Ushering in a new age of ambition and innovation as a multicampus university, Vanderbilt University announced today that it is proceeding with a planned graduate campus in West Palm Beach-and launched a new $250 million phase of the fundraising campaign for the project.
In a news conference with local leaders, Vanderbilt Chancellor Daniel Diermeier said early generosity by key donors enables Vanderbilt to proceed with development, and that the Vanderbilt Board of Trust has authorized work on the new campus to begin.
"Today marks a launching point-a new age for Vanderbilt as a multicampus university, a new chapter in the civic life of the Palm Beach region, and a new phase in our fundraising effort to bring the innovative vision for our West Palm Beach campus fully to life," Diermeier said. "What we aim to create here is not just another graduate campus for business and engineering. We are creating programs that reimagine business and engineering education in the age of technology."
A SHARED VISION
Vanderbilt aims to strengthen a dynamic business ecosystem in West Palm Beach that integrates technology, finance and engineering. The new campus will seek regulatory approvals to focus on graduate education and research that aligns with the region's rapidly growing innovation economy-including its expanding financial services sector-and proximity to leading-edge industries. It will build a talent pipeline for one of the nation's fastest-growing markets by offering programs in finance, management, engineering, space technology and innovation, defense technology and manufacturing, and business innovation. Education in AI and data science will be integrated throughout to meet the demands of the growing industries and emerging fields in South Florida.
In addition to driving economic growth, Vanderbilt's West Palm Beach campus will contribute to the city's vibrant downtown. A leading university at the heart of the thriving environment will attract skilled professionals from around the world and foster a robust pipeline of graduates and newcomers inspired by innovation and rapid technological advancement. It will also further position the Palm Beach region as a rising global center for finance and technology.
"The Vanderbilt campus marks a transformative moment for West Palm Beach," said City of West Palm Beach Mayor Keith A. James. "With world-class graduate programs in business, data science, artificial intelligence and engineering, it will help build the skilled workforce companies are seeking and strengthen our position as a hub for innovation. This partnership also reflects our commitment to being a community of opportunity for all, expanding access, investing in education and working with neighborhoods across our city. We are proud to welcome Vanderbilt to West Palm Beach."
The planned graduate campus will bring Vanderbilt's distinctive model of integrating world-class scholarship with hands-on, cross-disciplinary learning to South Florida, while also creating semester-away opportunities for Vanderbilt's undergraduates in Nashville. Vanderbilt also plans to offer executive education, customized programs designed with local employers, and workforce skills training programs to empower and educate the next generation of leaders in a new technology era. Vanderbilt also will offer lifelong learning opportunities to engage residents across the Palm Beach region.
The project is being advanced in close coordination with community leaders. In fall 2024, government officials in the City of West Palm Beach and Palm Beach County unanimously granted seven acres of government-owned land for the campus, illustrating local support for Vanderbilt's proposal.
"Palm Beach County is committed to supporting high-impact projects that strengthen our workforce and expand opportunity," Palm Beach County Mayor Sara Baxter said. "Vanderbilt's progress signals momentum for our innovation ecosystem and meaningful benefits for residents across the county."
Vanderbilt plans to close on the donated property, finalize design, advance pre-construction activities and site preparation, and prepare to break ground. At the same time, the university will finalize academic programming plans to submit for all necessary regulatory approval.
"Vanderbilt University's commitment to West Palm Beach and Palm Beach County is a powerful statement about this region's future as a pipeline for talent," said Stephen Ross, chairman and CEO of Related Ross. "I applaud Vanderbilt's Board of Trustees and Chancellor Daniel Diermeier for the visionary leadership to move the West Palm Beach graduate campus into this pivotal phase of design and construction. It is an exciting milestone and a strong vote of confidence in the future of Palm Beach County and all of South Florida."
FUELED BY A NEW FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN
In his remarks in West Palm Beach, Diermeier announced a new, incremental $250 million fundraising goal for the new campus.
"Today, Vanderbilt makes its commitment clear: We are all-in on West Palm Beach. We now call on the residents and businesses of South Florida, as well as our global Vanderbilt community, to invest with us in this bold project and all it will create for the Palm Beach area's economy, workforce and quality of life," Diermeier said.
Vanderbilt will expand outreach and engagement across the Palm Beach region throughout 2026 to deepen collaboration and community connection.
Further philanthropic support will help develop the campus's signature features, including state-of-the-art facilities, innovative academic programs and curriculum, public-facing initiatives, faculty recruitment, student scholarships and experiential learning opportunities-all of which help ensure that the campus is positioned for long-term academic excellence, innovation and regional impact.
Diermeier acknowledged two of the donors who have provided support enabling the university to move forward: real estate developer and Vanderbilt alumnus Cody Crowell, and real estate developer Ross, whose financial commitment to the project he called "phenomenal."
VANDERBILT'S GLOBAL STRATEGY
The West Palm Beach campus is the latest step in an overall growth strategy to widen Vanderbilt's reach and impact-bringing the world to Vanderbilt and Vanderbilt to the world. Vanderbilt's efforts to expand in innovation hubs and high-impact fields include Vanderbilt University-New York City, the university's first campus outside of Nashville, and the recently announced Institute for Quantum Innovation in Chattanooga. In collaboration with EPB of Chattanooga, the institute will pair Vanderbilt's world-class research and education with EPB's one-of-a-kind quantum infrastructure to accelerate breakthroughs from lab to market.
At home in Nashville, the university is planning an innovation neighborhood on the western edge of its Nashville campus to maximize the region's potential and put Nashville and Tennessee at the forefront of the innovation economy. Vanderbilt also recently launched the College of Connected Computing, its first new college in 40 years, and is building a state-of-the-art science building to propel the university's ambitious goals for scientific research and discovery.
Learn more about Vanderbilt's growth initiatives.
