Vanderbilt University: $2.3B Revenue, $2.0B Expenses

The composite efficiency score of 58/100 puts Vanderbilt University at C — neither standout nor failing. Some factors run above the median (often reserves) while others run below (often revenue stability or officer-comp ratio).

On revenue, Vanderbilt University is among the largest U.S. nonprofits: $2.3B in 2023 reported revenue. Organizations at this scale typically operate hospitals, university systems, or national federations — the financial pattern looks more like a corporation than the small-charity stereotype. Reserves are the limiting factor: Vanderbilt University carries relatively few months of operating expenses on its balance sheet, which can leave an organization exposed if a major funding source pauses.

Revenue has grown meaningfully across the five-year filing history — a sign of expanding donor base, new grants, or scaling programs. Vanderbilt University reported $2.3B in 2023, up notably from the start of the window. Officer compensation is modest relative to organizational size: Vanderbilt University reports $20.7M in total compensation for current officers and key employees (Form 990 Part IX, line 5) against $2.3B in revenue. The ratio is well within the bands third-party charity raters consider reasonable at this scale. In the Education category, Vanderbilt University sits alongside universities, K-12 systems, scholarship funds, and education-research organizations. Education-sector nonprofits often hold large endowments, which affects how the reserves-and-revenue figures should be read.