Duke University vs Vanderbilt University: Acceptance Rate, SAT & Net Price

Duke University and Vanderbilt University are about equally selective, admitting 5.2% and 4.7% of applicants respectively. For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $9,787 per year at Duke University versus $9,732 at Vanderbilt University. Admitted students post SAT middle-50% ranges of 1500–1570 at Duke University and 1500–1570 at Vanderbilt University.

Duke University vs Vanderbilt University: admissions and cost statistics from the most recent Common Data Set, IPEDS, and College Scorecard
MetricDuke UniversityVanderbilt University
Overall acceptance rate5.2%4.7%
Early acceptance rate12.8%13.2%
SAT middle 50%1500–15701500–1570
Avg unweighted GPA3.943.89
Yield rate60.1%61.0%
Class size1,7501,600
Net price, $48,001–$75,000 income$9,787$9,732
Net price, over $110,000 income$48,883$34,363

Admissions and cost data as of July 3, 2026 (CDS 2024–25 cycle), from the most recent Common Data Set, IPEDS, and College Scorecard. Rows appear only where both colleges report the statistic.

Frequently asked questions

Is Duke University harder to get into than Vanderbilt University?

The two are about equally selective: Duke University admits 5.2% of applicants and Vanderbilt University admits 4.7%, based on the most recent Common Data Set.

Which is cheaper for a middle-income family, Duke University or Vanderbilt University?

For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $9,787 per year at Duke University and $9,732 at Vanderbilt University, so Vanderbilt University is the lower-cost option at that income level (source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard/IPEDS data).

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