Admissions · United States
Vanderbilt Acceptance Rate: Admissions Statistics and TOEFL & IELTS Requirements
Vanderbilt admitted 5.4% of first-year applicants for fall 2025: 2,593 of 48,196, according to its Common Data Set.
Vanderbilt University TOEFL and IELTS requirements at a glance
| Applying for | TOEFL iBT | IELTS Academic |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate (first-year) | TOEFL iBTRecommended minimum 5. Vanderbilt's page shows the figure without a scale label and has no note on the 2026 TOEFL change. | IELTS Academic7.0 |
Full requirements and official sources · Check your TOEFL band with a free mock test
Vanderbilt publishes its admissions figures in the Common Data Set, released by the Office of Data and Strategic Analytics; the newest covers fall 2025. Below are the last three cycles, the early decision, residency and transfer figures Vanderbilt has published, what its wait-list lines leave blank, and the TOEFL and IELTS scores it recommends.
Figures read from official sources on · English requirements updated · LingoLeap Admissions Research
Vanderbilt University acceptance rate by year
Vanderbilt acceptance rate by round and applicant group
| Group | Cycle | Rate | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Decision | Fall 2025 entering class | 14.1% | 874 admitted of 6,202 ED applicants source |
| Early Decision | Fall 2024 entering class | 15.4% | 825 admitted of 5,363 ED applicants source |
| Early Decision | Fall 2023 entering class | 16.9% | 870 admitted of 5,136 ED applicants source |
| Tennessee residents | Fall 2025 entering class | 10.4% | 301 admitted of 2,885 source |
| Out-of-state (US) | Fall 2025 entering class | 5.3% | 1,926 admitted of 36,130 source |
| International | Fall 2025 entering class | 4.0% | 366 admitted of 9,181 source |
| Tennessee residents | Fall 2024 entering class | 10.8% | 266 admitted of 2,463 source |
| Out-of-state (US) | Fall 2024 entering class | 5.9% | 2,034 admitted of 34,605 source |
| International | Fall 2024 entering class | 4.3% | 362 admitted of 8,341 source |
| Tennessee residents | Fall 2023 entering class | 14.1% | 282 admitted of 2,006 source |
| Out-of-state (US) | Fall 2023 entering class | 6.2% | 2,235 admitted of 35,967 source |
| International | Fall 2023 entering class | 4.5% | 327 admitted of 7,340 source |
| Yield (admits who enrolled) | Fall 2025 entering class | 63.1% | 1,635 enrolled of 2,593 admitted source |
| Yield (admits who enrolled) | Fall 2024 entering class | 61.2% | 1,630 enrolled of 2,662 admitted source |
| Yield (admits who enrolled) | Fall 2023 entering class | 57.0% | 1,622 enrolled of 2,844 admitted source |
| Transfer | Fall 2025 | 26.2% | 831 admitted of 3,177 source |
| Transfer | Fall 2024 | 21.8% | 698 admitted of 3,202 source |
| Transfer | Fall 2023 | 18.9% | 553 admitted of 2,932 source |
What the numbers mean
Vanderbilt's acceptance rate has fallen from 6.3% for fall 2023 (45,313 applicants) to 5.4% for fall 2025 (48,196). Admits dropped from 2,844 to 2,593 while applications rose, and yield rose from 57.0% to 63.1%. Vanderbilt notes that its fall 2023 Common Data Set application total is 935 below its own count because of IPEDS rule changes in 2023, so the 2023 rate is not perfectly comparable with the later years.
Early Decision is binding. Vanderbilt reported 14.1% admitted for fall 2025 (874 of 6,202), 15.4% for fall 2024 (825 of 5,363) and 16.9% for fall 2023 (870 of 5,136), roughly two and a half times the overall rate.
Vanderbilt leaves the offered and accepted wait-list lines blank in all three editions and reports only the number admitted from the wait list: 207 for fall 2025, 279 for fall 2024 and 140 for fall 2023. A wait-list admit rate therefore cannot be calculated from published data. By residency, fall 2025 admit rates were 10.4% for Tennessee residents (301 of 2,885), 5.3% for out-of-state US applicants (1,926 of 36,130) and 4.0% for international applicants (366 of 9,181).
Vanderbilt asks international applicants to submit an English proficiency test where applicable, and lists recommended minimums of TOEFL iBT 5, IELTS 7.0, Duolingo 130 and Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency 185. Applicants whose first language or language of instruction is English are not required to submit one. The page lists the TOEFL figure without a scale label and has no note about the 2026 TOEFL change.
Vanderbilt University TOEFL and IELTS requirements
Minimums for international applicants from the university's own pages. Since 21 January 2026 TOEFL iBT reports a 1–6 band score; the notes give the older 0–120 equivalent where the university states one. Convert TOEFL and IELTS scores.
Undergraduate (first-year)
TOEFL iBT: Recommended minimum 5. Vanderbilt's page shows the figure without a scale label and has no note on the 2026 TOEFL change.
IELTS Academic: 7.0
Required of international applicants "if applicable"; not required if your first language or language of instruction is English, or if you score above 26 on the ACT English section or above 630 on the SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section. Also listed: TOEFL Essentials 10.5, Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency 185, LanguageCert 75, Duolingo 130. English proficiency exams are not superscored.
Vanderbilt Undergraduate Admissions: First-year application process (English proficiency) · checked 13 October 2026
Check your score against Vanderbilt University
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FAQ
What is Vanderbilt's acceptance rate?
Vanderbilt admitted 2,593 of 48,196 first-year applicants for fall 2025, an acceptance rate of 5.4%, according to its Common Data Set. The rate was 5.9% for fall 2024 and 6.3% for fall 2023.
What is Vanderbilt's early decision acceptance rate?
Vanderbilt admitted 874 of 6,202 early decision applicants for fall 2025 (14.1%), 825 of 5,363 for fall 2024 (15.4%) and 870 of 5,136 for fall 2023 (16.9%).
What is Vanderbilt's international acceptance rate?
Vanderbilt admitted 366 of 9,181 international first-year applicants for fall 2025 (4.0%), 362 of 8,341 for fall 2024 (4.3%) and 327 of 7,340 for fall 2023 (4.5%).
What is Vanderbilt's transfer acceptance rate?
Vanderbilt admitted 831 of 3,177 transfer applicants for fall 2025 (26.2%), 698 of 3,202 for fall 2024 (21.8%) and 553 of 2,932 for fall 2023 (18.9%).
What is Vanderbilt's waitlist acceptance rate?
Vanderbilt does not publish enough to compute one. Its Common Data Set leaves the number offered and the number accepting a wait-list place blank, and reports only that 207 students were admitted from the wait list for fall 2025 (279 for fall 2024, 140 for fall 2023).
What is Vanderbilt's in-state acceptance rate?
Vanderbilt admitted 301 of 2,885 Tennessee-resident applicants for fall 2025 (10.4%), against 5.3% for out-of-state US applicants (1,926 of 36,130).
What TOEFL score does Vanderbilt require?
Vanderbilt lists a recommended minimum of TOEFL iBT 5 (shown without a scale label), IELTS 7.0 and Duolingo 130 for international first-year applicants whose first language or language of instruction is not English. It does not publish a separate required minimum or a note on the 2026 TOEFL scale.
What IELTS score does Vanderbilt University require?
Undergraduate (first-year): IELTS Academic 7.0. Check your programme page, as some courses set higher scores.