Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center research and development spending, FY2024

  • Nashville, TN
  • R1
  • Private nonprofit
  • Standard form filer

Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center in FY2024

$1.3 billion

spent on research and development in FY2024, as reported to the NSF HERD Survey

National rank
#24 of 925
Change on FY2023
up 6.0%
Rank change
held

Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center reported $1.3 billion of research and development spending in FY2024, ranking #24 of the 925 institutions in the survey. That is up 6.0% on FY2023's $1.3 billion; its national rank was unchanged. Federal government is its largest funding source at 61.0% ($809.7 million), followed by institution funds at 27.5%. Its largest field of research is life sciences, $1.0 billion or 76.9% of the total.

Over time

Research spending, FY2010 to FY2024

Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center research and development expenditures, FY2010 to FY2024A line from $505.0 million in FY2010 to $1.3 billion in FY2024. Every plotted figure is in the table below.$0$332.0M$663.9M$995.9M$1.3BFY2010FY2015FY2020FY2024

Standard-form totals FY2010 onwards as revised by NCSES in the newest release; rank is within that series.

Year-by-year figures
Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center research and development expenditures by fiscal year, NSF HERD.
Fiscal yearR&D expenditureRank in series
FY2010$505.0 million35
FY2011$566.0 million33
FY2012$560.5 million35
FY2013$571.6 million35
FY2014$683.9 million28
FY2015$647.8 million30
FY2016$640.8 million31
FY2017$712.0 million31
FY2018$738.6 million31
FY2019$776.9 million33
FY2020$824.8 million31
FY2021$1.0 billion24
FY2022$1.1 billion24
FY2023$1.3 billion24
FY2024$1.3 billion24

FY2024 breakdown

Where the money came from, and what it paid for

FY2024 funding sources and research fields

Funding sources

The 6 NSF funding sources Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center reported in FY2024, largest first. Shares are of its own FY2024 total, and the rank is national within that source.

Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center research and development expenditures by funding source, NSF HERD FY2024.
SourceFY2024ShareChange on FY2023US rank
Federal government$809.7 million61.0%+7.8%19
Institution funds$365.7 million27.5%+2.2%13
Business$86.1 million6.5%−0.1%21
Nonprofit organizations$48.3 million3.6%+22.1%39
All other sources$13.2 million1.0%−10.4%59
State and local government$4.8 million0.4%+26.5%172
All sources$1.3 billion100.0%+6.0%24

Fields of research

The 9 NSF research fields Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center reported in FY2024, largest first.

Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center research and development expenditures by field of research, NSF HERD FY2024.
FieldFY2024ShareChange on FY2023US rank
Life sciences$1.0 billion76.9%+6.6%21
Non-S&E$105.3 million7.9%−0.5%11
Engineering$83.0 million6.3%+0.9%61
Physical sciences$33.6 million2.5%+10.7%59
Social sciences$28.2 million2.1%−0.5%35
Computer and information sciences$28.1 million2.1%+14.4%36
Psychology$24.2 million1.8%+39.0%12
Geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences$2.4 million0.2%−34.6%178
Mathematics and statistics$1.8 million0.1%−20.4%124

Neighbours

Ranked around Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Institutions ranked immediately above and below

The five institutions ranked above Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the five below it in the FY2024 national ranking.

Institutions ranked immediately above and below Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center, NSF HERD FY2024.
RankInstitutionFY2024 R&D
19Harvard University$1.5B
20Columbia University in the City of New York$1.4B
21University of Minnesota, Twin Cities$1.4B
22Texas A&M University, College Station and Health Science Center$1.4B
23University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, The$1.4B
24Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center$1.3B
25Pennsylvania State University, The, University Park and Hershey Medical Center$1.3B
26University of Florida$1.3B
27University of Southern California$1.3B
28Northwestern University$1.3B
29Emory University$1.2B

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Data: NSF HERD FY2024, built from NSF's published tables on September 8, 2026. Page updated September 13, 2026.

Data: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, National Science Foundation, Higher Education Research and Development Survey, FY2024.

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