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Academics

Vanderbilt University
Academics

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How strong are the academics at Vanderbilt University?

Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.

7:1
Student to faculty ratio
22
Average class size
89%
4-year grad rate

Class Sizes

Class sizes likely stayed the same for you through high school. You'll find that college is much different. Some of the largest universities have classes that can seat hundreds of students in giant lecture halls. Conversely, as they progress and their focus narrows, higher-level courses can sometimes have just a handful of students.

Vanderbilt has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 7:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.

Class Sizes
2-9
471
10-19
650
20-29
314
30-39
225
40-49
45
50-99
95
100+
42

Outcomes

It’s critical to understand a school’s outcomes to understand if your four (or more) years at the school will be worth it. Here are some key statistics about the outcomes of students who enroll at Vanderbilt University:

96%
First-year retention rate
89%
4-year grad rate
93%
6-year grad rate

Majors

Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are Vanderbilt University's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:

Social Sciences, General
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
Computer Science
Neuroscience
18.6
70.68
122.76
174.84
226.92
279

The Full List

Major Graduates
Architecture And Related Services
  • Architectural History and Criticism, General 5
Area
  • Asian Studies/Civilization 8
  • American/United States Studies/Civilization 4
  • Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies, Other 4
  • African-American/Black Studies 2
  • Latin American Studies 2
  • European Studies/Civilization 1
  • German Studies 1
  • Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American/Chicano Studies 0
  • Women's Studies 0
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
  • Neuroscience 62
  • Molecular Biology 32
  • Biochemistry 29
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 17
  • Ecology and Evolutionary Biology 4
Communication
  • Speech Communication and Rhetoric 18
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
  • Computer Science 153
Education
  • Teacher Education, Multiple Levels 15
  • Education, General 14
  • Secondary Education and Teaching 10
  • Special Education and Teaching, General 9
  • Music Teacher Education 7
  • Elementary Education and Teaching 1
  • Foreign Language Teacher Education 0
  • Education, Other 0
  • Early Childhood Education and Teaching 0
Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering 54
  • Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 51
  • Chemical Engineering 35
  • Engineering Science 30
  • Civil Engineering, General 22
  • Electrical and Electronics Engineering 11
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering 10
  • Computer Engineering, General 7
English Language And Literature/Letters
  • English Language and Literature, General 27
Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
  • Child Development 8
Foreign Languages
  • Spanish Language and Literature 6
  • French Language and Literature 3
  • Russian Language and Literature 2
  • Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 0
  • German Language and Literature 0
  • Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 0
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 0
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 0
History
  • History, Other 20
  • History, General 18
Legal Professions And Studies
  • Legal Studies 16
  • Non-Professional Legal Studies 16
  • LEGAL PROFESSIONS AND STUDIES 16
Mathematics And Statistics
  • Mathematics, General 41
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 190
  • Cognitive Science, General 45
  • Science, Technology and Society 13
  • Classical, Ancient Mediterranean, and Near Eastern Studies and Archaeology 7
  • Sustainability Studies 3
  • Ancient Studies/Civilization 0
Philosophy And Religious Studies
  • Philosophy 11
  • Jewish/Judaic Studies 1
  • Religion/Religious Studies 0
Physical Sciences
  • Chemistry, General 19
  • Geology/Earth Science, General 9
  • Physics, General 5
Psychology
  • Psychology, General 47
  • Developmental and Child Psychology 23
Public Administration And Social Service Professions
  • Public Policy Analysis, General 12
Social Sciences
  • Social Sciences, General 279
  • Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 247
  • Political Science and Government, General 55
  • Sociology, General 14
  • Anthropology, General 12
  • Economics, General 0
Visual And Performing Arts
  • Stringed Instruments 12
  • Woodwind Instruments 11
  • Film/Cinema/Media Studies 10
  • Keyboard Instruments 7
  • Brass Instruments 7
  • Voice and Opera 6
  • Art History, Criticism and Conservation 5
  • Fine/Studio Arts, General 4
  • Music Theory and Composition 3
  • Percussion Instruments 2
  • Jazz/Jazz Studies 1
  • Music, Other 1
  • Music, General 0
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 0
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