Vanderbilt University ( Vanderbilt University is one of the top colleges and universities in the American South, located in Nashville, Tennessee. The university was founded in 1873 by billionaire Cornelius Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt was one of the richest men in the United States at the time and was the model for the computer game "Railroad Tycoon," after whom Vanderbilt was named, hence the name Vanderbilt University. Vanderbilt's business, law, and medicine programs are among the leading universities in the United States. In 2014, Vanderbilt was ranked 17th in the overall U.S. university rankings.