Tennessee: Vanderbilt University

Founded in 1873 by business tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt, Vanderbilt University (Top College No. 47) occupies a sprawling 330-acre campus less than two miles from downtown Nashville, TN. This research institution offers 68 undergraduate majors in liberal arts and science, engineering, music, education and human development.

Sixty percent of first-year students receive funding from the school averaging $ 38,200. Students participate in more than 500 clubs and 32 chapters of Greek institutions. Residential life includes an online college hall system, in which students and faculty live together in closed buildings including study spaces, cafeterias, laundry facilities and shops. Sports teams compete in Division I. Athletics The university counts two US vice presidents as alumni and many Nobel laureates.