Vanderbilt vs. Notre Dame

Should I go to Vanderbilt University or University of Notre Dame? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Vanderbilt or Notre Dame 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. University of Notre Dame comparison
Vanderbilt University University of Notre Dame College 3 College 4
Vanderbilt University University of Notre Dame
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Overview

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

Costs

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

Admission

 Vanderbilt Notre Dame
Applied 45,313 28,353
Admitted 2,844 3,510
Acceptance Rate 6.3% 12.4%
Enrolled % 57% 59.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.89 3.91
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme Very High
ACT Range 34/35 33/35
SAT Range 1510/1560 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)
Application Deadline Jan 1, 2026 Jan 1, 2026

Academics

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

Outcomes

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

Diversity

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

Students

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

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Vanderbilt University is larger than than Notre Dame based on total student enrollment (13,456 students vs. 13,174 students)

Vanderbilt vs. Notre Dame Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Vanderbilt or Notre Dame ?

  • University of Notre Dame is 0.9% more expensive to attend than Vanderbilt for in-state tuition ($62,186.00 vs. $61,618.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.9% higher at Notre Dame than Vanderbilt University ($62,186.00 vs. $61,618.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Vanderbilt University than Notre Dame ($26,689 vs. $29,083)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Notre Dame are 21.2% lower than costs at Vanderbilt University ($17,378 vs. $21,054)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Vanderbilt University than University of Notre Dame (66% vs. 59%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Vanderbilt University students is 12.9% larger than aid received University of Notre Dame ($57,723 vs. $51,128)

Vanderbilt vs. Notre Dame Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Vanderbilt University (1498) is 43 points higher than at Notre Dame (1455)
  • Incoming Vanderbilt students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at Notre Dame (33)
  • Accepted freshman Notre Dame students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.91) than students at Vanderbilt (3.89)
  • Notre Dame has a higher acceptance rate (12.4%) than Vanderbilt (6.3%)

Vanderbilt vs. Notre Dame Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Vanderbilt or Notre Dame ? 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 Notre Dame and Vanderbilt.

  • The graduation rate at Notre Dame is higher than Vanderbilt University (96% vs. 92%)
  • Graduates from University of Notre Dame 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 $7,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Notre Dame graduates. ($14,000 vs. $21,500)
  • Vanderbilt graduates are paying $78 less per month on federal student loans than Notre Dame graduates. ($144 vs. $222)
  • More Notre Dame graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Vanderbilt students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 83%)

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