Vanderbilt University

General Information about Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University was founded in 1873 with a $1 million endowment from Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt. The school is located in southwest Nashville and encompasses a national arboretum, known for supporting more than 300 types of trees and shrubs, and also maintains the nearby Peabody Campus, a National Historic Landmark.

Currently, the university enrolls 12,000 students annually, among which nearly 7,000 are undergraduate and 5,000 are graduate students. Vanderbilt University has received a number of distinctions for academic excellence, highly ranked by The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report and BusinessWeek for programs in business administration, law, medicine and overall academics.

Admissions and Enrollment Information

Vanderbilt University admits first-year, transfer, international, home-schooled, graduate, professional and continuing education students. It also offers pre-college camps and programs to high school and middle school students. More than 90% of admitted freshmen choose to live on-campus in The Commons, a dorm that houses exclusively college freshmen.

Schools and College at Vanderbilt University

College of Arts and Sciences

The College of Arts and Sciences, with a student population of nearly 4,000, is the largest college at Vanderbilt University. It offers certificates, in addition to bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees through its 22 departments and 22 interdisciplinary programs. In addition to classroom learning, the college emphasizes experiential learning by encouraging students to participate in study abroad, service learning and community building programs.

Peabody College of Education and Human Development

Located on Vanderbilt's Peabody Campus, the Peabody College of Education and Human Development enrolls approximately 1,600 students. The college has been ranked among U.S. News & World Report's top ten schools of education for the past 14 years. Comprised of five departments, including teaching and learning as well as human and organizational development, the college offers bachelor's, master's, specialist and doctoral degrees in addition to continuing education programs.

School of Engineering

Vanderbilt University's School of Engineering offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees through five departments, including civil and environmental, mechanical and biomedical engineering. The school maintains an undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 15:1 and a graduate ratio of 5:1. Research funds for the school exceed $41 million, allowing graduate students and faculty to conduct groundbreaking research in areas such as power plant emissions and laser stimulation of nerve cells.

School of Nursing

The Vanderbilt School of Nursing has been ranked among the country's top 20 nursing schools by U.S. News & World Report. In addition to a Doctor of Nursing Practice and Doctor of Philosophy, the school awards master's degrees and post-graduate certificates in 19 advance practice specialties, including forensic nursing, nurse midwifery, women's health and palliative care. The school offers nursing students a wide range of clinical experiences through its affiliated institutions, which include a midwifery clinic, in-school clinics and the Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

School of Medicine

The Vanderbilt University Medical Center houses the distinguished School of Medicine. The school has been ranked 15th in the nation by U.S. News & World Report and is ranked tenth of the nation's medical schools for National Institutes of Health research funding. In addition to residency and fellowship programs, the school offers Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Audiology and Doctor of Medical Physics programs, as well as several master's degrees in areas such as public health, clinical investigation and speech-language pathology. Renowned specialties include pediatrics, cancer, heart surgery and digestive disorders.

Blair School of Music

In addition to administering music performance degree programs, the Blair School of Music also offers music training to non-major Vanderbilt students and adult or pre-collegiate students. The school houses two performances spaces, a music library of more than 60,000 volumes and albums, more than 50 practice rooms and three digital labs. Additionally, students and faculty in the school have the opportunity to participate in one of the many on-campus ensembles.

Law School

Vanderbilt University's Law School was founded in 1874 and was one of the first departments at the university to offer classes to students. It currently enrolls 630 students in its ten programs, including technology and entertainment, environmental, constitutional and litigation law. The school confers the Juris Doctor, Master of Laws and Doctor of Philosophy, as well as administers dual degree programs in business, medicine, public policy and Latin American studies. Students have the opportunity to study international law through the school's study abroad program in Venice, which takes place each summer.

Divinity School and Graduate Department of Religion

Originally formed in 1875 as the Biblical Department, the Divinity School has since grown into a school that offers professional degrees in divinity and theological studies to prepare students for positions in the Christian ministry. The Graduate Department of Religion offers master's and doctoral degrees in nine fields of study, including homiletics and liturgics, Jewish studies and historical studies.

Owen Graduate School of Management

Vanderbilt's esteemed business school, the Owen Graduate School of Management, awards graduate certificates and master's degrees in finance and accounting, business administration, executive management and health care management, as well as a doctoral program in management. The school earned second place for Best Administered Business School by the Princeton Review. It manages four centers that engage students and faculty in the research and advancement of financial markets, online environments, entrepreneurship and environmental management.

Graduate School

As the body that administrates all graduate programs, the Graduate School admits and serves students enrolled in various Vanderbilt schools and colleges. Students in this school earn master's, doctoral, professional and specialist degrees, as well as postgraduate certificates.

Contact Information

• Address: 2201 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN 37240
• Phone Number: (615) 322-7311