Hey there—these are BOTH great programs, and comparable in the US from a rankings standpoint. So at that stage, we look to OTHER aspects of the decision tree. For example, while Chicago is cold (take it from me, I live here) it is a GREAT city with much to offer. But so does Nashville! It isn’t remote at all—it is a VERY vibrant city indeed, with LOTS going on.
So from a location standpoint, unless you want to live in Chicago when you graduate, the two are evenly matched.
To make this decision, I would look into the actual specific ACADEMICS that you want to pursue. Do you want to go into anything medical-related? Because Vandy has a GREAT program in that field. I would do the research at both programs to see who offers better resources in YOUR area of interest. But don’t discount Vandy bc of its location—Nashville is a VERY cool place! Hope this helps, and good luck…