Vanderbilt Acceptance Rate and SAT/ACT Scores

Vanderbilt University Admission Requirements and Statistics

[updated for 2024-2025 admission data]

How hard is Vanderbilt to get into?

This page provides the latest information on Vanderbilt University (Vanderbilt)'s admission process, acceptance rate, and student profile. Vanderbilt's acceptance rate is 5.86% for 2024-2025 admission. A total of 45,409 students applied and 2,662 were admitted to the school. Its acceptance rate is very low, which means it is very hard to get into Vanderbilt.

To apply to Vanderbilt, recommendations and personal statement (or essay) are required to submit. The SAT and ACT score is not required, but considered for admission. In addition, english proficiency test score is also considered (required).

Vanderbilt's acceptance rate is the lowest among 38 Tennessee colleges with competitive admission.
The median SAT score is 1540 and the ACT score is 35 at Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt's SAT score ranks 1st out of 27 Tennessee colleges that consider SAT score for admission.
Vanderbilt's yield rate is 61.23%, which is marginally lower by 1.49 percentage points (approximately 2.4% lower) compared to similar colleges with acceptance rates between 0% and 10% (average yield: 62.72%). You can compare colleges with similar acceptance rates to Vanderbilt at colleges with acceptance rates lower than 10%.

Admission Statistics

For the academic year 2024-25, Vanderbilt's acceptance rate is 5.86% and the yield (also known as enrollment rate) is 61.23%. 20,851 men and 24,553 women applied to Vanderbilt and 1,238 men and 1,424 women students were accepted.

Among them, 744 men and 886 women were enrolled in Vanderbilt. You can explore the Vanderbilt's admission rates and SAT score trends over the past decade, including year-by-year data and analysis, by visiting Admission Trends page.

Acceptance Rate and Admission Statistics at Vanderbilt
	Total	Men	Women	Another Gender	Gender Unknown
Applicants	45,409	20,851	24,553	5	0
Admitted	2,662	1,238	1,424	0	0
Enrolled	1,630	744	886	0	0
Acceptance Rate	5.86%	5.94%	5.80%	0.00%	-
Yield	61.23%	60.10%	62.22%	-	-

Data source: IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) (Last update: December 11, 2024)

Vanderbilt University 2025 Acceptance Rate By Gender chart

Median SAT and ACT Score

For the academic year 2025, 447 students (27% of enrolled students) submitted SAT scores and 401 students (25% of enrolled students) submitted ACT scores as part of the admission process at Vanderbilt.

The median SAT score for admitted students is 1,540, including 750 in SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) and 790 in SAT Math. The 75th percentile SAT EBRW score is 770 and the 25th percentile is 730. For SAT Math, the 75th percentile score is 800 and the 25th percentile is 770.

The median ACT composite score is 35, with a 75th percentile score of 35 and a 25th percentile score of 34 at Vanderbilt. The median ACT Math score is 34 and the median ACT English score is 35.

How competitive is Vanderbilt's score?

The SAT and ACT scores at Vanderbilt University are relatively high compared to similar colleges (SAT: 1,497, ACT: 34 - private (not-for-profit) research university with very high research activity).

2025 SAT and ACT Scores at Vanderbilt
	25^th Percentile	50^th Percentile (Median)	75^th Percentile
SAT Total	1,500	1,540	1,570
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing	730	750	770
SAT Math	770	790	800
ACT Composite	34	35	35
ACT Math	32	34	35
ACT English	35	35	36

Data source: IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) (Last update: December 11, 2024)

Vanderbilt University 2025 SAT and ACT Score Chart

Application Requirements

It requires to submit High School GPA, High School Record (or Transcript), Completion of College Preparatory Program, Recommendations, English Proficiency Test, and Personal statement or essay to its applicants.

The SAT and ACT test score is not required, but considered in admission process at Vanderbilt. The english proficiency test is required .

The next table summarizes the application requirements to apply Vanderbilt University.

For more admission information such as minimum GPA and deadlines, see its online application page .

Vanderbilt Admission Requirements
High School GPA	Required
High School Rank	Considered, if submitted
High School Record (or Transcript)	Required
Completion of College Preparatory Program	Required
Recommendations	Required
Formal Demonstration of Competencies	Not Considered
SAT / ACT	Considered, if submitted
English Proficiency Test	Required
Other Test (Wonderlic,WISC-III,etc)	Not Considered
Work experience	Considered, if submitted
Personal statement or essay	Required
Legacy status	Considered, if submitted

General Admissions Information

The following provides general admission information for applying to Vanderbilt:

Open Admission Policy: No
Undergraduate Application Fees: -
Graduate Application Fees: -
Admission Information: www.vanderbilt.edu/Admissions/
Online Application: admissions.vanderbilt.edu/apply/
Calendar System: Semester
Course for High School Students: Not Offered
Credits Accepted: Advanced placement (AP) Credits
Degree Offered: Bachelor, Master, Post-Master Certificate, Doctoral (Research), Doctoral (Professional Practice)

Get Admission Information

What is the acceptance rate at the Vanderbilt?

Vanderbilt is extremely competitive to get into, with an acceptance rate of 5.86%.

What SAT or ACT scores are required for admission to Vanderbilt?

Vanderbilt recommends submitting SAT or ACT scores, but they are not strictly required for admission. The average SAT score required for admission to Vanderbilt is 1,540, and the average ACT score is 35. Meeting or exceeding these scores will improve your chances of admission.

Does Vanderbilt require essays or personal statements?

Yes, Vanderbilt requires applicants to submit a personal essay or statement as part of the application.

Are recommendation letters required for Vanderbilt admission?

Yes, Vanderbilt requires applicants to submit a recommendation letter as part of the application.

Is there an application fee?

Vanderbilt does not require an application fee for undergraduate or graduate admission.

Do I need to submit my high school transcript?

Yes, Vanderbilt requires applicants to submit high school GPA, high school record or transcript as part of the admission process.

Are there any specific admission requirements for international students?

Yes, Vanderbilt requires international applicants to submit an English proficiency test (like TOEFL or IELTS) as part of the application.

What is SAT code and ACT code for Vanderbilt?

The institutional SAT code for Vanderbilt is 1871 and 4-digit ACT code is 4036.