Vanderbilt & Rice Research Notes
vanderbilt_rice.md
Vanderbilt & Rice Research Notes
Vanderbilt University
Admissions (Class of 2029 / Fall 2025)
- Total applicants: 47,600
- Overall acceptance rate: 4.7% (record low)
- ED acceptance rate: 18.8%
- RD acceptance rate: 3.3%
- Class size: 1,650
- Yield: 61%
Academics
- SAT middle 50%: 1510–1560
- ACT middle 50%: 34–36
- Avg unweighted GPA: 3.89
- Top 10% of HS class: 95%
- Testing policy: Test-optional
Round Strategy
- Offers both ED I and ED II (binding)
- ED I rate 18.8% vs RD rate 3.3% (~5.7x advantage)
Demographics
- Women: 53.5%, Asian: 7.6%, Black: 7.3%, Hispanic: 6.4%, White: 60.3%, International: 9.5%
Financial Aid / Net Cost
| Income Bracket | Net Price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $4,470 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $3,200 |
| Over $110,000 | $34,363 |
Athletics
- 344 varsity athletes (~6.3% of undergrads)
- NCAA Division I, SEC Conference (only private Ivy-caliber school in SEC)
Notable
Record-low 4.7% overall rate for Class of 2029 — now Ivy-comparable selectivity. RD rate is just 3.3%. Strong financial aid with need-blind admissions. The only highly elite private university competing in the SEC.
Rice University
Admissions (Class of 2029 / Fall 2025)
- Total applicants: 31,394
- Overall acceptance rate: 6.8%
- ED I acceptance rate: 13.2%
- ED II acceptance rate: 6.0%
- RD acceptance rate: 5.0%
- Class size: 1,050
- Yield: 44%
Academics
- SAT middle 50%: 1510–1560
- ACT middle 50%: 34–36
- Avg unweighted GPA: 3.96
- Top 10% of HS class: 93%
- Testing policy: Test-optional
Round Strategy
- Offers both ED I and ED II (binding)
- ED I rate 13.2% vs overall 6.8% (~2x advantage); ED II rate 6.0%
Demographics
- Women: 43.0%, Asian: 16.6%, Black: 5.1%, Hispanic: 11.3%, White: 37.4%, International: 23.5%
Financial Aid / Net Cost
| Income Bracket | Net Price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $7,019 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $5,000 |
| Over $110,000 | $37,756 |
Athletics
- 375 varsity athletes (~9.2% of undergrads — high ratio given small class)
- NCAA Division I, American Athletic Conference
Notable
Residential college system (similar to Oxford) creates strong community. Located in Houston, TX with strong ties to energy industry, NASA, and medical center. High Hispanic enrollment (11.3%) reflects Texas demographics. Smaller campus feel despite research university status.
Sources
- Vanderbilt Common Data Set 2024–2025
- Rice Common Data Set 2024–2025
- research_colleges.json simulation data