Vanderbilt is a globally-renowned research university in Nashville, Tennessee with just under 14,000 students, about half of whom are undergraduates. We love Vanderbilt for a lot of reasons (many of which we go into below), but we especially love the Immersion Vanderbilt program. The Immersion Vanderbilt program is an experiential program required for all first-year students. These projects can include research, lab work, internships, and more. Recent projects included “creating case studies about theater performances,” and “conducting economic development research through the National Science Foundation.”
The college has recently gained a small bit of infamy for having a very high tuition price when not adjusted for aid, but they also have one of the most impressive grant and scholarship-based student aid programs in the country. 83% of students, they report, graduate with no debt. So, we don’t stress too much about the price tag, especially for families that make less than $125k per year.
The price tag hasn’t scared off applicants, either. Vanderbilt received over 40,000 regular decision applications for the class of 2028, and admitted only 1,512 students in the regular decision cycle for an admit rate of only 3.7%. This continued a trend that has seen the Vanderbilt acceptance rate plummet over the last few years. Today, it’s as hard to get into as any Ivy or other top-tier institution. The early decision acceptance rate, though, is significantly higher. For the early decision cycle for the class of 2028, Vanderbilt received 5,835 applications and admitted 15.2% of applicants. This big difference between the regular decision and early decision acceptance rates shows us that they are really prioritizing yield, and only want to accept students that they know (or at least believe really strongly) will pick them back. Today, the overall acceptance rate averages out to only 5.1%.
The College of Arts and Sciences is the most popular undergraduate college at Vanderbilt, but we’re looking beyond simply the College of Arts and Sciences to share our top five majors at Vanderbilt.
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What do we mean by best major?
First off, let’s explain what we mean by ‘best major’ or ‘top major’ at Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt has a lot of majors, but there are a few that we consider superstars because they are unique, deep (as in a lot of dedicated faculty and course options), have outstanding resources when you’re in college and resources that are just as strong post-graduation.
Without further ado, here are our top five!
Jazz Studies
We’re going to start off this list in a super specific niche: Jazz. The Jazz Studies program at Vanderbilt within the Blair School of Music offers a wildly impressive course of study in “North American improvisational music and how it intersects with diverse music of the world.” The program is small, it is selective, and it is intense. Potential students must complete a pre-screening video in instrument, voice, composition, or jazz — in this case, jazz — before they can even apply. The pre-screening for jazz is instrument or voice-specific, and the program recommends that students reach out to the admissions for Blair with questions as they undoubtedly come up. You’ll also need to study the required audition repertoire closely, as they have specific requirements for Jazz Studies applicants, such as showing your improvisation skills over a range of styles.
Special Education
Education on education is something Vanderbilt is particularly known for. They train outstanding students to become teachers and educators who change the lives of their students, and the Special Education program may be the best example of this. Housed within the Peabody College, the Department of Special Education at Vanderbilt has “long been a world leader in advancing research and practice to benefit children and youth with learning disabilities.” Students in the program pursue an interdisciplinary major with an emphasis in High Incidence Disabilities (K-8 or 6-12) or in Multiple and Severe Disabilities. You can then combine the major with a major in Cognitive Studies, Child Studies, Child Development, or an array of other options. Throughout their studies, students are challenged to observe and work in community and educational settings, where they can see the impact of what they are learning immediately applied on the ground. You can also pursue teacher licensure with your major for Tennessee, or for other states.
Architecture and the Built Environment
The Architecture and the Build Environment major is an offering of the Department of History or Art and Architecture, and we love the program for the ways is melds together tactile learning, experiential discovery, and historical studies. Courses study things like Roman architecture, Baroque art, architecture in China and Japan, and sound art, while students can pair these with options that incorporate 3D modeling and curatorial studies programs. These studies are informed by courses in anthropology, public policy, civil engineering, and more.
This major is great for students who know they want to go into architecture professionally, but also for students who want to have anything to do with building the world that we live in — from designing structures to crafting experiences. Students can also study landscape architecture as part of the major, preparing them to shape nature to be more accessible and approachable to more people. You should note, though, that this is not a professional program — so you don’t graduate as an architect. You are, however, well-equipped to continue your studies in the graduate arena to reach your goal of shaping our lived environment.
Medicine, Health, and Society
Often thought of as within the arena of “medical anthropology,” the Medicine, Health, and Society major brings together history, policy, and science. It’s a multi-disciplinary program ideal for students who want to go into the medical or healthcare space professionally, whether through the medical school route, entrepreneurship, or a policy avenue. Students can select a concentration in Global Health; Health Economies and Policies; Health Behaviors and Health Sciences; Inequality, Intersectionality, and Health Justice; Medicine, Humanities, and the Arts; or Critical Health Studies. These concentrations empower students to really focus in on what they are passionate about while also exploring new ideas and perspectives. Recent courses students have access to include “Death and Dying in America,” and “Medicine and Literature,” and students have access to numerous internship and service-learning opportunities. There are also study abroad programs in Copenhagen and Cape Town, which expose students to international medical systems from a global health perspective. If all of this isn’t enough, Medicine, Health, and Society is actually the #2 most popular major in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Child Studies
Now we’re going back into the educational sphere to shine a spotlight on the Child Studies major in the Peabody College department of Psychology and Human Development, an outstanding major that truly allows the college’s strengths to come to the forefront. The Child Studies major is an interdisciplinary major that pulls courses from “psychology, education, special education, and human and organizational development.” The program is amazing for students who are looking towards graduate school, or who want to go into the health sphere through avenues like pediatric nursing or pediatric medicine. Courses include classes like “The Hospitalized Child,” “Who Needs Parents?”, and the thrilling sounding (seriously) “Harry Potter and Child Development.” One of our favorite parts of the program, though, are the research opportunities. Students are able to take part in research very early in the program, including lab-based and field-based programs.
Vanderbilt has exceptional programs across every department and subject area, but we are especially impressed by the offerings that link to education, to medicine, to architecture, and to music. Use these, though, as a starting point in exploring what Vanderbilt can offer you!
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