I want to major in Comp Sci and am having a very difficult time deciding whether to go to Stanford with a considerably large amount of debt vs a full tuition at Vanderbilt (this doesn’t cover the full cost but it covers a good portion). I was wondering if anyone had any insight on the difference between the programs or if Stanford was worth the extra cost. Thanks in advance!
Easy win for Vandy if the savings are substantial.
These are both great schools. But it seems like a pretty clear choice to me. The Cornelius Vanderbilt Scholarship is a unique opportunity. And you would likely save your family at least a quarter-of-a-million dollars. Vanderbilt makes a lot of sense!
Hey! I’m a freshman at Vandy and I was in your exact situation this time last year. I’m an Economics major and ended up choosing the CV over Stanford, and have had the most amazing experience so far. There are plenty of opportunities uniquely for CV scholars and you’ll be a part of an exceptionally passionate, close-knit community of high-achieving individuals if you’re concerned about the prestige difference. You’ll have all of the resources/opportunities here at Vandy w/ CV as you would at Stanford, and you’ll thank yourself later for all the money you saved when you’re applying to grad school 
Thanks for the advice! I’ve been really stressed with the decision but this has helped me to find a solid choice after research and these comments.
Two issues: COA & your desired major (CS).
Vanderbilt is clearly the wiser choice financially.
While Stanford certainly has the better CS major, it is not a realistic option as it is unaffordable.
How much debt? Depending on how much, Stanford could still be worth it given recruiting opportunities for CS.
Yes, what is the COA for each school annually?
I second #6. For CS especially, Standard offers not only academic advantage, but also more employment, networking and VC opportunities being in the Bay area.
Stanford yearly cost: $78,218
Vanderbilt yearly cost (after scholarship): $22,348
+6k stipend for a project/trip
The reasons I want to go to Stanford include better job opportunities, a better Comp Sci program, and overall prestige when applying for future jobs/positions.
The reasons I would choose Vanderbilt include the obvious cost reduction as well as a solid scholar program as well as good overall education.
I am not currently in the Vandy engineering school (Arts and Sciences instead) but have been told that switching majors or adding new ones is relatively easy, and Stanford doesn’t have major commitments right off the bat which is a huge plus to me. I’m not super selective when it comes to urban/suburban colleges so that isn’t a major factor, but Stanford’s proximity to good Comp Sci jobs is definitely something I’m thinking about. My parents are paying for half of my overall college fees and are giving me a loan for the other half. My biggest issue is determining if jobs after Stanford would make a big enough difference to choose it over Vandy. Thanks for reading and helping!
D is a CS premed junior who picked Vandy full tuition scholarship instead of MIT several years ago. For CS, you can get to where you need to be without being in a top program. You will get to Google internship and find out that some of kids go to state schools and you have the same starting salary. Prestige is not a thing if you can get into the door.
DH and I wanted her to attend MIT or U Chicago and we were willing to pay (full pay. DH was admitted years ago to PHD program, but didn’t attend because of cost issue), but she determined that she can get to where she wants to be with Vandy, and there is great return in investment (as a HS senior, she was talking to us about payback period and return on investment). Anyway, she has been thriving at Vandy. You can end up the same place, and you have to decide if the extra debt is worth the Stanford brand name and how long it will take for you to pay off.
Best of luck to you! D is on an EC at Vandy, where she sees this playing out every year. Some kids pick Vandy, while others pick Stanford or the other schools. You wouldn’t be alone anyway you decide.
There was a guy who picked Vandy scholarship over Yale years ago here on CC, and he went on to finish CS masters in 4 years (which D would have done if she hadn’t done premed). That is also something to consider.