Vanderbilt vs. Northwestern vs. Cornell vs. UChicago

Should I go to Vanderbilt University or Northwestern University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Vanderbilt or Northwestern 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. Northwestern University vs. Cornell University vs. University of Chicago comparison
Vanderbilt University Northwestern University Cornell University University of Chicago
Vanderbilt University Northwestern University Cornell University University of Chicago
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Overview

 Vanderbilt Northwestern Cornell UChicago
Location Nashville, TN Evanston, IL Ithaca, NY Chicago, IL
Setting Large City Small City Small City Large City
Enrollment 13,456 23,203 26,264 18,339
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #14 #16 #19 #8
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website vanderbilt.edu northwestern.edu cornell.edu uchicago.edu
Team Colors                                        

Costs

 Vanderbilt Northwestern Cornell UChicago
Tuition (In State) $61,618 $64,887 $65,204 $63,801
Tuition (Out of State) $61,618 $64,887 $65,204 $63,801
Room & Board $21,054 $20,334 $18,554 $19,221
Avg Net Price $26,689 $23,341 $26,455 $27,979
Avg Grant Aid $57,723 $64,463 $56,741 $58,877
% Receiving Grant Aid 66% 52% 51% 46%

Admission

 Vanderbilt Northwestern Cornell UChicago
Applied 45,313 51,769 65,635 38,631
Admitted 2,844 3,703 5,358 1,849
Acceptance Rate 6.3% 7.2% 8.2% 2.8%
Enrolled % 57% 57% 66% 30.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.89 3.92 3.9 3.95
Typical High School Grades A- A- A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme Extreme Extreme Extreme
ACT Range 34/35 33/35 33/35 34/35
SAT Range 1510/1560 1490/1560 1480/1560 1510/1570
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) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 1, 2026 Jan 1, 2026 Jan 2, 2026

Academics

 Vanderbilt Northwestern Cornell UChicago
Student to Faculty Ratio 7:1 6:1 9:1 5:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • General Studies (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (6%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Communication (14%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Engineering (17%)
  • Agriculture (13%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Biology (4%)
  • Mathematics (3%)
  • Physical Sciences (3%)
  • Foreign Languages (3%)

Outcomes

 Vanderbilt Northwestern Cornell UChicago
Graduation Rate 92% 94% 93% 92%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $83,100 $89,800 $98,400 $98,500
Making Student Loan Payments 83% 87% 87% 86%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,000 $19,378 $12,000 $14,500
Median Loan Payment $144 $200 $124 $149

Diversity

 Vanderbilt Northwestern Cornell UChicago
% Men 19% 27% 19% 32%
% Women 28% 33% 20% 26%
Racial Diversity High High Very High Very High
HBCU No No No No
% White 55% 50% 41% 45%
% Black 8% 6% 6% 5%
% Hispanic 8% 12% 12% 8%
% Native American 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 5% 4% 3%
% International 7% 8% 10% 11%
% Unknown Race 5% 2% 8% 10%

Students

 Vanderbilt Northwestern Cornell UChicago
% In-State 13% 22% 32% 12%
% Out-of-State 75% 67% 55% 69%

Campus

 Vanderbilt Northwestern Cornell UChicago
Campus Housing Yes Yes Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No No No
Learn More Details Details Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Northwestern University is larger than than Vanderbilt based on total student enrollment (23,203 students vs. 13,456 students)

Vanderbilt vs. Northwestern Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Vanderbilt or Northwestern?

  • Northwestern University is 5.3% more expensive to attend than Vanderbilt for in-state tuition ($64,887.00 vs. $61,618.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 5.3% higher at Northwestern than Vanderbilt University ($64,887.00 vs. $61,618.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Northwestern University than Vanderbilt ($23,341 vs. $26,689)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Northwestern University are 3.5% lower than costs at Vanderbilt University ($20,334 vs. $21,054)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Vanderbilt University than Northwestern University (66% vs. 52%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Northwestern University students is 11.7% larger than aid received Vanderbilt University ($64,463 vs. $57,723)

Vanderbilt vs. Northwestern Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Vanderbilt University (1498) is 38 points higher than at Northwestern (1460)
  • Incoming Vanderbilt students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at Northwestern (33)
  • Accepted freshman Northwestern students have a 0.03 point higher average high school GPA (3.92) than students at Vanderbilt (3.89)
  • Northwestern has a higher acceptance rate (7.2%) than Vanderbilt (6.3%)

Vanderbilt vs. Northwestern Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Vanderbilt or Northwestern? 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 Northwestern and Vanderbilt.

  • The graduation rate at Northwestern is higher than Vanderbilt University (94% vs. 92%)
  • Graduates from Northwestern University earn on average $6,700 more per year than Vanderbilt graduates after ten years. ($89,800 vs. $83,100)
  • Vanderbilt University students graduate with a $5,378 lower median federal student loan debt than Northwestern graduates. ($14,000 vs. $19,378)
  • Vanderbilt graduates are paying $56 less per month on federal student loans than Northwestern graduates. ($144 vs. $200)
  • More Northwestern graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Vanderbilt students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 83%)

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