As Vanderbilt welcomes a new class of freshmen to campus, we reflect on the recently-graduated Class of 2023’s time here. In The Vanderbilt Hustler’s first large-scale survey of its kind, we asked members of the Class of 2023 questions about everything from their satisfaction with campus administration and the UCC to their use of alcohol and drugs to their post-graduate salaries.
We delve deep into graduating seniors’ demographic makeup, including many factors that are not usually disclosed by the university. It’s a cohort that’s 65% white, 85% heterosexual and almost 10% with household incomes of $1,000,000 or more annually.
Looking back
2019-2020, freshman year: The survey provides a portrait of a historic class, who was accepted into the university from a larger pool of applicants than in any previous year. This class’s first year on campus was marked with much unexpected change, including a tornado in March that devastated nearby areas of Nashville and the first outbreak of COVID-19, which caused students to be sent home for the semester later that month.
2020-2021, sophomore year: Change seemed to be a constant as students came back to campus with restrictions and safety protocols in place. The school was also introduced to a new chancellor, Daniel Diermeier.
Some students called for the end of Greek Life at Vanderbilt, sparking the national Abolish Greek Life movement, which about 44% of the class later voiced support for in the survey. At the end of the year, the university lifted most COVID-19 restrictions for fully vaccinated students; however, requirements such as masking were reinstated by the start of students’ junior years.
2021-2022, junior year: Carmichael Towers I and II were imploded over the summer to make way for another residential college — Residential College C — which is still in progress. The spring semester was delayed and extended due to the rising prominence of the omicron variant.
A number of sociopolitical issues affected campus in 2022. A speaker event with Rudy Rochman hosted by Chabad sparked allegations of racism and antisemitism in response, while students protested the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We found that 65% of respondents reported they were liberal when starting college, while 76% identified as such by the end of their studies.
2022-2023, senior year: VUMC was put in the national spotlight as Governor Bill Lee called for an investigation of its transgender health clinic due to allegations made by conservative commentators. Peabody College also became the subject of national headlines after responding to the Michigan State University shooting with an email written using ChatGPT, and another tragic shooting happened at the Covenant School in Nashville later in the semester.
The Class of 2023 completed their Vanderbilt journey at Commencement in May, hearing from Nobel Prize-winning journalist Maria Ressa. A little over half of the seniors are off to a full-time job, and the most popular postgraduate locations are the American Northeast and South.
To learn more about the Class of 2023, explore all of our survey findings through interactive charts and graphs:
