Vanderbilt is ranked 14th among national universities for a second consecutive year in U.S. News & World Report's 2022 Best Colleges rankings. The university also was recognized as a best value and for the quality of its undergraduate teaching.
Vanderbilt ranked eighth on the publication's list of Best Value Schools, up one spot from last year. "Best Value" designates universities that offer the best value for students receiving need-based financial aid. The Opportunity Vanderbilt financial aid program meets 100 percent of eligible students' demonstrated need without loans. In addition, Vanderbilt ranked 12th for Best Undergraduate Teaching for a second year.
"Vanderbilt is dedicated to fostering the intellectual and personal growth of everyone in our community, and to making this educational experience accessible to the world's best students regardless of their financial backgrounds," Chancellor Daniel Diermeier said. "We continue to thrive because of our collaborative culture in which we work together-and support each other-to accomplish great things, in service of helping everyone fulfill their highest potential."
In the category Academic Programs to Look For, Vanderbilt placed seventh for Learning Communities, up five spots from last year, and 11th for Service Learning, up one spot from 2021. Vanderbilt also was cited among the nation's best academic programs for First-year Experience.
"Vanderbilt offers the rare combination of an immersive, holistic undergraduate experience, as well as unprecedented access to the highest-caliber learning and research opportunities with powerhouse scholars," Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs C. Cybele Raver said. "Across all endeavors, we are dedicated to empowering every member of our community with a strong sense of inclusion and belonging that will allow us to usher in a new era of collective achievement at Vanderbilt."
The 2022 Best Colleges rankings evaluate colleges and universities on 17 measures of academic quality, including retention and graduation rates, class size, the strength of the faculty, per-student spending, peer universities' assessments, and the average federal loan debt of graduates.
