1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [Vanderbilt University](/school/vanderbilt-university/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # Vanderbilt University Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated September 30, 2026 [Overview](/school/vanderbilt-university/)[Cost & aid](/school/vanderbilt-university/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/vanderbilt-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/vanderbilt-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/vanderbilt-university/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do Vanderbilt University graduates earn? The reported median is $101,204 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $68,250 as its benchmark; the difference is $32,954 per year. Vanderbilt University's return pillar is its strongest, and the earnings picture rests on absolute median earnings rather than a large gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects. Four years after completion, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $101,204, at the 97th percentile. That is $32,954 above the $68,250 median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Graduates earn about $1,279 less than the model expects for similar students, at the 50th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $6,170. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $7,449. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $3,614. Azimuth places the university in the 98th percentile for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings scenarios for Vanderbilt University span from a downside of $59,265 to an upside of $147,171, a spread that reflects the variation in program-level outcomes four years after completion. The highest-earning programs show where the upside concentrates: Computer Science graduates earn a median of $160,021, Mathematics completers earn $141,171, and Economics graduates reach $140,337. The university's largest programs also post strong figures. Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, with 279 degrees awarded, shows a median of $86,559, while Economics graduates earn $140,337. Across the 19 programs with published earnings, the typical scenario sits at $101,204. An estimated 37.7% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure derived from the institution's program mix rather than observed enrollment. Because four-year earnings figures capture only those working and not enrolled, the median earnings understate the eventual earnings of the sizable share of completers who pursue advanced degrees. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $101,204 **Rank for difference from expectations** 50th percentile Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **Vanderbilt University reported median** $101,204 **Peer schools comparable schools · $32,954 below Vanderbilt University** $68,250 **Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $1,279 above Vanderbilt University** $102,483 School and program earnings use pooled 2017–18 and 2018–19 completion cohorts, measured in 2022 and 2023 and expressed in 2024 dollars. [How the model works](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). ## How many Vanderbilt University students return and finish their degrees? First-time, full-time bachelor’s cohorts · CDS 2025-26 **Completed within six years** 92.6% **Pell recipients completed within six years** 90.4% Source: Vanderbilt University Common Data Set 2025-26, B4–B11 six-year completion. ## How could earnings differ from the median? The planning scenarios range from $59,265 to $147,171, around the reported median of $101,204. Compare the lower scenario with [Vanderbilt University borrowing and monthly payments](/school/vanderbilt-university/cost/) to see how a smaller income could change your plan. Modeled from the school’s program mix; not salary percentiles or a forecast for one graduate. Earnings four years after completion Planning rangeReported median **Lower estimate** $59,265 **Median · reported** $101,204 **Higher estimate** $147,171 Downside shows a lower-earning scenario based on the college’s mix of programs; upside shows a higher-earning scenario. Typical is the school’s reported median four years after completion. These are planning scenarios, not a forecast of your salary or percentiles of individual graduates. [Why the downside matters](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) explores the risk hidden by medians, using older ten-year entrant data. [Read about the move to four-year earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). ## Do Vanderbilt University graduates earn more than expected? Azimuth models what we would expect graduates to earn based on who the college enrolls, how selective it is and its local economy. The difference between that expectation and reported earnings is what Azimuth calls [value added](/methodology/#value-added). Vanderbilt University graduates’ reported earnings are $1,279 below that expectation, the 50th percentile for this measure. Unlike a peer comparison, it adjusts for who enrolls. The breakdown separates the contribution attributed to observed factors from the remaining difference. Neither component establishes how much attending Vanderbilt University caused a student to earn. [Read how expected earnings are estimated](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$6,170 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$7,449 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** \-$1,279 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. ## Which fields at Vanderbilt University report the highest earnings? [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) four of Vanderbilt University's bachelor's programs nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions, and the contrast between higher- and moderate-earning fields is sharp. Computer Science leads the largest programs with a median of $160,021 four years after completion, on 205 degrees awarded. Economics follows at $140,337 with 251 degrees awarded and an Azimuth national rank of #9 in its field. Social Sciences — the university's top-ranked program at #1 nationally — reports $103,229 on 245 degrees awarded. The largest program by degrees, Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, sits at a more moderate $86,559 with 279 degrees awarded and an Azimuth national rank of #5. Vanderbilt University has 14 nationally ranked bachelor's programs among nonprofit four-year institutions, and 19 programs with published four-year earnings. The largest program, Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, awarded 279 degrees and shows median earnings of $86,559 four years after completion, ranking #5 nationally and #1 in Tennessee. Economics, with 251 degrees awarded, has median earnings of $140,337 four years after completion and ranks #9 nationally. Social Sciences ranks #1 nationally with median earnings of $103,229 across 245 degrees awarded. Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics rounds out the ranked programs, with 59 degrees awarded, median earnings of $114,368, and the #1 national rank. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Computer Science** $160,021 **Mathematics** $141,171 **Economics** $140,337 **Chemical Engineering** $121,641 **Biomedical/Medical Engineering** $116,662 **Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics** $114,368 **Social Sciences, General** $103,229 **Political Science and Government** $102,789 [Explore Vanderbilt University program cohorts and field ranks](/school/vanderbilt-university/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Earnings scenarios grounded in the university's program mix show a downside of $59,265, a typical outcome of $101,204, and an upside of $147,171. Among the largest programs, Computer Science reaches $160,021 at the high end, while Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies sits at $86,559 at the lower end, illustrating the wide spread across fields of study. Four years after completing a degree at Vanderbilt University, the median earnings across 1,462 federally aided completers reach $101,204. That places the university in the 97th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, above the $68,250 median at comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $1,279 less than the model expects for similar students. Earnings scenarios, which reflect the university's program mix, show a typical outcome of $101,204, a downside scenario of $59,265, and an upside scenario reaching $147,171. An estimated 37.7% of the university's programs' graduates continue to graduate study, a figure derived from the program mix rather than observed enrollment. ## Data & methodology Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/). Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).