Vanderbilt vs. Ohio State vs. U of A vs. UH at Manoa

Should I go to Vanderbilt University or Ohio State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Vanderbilt or Ohio State 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. Ohio State University vs. University of Arizona vs. University of Hawaii at Manoa comparison
Vanderbilt University Ohio State University University of Arizona University of Hawaii at Manoa
Vanderbilt University Ohio State University University of Arizona University of Hawaii at Manoa
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Overview

 Vanderbilt Ohio State U of A UH at Manoa
Location Nashville, TN Columbus, OH Tucson, AZ Honolulu, HI
Setting Large City Large City Large City Large City
Enrollment 13,456 60,046 53,001 19,256
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #14 #139 #269 #298
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website vanderbilt.edu osu.edu arizona.edu hawaii.edu
Team Colors                                        

Costs

 Vanderbilt Ohio State U of A UH at Manoa
Tuition (In State) $61,618 $11,826 $11,871 $11,304
Tuition (Out of State) $61,618 $37,332 $39,340 $33,336
Room & Board $21,054 $14,272 $14,400 $14,936
Avg Net Price $26,689 $19,575 $18,144 $14,557
Avg Grant Aid $57,723 $11,791 $16,511 $7,540
% Receiving Grant Aid 66% 64% 97% 68%

Admission

 Vanderbilt Ohio State U of A UH at Manoa
Applied 45,313 70,028 56,466 19,211
Admitted 2,844 35,588 48,369 13,388
Acceptance Rate 6.3% 50.8% 85.7% 23.7%
Enrolled % 57% 22.7% 18.9% 6.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.89 3.76 3.48 3.67
Typical High School Grades A- A- B+ B+
Admissions Standards Elite Very High Very High Average
Applicant Competition Extreme Low Low
ACT Range 34/35 29/32 21/30 20/27
SAT Range 1510/1560 1330/1480 1160/1420 1020/1240
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 Feb 1, 2026

Academics

 Vanderbilt Ohio State U of A UH at Manoa
Student to Faculty Ratio 7:1 18:1 19:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • General Studies (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (6%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (5%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Social Sciences (5%)
  • Education (3%)
  • Psychology (3%)
  • Biology (2%)

Outcomes

 Vanderbilt Ohio State U of A UH at Manoa
Graduation Rate 92% 80% 61% 55%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $83,100 $50,600 $54,000 $49,300
Making Student Loan Payments 83% 63% 66% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,000 $21,500 $19,000 $18,750
Median Loan Payment $144 $222 $196 $193

Diversity

 Vanderbilt Ohio State U of A UH at Manoa
% Men 19% 10% 10% 9%
% Women 28% 14% 11% 15%
Racial Diversity High Low High Very High
HBCU No No No No
% White 55% 71% 52% 17%
% Black 8% 6% 4% 1%
% Hispanic 8% 4% 25% 10%
% Native American 0% 0% 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0% 3%
% Two or More Races 5% 3% 4% 25%
% International 7% 7% 6% 3%
% Unknown Race 5% 3% 1% 0%

Students

 Vanderbilt Ohio State U of A UH at Manoa
% In-State 13% 65% 50% 54%
% Out-of-State 75% 26% 44% 43%

Campus

 Vanderbilt Ohio State U of A UH at Manoa
Campus Housing Yes Yes Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No Yes No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes No Yes
Learn More Details Details Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Ohio State University is larger than than Vanderbilt based on total student enrollment (60,046 students vs. 13,456 students)

Vanderbilt vs. Ohio State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Vanderbilt or Ohio State?

  • Vanderbilt University is 421% more expensive to attend than Ohio State for in-state tuition ($61,618.00 vs. $11,826.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 65.1% higher at Vanderbilt than Ohio State University ($61,618.00 vs. $37,332.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Ohio State University than Vanderbilt ($19,575 vs. $26,689)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Ohio State University are 47.5% lower than costs at Vanderbilt University ($14,272 vs. $21,054)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Vanderbilt University than Ohio State University (66% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Vanderbilt University students is 389.6% larger than aid received Ohio State University ($57,723 vs. $11,791)

Vanderbilt vs. Ohio State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Vanderbilt University (1498) is 203 points higher than at Ohio State (1295)
  • Incoming Vanderbilt students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at Ohio State (29)
  • Accepted freshman Vanderbilt students have a 0.13 point higher average high school GPA (3.89) than students at Ohio State (3.76)
  • Ohio State has a higher acceptance rate (50.8%) than Vanderbilt (6.3%)

Vanderbilt vs. Ohio State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Vanderbilt or Ohio State? 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 Ohio State and Vanderbilt.

  • The graduation rate at Vanderbilt is higher than Ohio State University (92% vs. 80%)
  • Graduates from Vanderbilt University earn on average $32,500 more per year than Ohio State graduates after ten years. ($83,100 vs. $50,600)
  • Vanderbilt University students graduate with a $7,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Ohio State graduates. ($14,000 vs. $21,500)
  • Vanderbilt graduates are paying $78 less per month on federal student loans than Ohio State graduates. ($144 vs. $222)
  • More Vanderbilt graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Ohio State students, three years after graduation. (83% vs. 63%)

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