10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
+$214,766at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Private nonprofit · COLLEGE PAYOFF
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN · 46 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 44 · Federal debt reported for 16
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Positive payoff
+$214,766 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
5.3 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
+88%Estimated return after 10 years
$90,815Observed earnings · year 5
$69,538Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark is $53,692 per year below this threshold.
Start with your question
What do you want to understand?
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
PUBLISHED STUDENT BUDGET · 2024–25
What makes up the annual price?
Sticker-price components reported to IPEDS. Grants and scholarships are not subtracted here.
Do not confuse this with net price. Net price subtracts average grants and scholarships. DegreeVerdict continues to use the separately labeled average net price in its standard college ROI scenario.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price+$278,150
$16,000Current college-wide context+$214,150
$20,000Annual price+$198,150
$40,000Annual price+$118,150
$60,000Annual price+$38,150
$80,000Annual price−$41,850
$100,000Annual price−$121,850
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24
Most students study without distance-education courses.
IPEDS enrollment counts show course delivery across the whole institution. They do not indicate whether a specific degree can be completed online.
Institution-level attendance context from IPEDS. Program delivery is reported separately on degree pages and in the program directory. These figures do not enter ROI.
College identity and local contextAccreditation, institution type, dual enrollment and state prices
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- City
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
STATE PRICE CONTEXT · 2024
Prices in Tennessee run 8% below the U.S. level.
BEA Regional Price Parities compare price levels across states. A value of 100 equals the national average.
What it costs and what graduates earn
$15,846Average net price / year
$89,590Cost of attendance
$14,000Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$148/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$90,815Median earnings · year 5 after completion
93.5%Completion rate
5.9%Admission rate
1,549Average SAT score
35ACT midpoint
7,208Student size
Debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. It does not include Parent PLUS or private loans. We show admissions scores only when a valid federal value is available.
What the numbers say about Vanderbilt University
What does Vanderbilt University cost?
Vanderbilt University reports an average annual net price of $15,846 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Vanderbilt University graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $90,815 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Vanderbilt University graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $14,000. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Vanderbilt University worth the same?
No. The current release contains 46 field-and-degree records for Vanderbilt University; 44 report year-4 earnings and 16 report federal debt. Outcomes can differ substantially by field and degree level.
DEBT AFTER COLLEGE
Are borrowers making progress?
Repayment progress, default and debt at exit describe different federal borrower cohorts. They are shown separately and do not change the ROI estimate.
Source: College Scorecard. Repayment progress is the share of borrowers who reduced principal by at least $1 at the stated measurement point. Debt covers federal student loans; Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded. Cohorts and reporting periods differ across measures.
Who studied here during the year
14,473Students enrolled at any point
7,353Undergraduate students
7,120Graduate students
Unduplicated students enrolled at any point from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. This full-year measure is different from a fall headcount and does not enter ROI.
More student and earnings detailPrice by family income, retention, equity and common industries
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
88% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
235 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
77% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$84,603Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$84,468Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$99,446Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income81%
Middle income79%
Higher income86%
Undergraduate student composition
White39%
Black9%
Hispanic11%
Asian19%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use every reportable field-and-credential record at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS OVER TIME
What graduates earned in later years
$68,884Year 1
$101,204Year 4
$90,815Year 5
Each year can represent a different federal cohort, so the points do not track the same people over time.
Your choice of degree can change the payoff.
Graduate earnings differ by field and credential, even within the same college.
