HEAD-TO-HEAD · 30-YEAR ROI

Duke University vs Vanderbilt University

Duke University clears +$2.75M in 30-year net value, Vanderbilt University +$1.49M — both pay off, Duke University by +$1.27M.

Two cross-admit private universities at the tuition they charge everyone (in-state and out-of-state are identical at a private). Same sticker, same admit pool — a clean head-to-head.

IPEDS 2023 tuition · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · their (identical) published tuition · same model as /worth-it · both schools NPV-positive.

Duke University · Durham, NC

clears more

30-year net value
+$2.75M
Total cost of attendance
$333,052
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$91,218
Breaks even by age
37

Vanderbilt University · Nashville, TN

30-year net value
+$1.49M
Total cost of attendance
$340,000
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$77,660
Breaks even by age
46
How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

Each school runs through the /worth-it model at its published tuition (identical in-state and out-of-state at a private), with the same loan assumptions, the same 30-year horizon, and each state’s own cost-of-living. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of the degree over that horizon, in real dollars — the same figure the calculator headlines.

We only publish pairs where both schools clear positive net value, so the comparison is “both pay off, one clears more,” never “this school is a bad bet.” Earnings are rolled up from at least three FREOPP programs per school (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t distort the number.

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “Duke University vs Vanderbilt University: 30-year ROI head-to-head.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/compare/duke-vs-vanderbilt

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Questions

Is Duke University or Vanderbilt University a better return on investment?
On a 30-year net-value basis at their (identical) published tuition, Duke University clears +$2.75M and Vanderbilt University +$1.49M — both are solidly positive, so neither is a bad bet; Duke University comes out ahead by +$1.27M. Figures from IPEDS 2023 tuition, FREOPP 2021 earnings, and BEA 2023 cost-of-living, run through the same model as the LE TEEN calculator.
How much more does Duke University pay off than Vanderbilt University?
About +$1.27M over a 30-year horizon (+$2.75M vs +$1.49M in projected net value). That gap reflects each school's net price and its graduates' median earnings — not a judgment that either degree fails to pay off, since both clear positive.
What is the 30-year net value of a degree from Duke University?
+$2.75M at their (identical) published tuition — total cost of attendance $333,052, median earnings ten years out $91,218, breaking even around age 37. Run your own assumptions on the /worth-it calculator.