read the price at an income.
- Published federal figures
- With an average merit award: $57K · 8.2% got one. A possibility, not a promise
- The college's published promise (2026–27 policy)
View as a table
| Family income | Price per year |
|---|---|
| $0–30K | $3K a year |
| $30–48K | $2K a year |
| $48–75K | $4K a year |
| $75–110K | $12K a year |
| $150K | Published data end at $110K |
| $200K | Published data end at $110K |
| $250K | Published data end at $110K |
| $300K | Published data end at $110K |
| $350K | Published data end at $110K |
| $400K and above | Published data end at $110K |
At $150K: Published data end at $110K
Published data end at $110K; use the college's net price calculator for a number.
Your own number depends on the details below, so use the college's calculator for it.
What can change this
- Savings and investments above a typical amount raise the price. The curve assumes typical assets.
- Home equity: some colleges that use the CSS Profile count it. Check this college's own aid page or calculator.
- Divorced or separated parents: colleges with their own formula usually ask for both parents' finances.
$46,508
Tuition, housing, food, books & other expenses, after grants · 2023–24
67% got grants averaging $64,404; 33% got none.
Who pays what
Share of first-year students, 2023–24.
Housing and food use the college's on-campus rates, so the estimate runs high where many students live at home. “Other expenses” is the college's estimate of personal and transportation costs. Loans aren't subtracted because they're repaid.
$96,896 before aid
Tuition, fees, and on-campus food and housing · up 14% from 2023–24.
Show the full next-year estimate
- Tuition, fees, food & housing$96,896
- Books and supplies$1,100
- Transportationvaries
- Other expenses$2,000
- Total for a student living on campuspartial: not every part is a number
$14K
≈ $148/month for 10 years
2.0 yrs
of median salary to cover 4 years of net price
About 1 in 10 undergrads borrows federally.
Everyone who borrowed and left, whether or not they graduated.
Three years into repayment
Where former undergraduates stand on their federal loans.
- Paid in full31–32%
- Paying it down27–28%
- Payments paused18–20%
- Not paying it down15–16%
- Behind or in default3–6%
- Forgiven or discharged0–2%
Some shares are published as a small range to protect privacy.
Who actually gets aid
Aid generosity
GenerousGrants cover 48% of the $89,590 full price on average across all first-years (generous), more than at 70% of colleges. The sticker price overstates what most students here actually pay.
$43,082 in grants per first-year ÷ $89,590 full price.
Who gets grants and scholarships
Full-time first-year students (1,619), 2023–24
About 1 in 3 first-year students got no grant aid and paid the full sticker price of $89,590.
Where the aid comes from
Share of first-year students receiving each; averages are per recipient.
Aid by family income
The whole first-year class (1,619)
- Federal aid + grants549avg grant $75.9K
- Grants, no federal aid534avg grant $52.6K
- No grants536pay full price
Students with grants but no federal aid usually got the college's own need-based aid (without federal loans or Pell) or merit aid.
By family income: only students who received federal aid (565 of 1,619), because income is only reported for them.
From Vanderbilt University's Common Data Set
First-years and all full-time undergraduates, 2025–26 (estimated).
| First-years | All full-time | |
|---|---|---|
| Have financial need | 49%808 students | 48%3,526 students |
| Need met, on average | 100% | 100% |
| Need fully met | 100% | 100% |
| Average aid package | $81,553 | $79,177 |
| Average need-based grant | $77,563 | $76,074 |
| Average need-based loan | $2,931 | $3,733 |
| Merit aid without need | 8%average $32,791 | 10%average $33,730 |
| Athletic scholarships | 60average $83,348 | 265average $81,068 |
10% of the college's own grant dollars were awarded without regard to need.
Each college decides what a family needs, so “100% of need met” can mean different prices at different colleges. Merit awards that went toward a student's need count as need-based here.
Applying for aid
For fall 2026 entrants.
Priority date: February 1 · Aid offers: about April 1 · Reply by: May 1
Dates for fall 2026 entrants; the next cycle's are usually similar.
What the college's own scholarships consider
| Academics | ✓ | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| Athletics | ✓ | not marked |
| ROTC | ✓ | not marked |
| Leadership | ✓ | not marked |
| Religious affiliation | ✓ | not marked |
| State or district residency | ✓ | ✓ |
A blank means the college didn't mark it, not that it never counts.
In the college's words:
“Vanderbilt continues to meet 100% of admitted student's demonstrated financial need without loans.”Vanderbilt University Common Data Set
International students
Sources:IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, 2023–24;College Scorecard, most recent release;Vanderbilt University Common Data Set 2025–26, 2026–27;Vanderbilt University Common Data Set 2025–26, 2025–26 (estimated);Vanderbilt University Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2026 entrants;IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD), 2025–26;Vanderbilt University (2026–27), 2026–27;Vanderbilt University Common Data Set, 2024-25About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)