Vanderbilt vs. Duke vs. Notre Dame

Should I go to Vanderbilt University or Duke University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Vanderbilt or Duke is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Vanderbilt University vs. Duke University vs. University of Notre Dame comparison
Vanderbilt University Duke University University of Notre Dame College 4
Vanderbilt University Duke University University of Notre Dame
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Overview

 Vanderbilt Duke Notre Dame
Location Nashville, TN Durham, NC Notre Dame, IN
Setting Large City Midsize City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 13,456 17,112 13,174
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #14 #3 #31
Religious Affiliation - United Methodist Roman Catholic -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website vanderbilt.edu duke.edu nd.edu
Team Colors                              

Costs

 Vanderbilt Duke Notre Dame
Tuition (In State) $61,618 $63,450 $62,186
Tuition (Out of State) $61,618 $63,450 $62,186
Room & Board $21,054 $17,458 $17,378
Avg Net Price $26,689 $23,422 $29,083
Avg Grant Aid $57,723 $59,327 $51,128
% Receiving Grant Aid 66% 41% 59%

Admission

 Vanderbilt Duke Notre Dame
Applied 45,313 46,365 28,353
Admitted 2,844 3,145 3,510
Acceptance Rate 6.3% 6.8% 12.4%
Enrolled % 57% 55.4% 59.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.89 3.94 3.91
Typical High School Grades A- A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme Extreme Very High
ACT Range 34/35 34/35 33/35
SAT Range 1510/1560 1510/1570 1440/1540
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 1, 2026 Jan 3, 2026 Jan 1, 2026

Academics

 Vanderbilt Duke Notre Dame
Student to Faculty Ratio 7:1 6:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • General Studies (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (6%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Social Sciences (24%)
  • Engineering (16%)
  • Human Services (10%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (9%)
  • Health Professions (7%)

Outcomes

 Vanderbilt Duke Notre Dame
Graduation Rate 92% 94% 96%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $83,100 $108,900 $89,800
Making Student Loan Payments 83% 89% 92%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,000 $7,500 $21,500
Median Loan Payment $144 $77 $222

Diversity

 Vanderbilt Duke Notre Dame
% Men 19% 27% 18%
% Women 28% 35% 14%
Racial Diversity High Very High Medium
HBCU No No No
% White 55% 46% 69%
% Black 8% 10% 4%
% Hispanic 8% 7% 11%
% Native American 0% 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 2% 4%
% International 7% 10% 6%
% Unknown Race 5% 2% 1%

Students

 Vanderbilt Duke Notre Dame
% In-State 13% 12% 6%
% Out-of-State 75% 74% 83%

Campus

 Vanderbilt Duke Notre Dame
Campus Housing Yes Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes No
Meal Plan Yes Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No No
Learn More Details Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Duke University is larger than than Vanderbilt based on total student enrollment (17,112 students vs. 13,456 students)

Vanderbilt vs. Duke Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Vanderbilt or Duke?

  • Duke University is 3% more expensive to attend than Vanderbilt for in-state tuition ($63,450.00 vs. $61,618.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 3% higher at Duke than Vanderbilt University ($63,450.00 vs. $61,618.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Duke University than Vanderbilt ($23,422 vs. $26,689)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Duke University are 20.6% lower than costs at Vanderbilt University ($17,458 vs. $21,054)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Vanderbilt University than Duke University (66% vs. 41%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Duke University students is 2.8% larger than aid received Vanderbilt University ($59,327 vs. $57,723)

Vanderbilt vs. Duke Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Vanderbilt or Duke? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Duke or Vanderbilt .

  • The average SAT score at Vanderbilt University (1498) is 48 points higher than at Duke (1450)
  • Incoming Vanderbilt students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at Duke (33)
  • Accepted freshman Duke students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.94) than students at Vanderbilt (3.89)
  • Duke has a higher acceptance rate (6.8%) than Vanderbilt (6.3%)

Vanderbilt vs. Duke Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Vanderbilt or Duke? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Duke and Vanderbilt.

  • The graduation rate at Duke is higher than Vanderbilt University (94% vs. 92%)
  • Graduates from Duke University earn on average $25,800 more per year than Vanderbilt graduates after ten years. ($108,900 vs. $83,100)
  • Duke University students graduate with a $6,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Vanderbilt graduates. ($7,500 vs. $14,000)
  • Duke graduates are paying $67 less per month on federal student loans than Vanderbilt graduates. ($77 vs. $144)
  • More Duke graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Vanderbilt students, three years after graduation. (89% vs. 83%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/