Strong graduate outcomes with earnings well above peer institutions. Robust earnings growth over time.
What graduates earn 10 years after enrollment.
Annual salary at 10 years
Lower quartile earnings
Upper quartile earnings
How graduate earnings grow in the decade after enrollment.
Vanderbilt graduates experience steady earnings growth throughout their early careers, with median income rising from $73,909 six years after enrollment to $84,542 at eight years and reaching $91,565 at ten years. This represents 23.9% growth from the six-year to ten-year mark, demonstrating consistent earnings progression as graduates advance professionally and gain experience.
How outcomes compare to similar institutions.
Strong relative performance — graduates earn notably more than peers at comparable institutions.
Financial justification for the investment.
Excellent affordability. Median debt of $14,000 is well under annual earnings, enabling comfortable repayment.
Vanderbilt graduates maintain remarkably low debt levels relative to both outcomes and peer institutions. Median debt reaches just $14,000, substantially below the peer median of $24,181 by $10,181, ranking at the 87.0th percentile nationally for low debt levels.
Vanderbilt demonstrates exceptional return on investment, ranking at the 98.3rd percentile nationally and earning the exceptional tier classification for among the highest performance we track. Graduates earn $5,673 beyond expectations compared to similar students, placing the university at the 75.8th percentile for earnings uplift and indicating well above average value creation relative to student demographics and program mix.
Approximately 23.5% of Vanderbilt graduates continue to graduate or professional study, indicating strong preparation for advanced education alongside...
Program mix explains much of the earnings story.
Computer Science leads institutional earnings with graduates earning $164,139, followed by Algebra and Number Theory at $125,955 and Applied Economics at $104,258. These top-performing programs demonstrate the university's strength in quantitative fields and business preparation.
Engineering programs including Bioengineering ($94,340) and Mechanical Engineering ($84,813) provide strong technical career preparation. Liberal arts programs like Psychology ($54,652) and American History ($60,522) produce earnings that exceed typical humanities outcomes while serving students interested in diverse career paths.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
Earnings outcomes span from $59,554 at the 25th percentile to $138,460 at the 75th percentile, representing a 2.3:1 ratio that indicates meaningful career diversity while maintaining strong outcomes across disciplines. Low-income graduates earn $84,800, ranking at the top 5% nationally and demonstrating exceptional mobility outcomes for students from modest backgrounds.
