Vanderbilt University School Colors
Vanderbilt University's school colors are Flat Gold (#CFAE70) and Black (#1C1C1C). Vanderbilt's brand standards define 15 colors in all; every official HEX, RGB, CMYK and Pantone value is listed below, along with the story of how the colors were chosen.
History of the Vanderbilt colors
Vanderbilt's official colors are gold and black. The university's current brand standards build the core palette from metallic gold, black and white, and the athletics brand guide calls the Commodores 'Nashville's team' in black and gold. For team apparel and merchandise, Vanderbilt Athletics names Pantone 4024 (Nike Club Gold) as the official gold.
Sources: brand.vanderbilt.edu · cdn.vanderbilt.edu
Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: PCN02WPS, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: ZCash1104, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Vanderbilt primary colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metallic Gold | #FEEEB6 | 254, 238, 182 | — | PMS 871 C | |
| Flat Gold | #CFAE70 | 207, 174, 112 | 20, 29, 64, 0 | PMS 4024 C | |
| Black | #1C1C1C | 10, 10, 10 | 0, 0, 0, 100 | PMS Black C | |
| White | #FFFFFF | 255, 255, 255 | 0, 0, 0, 0 | — |
Vanderbilt secondary colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Gray | #777777 | 119, 119, 119 | 0, 0, 0, 53 | — | |
| Light Gray | #E4E4E4 | 228, 228, 228 | 0, 0, 0, 11 | — | |
| Sand | #E0D5C0 | 224, 213, 192 | 12, 13, 23, 0 | — | |
| Cream | #F5F3EF | 245, 243, 239 | 3, 2, 4, 0 | — |
Additional Vanderbilt palette colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sky | #BAC7D1 | 186, 199, 209 | 10, 0, 0, 20 | — | |
| Highlight | #ECB748 | 236, 183, 72 | 7, 29, 84, 0 | — | |
| Oak | #946E24 | 148, 110, 36 | 36, 51, 100, 18 | — | |
| Sage | #8BA18E | 139, 161, 142 | 49, 26, 47, 0 | — |
Vanderbilt athletics colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flat Gold (athletics / apparel) | #CFAE70 | 207, 174, 112 | 20, 29, 64, 0 | PMS 4024 C (Nike Club Gold) | |
| Rich Black | #000000 | 0, 10, 0 | 40, 40, 40, 100 | PMS Black 3 C | |
| Dark Gray (athletics) | #777777 | 119, 119, 119 | 0, 0, 0, 53 | PMS Cool Gray 11 C |
Matching Vanderbilt colors on clothing
Clothing sold as a given color can be noticeably off from Vanderbilt's official values, and supplier color codes describe the dye target rather than the finished fabric. So we measured the actual fabric color of every garment we carry from product photos and fabric swatches, then compared it to Vanderbilt's official colors. The pieces below are the closest in-stock matches, out of 229 styles close to Flat Gold.
Clothing in Flat Gold #CFAE70
Blank apparel whose fabric color is a close match to Flat Gold, measured from the garment itself. 229 matching styles in stock.
Vanderbilt colors: frequently asked questions
What are Vanderbilt school colors?
Vanderbilt University's school colors are Flat Gold (#CFAE70) and Black (#1C1C1C). The official brand palette also includes Metallic Gold and White as primary colors, plus 11 more secondary and supporting colors.
What is the hex code for Flat Gold?
Flat Gold is #CFAE70 (RGB 207, 174, 112, CMYK 20, 29, 64, 0).
What is the hex code for Vanderbilt Black?
Vanderbilt Black is #1C1C1C (RGB 10, 10, 10, CMYK 0, 0, 0, 100).
What Pantone color is Flat Gold?
Flat Gold is PMS 4024 C.
What Pantone color is Vanderbilt Black?
Vanderbilt Black is PMS Black C.
Why are Vanderbilt's colors Flat Gold and Black?
Vanderbilt's official colors are gold and black. The university's current brand standards build the core palette from metallic gold, black and white, and the athletics brand guide calls the Commodores 'Nashville's team' in black and gold.
Color values are taken from the official Vanderbilt University brand standards (source), checked October 2026. Sweatshirt Station is not affiliated with or endorsed by Vanderbilt University. We sell blank apparel in matching colors; no logos or trademarks are sold. Photos are used under their Creative Commons or public domain licenses and are credited above.