1Applied Mathematics · Master's Degree$216,4062Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies · Master's Degree$199,0643Finance and Financial Management Services · Master's Degree$198,5844Law · First Professional Degree$196,7975Business Administration, Management and Operations · Master's Degree$190,3656Health and Medical Administrative Services · Master's Degree$178,3617Public Health · Master's Degree$166,7058Computer Science · Bachelor's Degree$160,021Observed year-4 earnings · compare the same field and credential across colleges
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1Romance Languages, Literatures, and LinguisticsBachelor's Degree · $114,368 reported+108%vs same-degree national median$12,000federal debt2MathematicsBachelor's Degree · $141,171 reported+103%vs same-degree national median$10,000federal debt3Public HealthMaster's Degree · $166,705 reported+101%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt4Health and Medical Administrative ServicesMaster's Degree · $178,361 reported+98%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt5Social Sciences, GeneralBachelor's Degree · $103,229 reported+93%vs same-degree national median$11,000federal debt6Applied MathematicsMaster's Degree · $216,406 reported+86%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt
Comparable colleges in TN
Currently operating private nonprofit institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Memphis, TN
Baptist Health Sciences University
- Annual net price
- $11,212
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $71,906
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +20%
Cumberland University
- Annual net price
- $18,759
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $69,575
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -4%
King University
- Annual net price
- $22,347
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $61,767
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -38%
Christian Brothers University
- Annual net price
- $9,854
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $60,868
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -28%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing the 40 highest-earning records from 46 field-and-degree records. Use the program directory to search the complete set.
| Major or field | Degree level | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2024–25 graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applied Mathematics | Master's Degree | $216,406 | Not available | Not reported |
| Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies | Master's Degree | $199,064 | Not available | Not reported |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Master's Degree | $198,584 | Not available | Not reported |
| Law | First Professional Degree | $196,797 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $190,365 | Not available | Not reported |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Master's Degree | $178,361 | Not available | Not reported |
| Public Health | Master's Degree | $166,705 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $160,021 | $14,500 | Not reported |
| Mathematics | Bachelor's Degree | $141,171 | $10,000 | Not reported |
| Marketing | Master's Degree | $140,404 | Not available | Not reported |
| Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $140,337 | $12,424 | Not reported |
| Human Resources Management and Services | Master's Degree | $138,852 | Not available | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | First Professional Degree | $133,154 | Not available | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Master's Degree | $128,337 | Not available | Not reported |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Doctoral Degree | $122,742 | Not available | 25 |
| Chemical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $121,641 | Not available | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Master's Degree | $118,826 | Not available | 46 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $116,662 | $19,500 | Not reported |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Bachelor's Degree | $114,368 | $12,000 | Not reported |
| Social Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $103,229 | $11,000 | Not reported |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's Degree | $102,789 | $12,000 | Not reported |
| Mechanical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $101,345 | $14,000 | Not reported |
| Special Education and Teaching | Doctoral Degree | $98,012 | Not available | 6 |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences | Doctoral Degree | $97,544 | Not available | 25 |
| Public Policy Analysis | Master's Degree | $96,305 | Not available | Not reported |
| Public Policy Analysis | Bachelor's Degree | $91,265 | Not available | Not reported |
| Medicine | First Professional Degree | $90,286 | Not available | Not reported |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | Doctoral Degree | $87,403 | Not available | 14 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | Bachelor's Degree | $86,559 | $12,000 | Not reported |
| Sociology | Bachelor's Degree | $83,649 | Not available | Not reported |
| Civil Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $82,744 | Not available | Not reported |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | Master's Degree | $77,951 | Not available | Not reported |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Master's Degree | $74,569 | Not available | Not reported |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $71,584 | $11,209 | Not reported |
| History | Bachelor's Degree | $69,820 | $15,000 | Not reported |
| Special Education and Teaching | Master's Degree | $65,048 | Not available | Not reported |
| Curriculum and Instruction | Master's Degree | $63,959 | Not available | Not reported |
| English Language and Literature, General | Bachelor's Degree | $60,439 | $13,420 | Not reported |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | Bachelor's Degree | $59,575 | $15,796 | Not reported |
| Music | Bachelor's Degree | $59,217 | $21,500 | Not reported |
Graduate counts come from IPEDS and group related majors into the same federal field. Missing earnings or debt values remain labeled as unavailable.
Search every Vanderbilt University program record →Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.