<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 B000000 10/31/95
000 C000000 034066
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 3.0.a
000 J000000 U
001 A000000 VANGUARD EXPLORER FUND, INC.
001 B000000 811-1530
001 C000000 6106691000
002 A000000 100 VANGUARD BOULEVARD
002 B000000 MALVERN
002 C000000 PA
002 D010000 19355
003 000000 N
004 000000 N
005 000000 N
006 000000 N
007 A000000 N
007 B000000 0
018 000000 Y
019 A000000 Y
019 B000000 89
019 C000000 VANGUARDGR
020 A000001 INSTINET CORPORATION
020 B000001 13-3443395
020 C000001 231
020 A000002 CS FIRST BOSTON CORPORATION
020 B000002 13-5659485
020 C000002 122
020 A000003 FRANK RUSSELL SECURITIES, INC.
020 B000003 91-0604934
020 C000003 121
020 A000004 DONALDSON, LUFKIN & JENRETTE SECURITIES CORP.
020 B000004 13-2741729
020 C000004 101
020 A000005 SALOMON BROTHERS
020 B000005 13-3082694
020 C000005 88
020 A000006 MERRILL LYNCH PIERCE FENNER & SMITH
020 B000006 13-5674085
020 C000006 63
020 A000007 THOMSON INSTITUTIONAL SERVICES INC.
020 B000007 13-3566424
020 C000007 60
020 A000008 INVESTMENT TECHNOLOGY GROUP, INC.
020 B000008 95-4339369
020 C000008 57
020 A000009 WEEDEN & CO. L.P.
<PAGE> PAGE 2
020 B000009 13-3364318
020 C000009 54
020 A000010 ALEX BROWN & SONS
020 B000010 52-0256630
020 C000010 54
021 000000 1889
022 A000001 THE VANGUARD GROUP, INC./POOLED CASH ACCT.
022 B000001 23-1945930
022 C000001 43270195
022 D000001 0
022 A000002 TROSTER SINGER
022 B000002 13-5515160
022 C000002 21112
022 D000002 36854
022 A000003 HERZOG, HEINE, GEDULD, INC.
022 B000003 13-1955436
022 C000003 24360
022 D000003 31212
022 A000004 JEFFERIES & CO., INC.
022 B000004 95-2622900
022 C000004 14683
022 D000004 33802
022 A000005 MERRILL LYNCH PIERCE FENNER & SMITH
022 B000005 13-5674085
022 C000005 29025
022 D000005 12332
022 A000006 ALEX BROWN & SONS
022 B000006 52-0256630
022 C000006 22129
022 D000006 18613
022 A000007 WESSELS, ARNOLD & HENDERSON
022 B000007 41-1798206
022 C000007 7634
022 D000007 31554
022 A000008 PIPER JAFFRAY INC.
022 B000008 41-0953246
022 C000008 22466
022 D000008 15684
022 A000009 SMITH BARNEY INC.
022 B000009 13-1912900
022 C000009 28654
022 D000009 6737
022 A000010 COWEN & COMPANY
022 B000010 13-5616116
022 C000010 21344
022 D000010 11367
023 C000000 43772315
023 D000000 443179
028 A010000 23542
028 A020000 0
028 A030000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 3
028 A040000 27843
028 B010000 54006
028 B020000 0
028 B030000 0
028 B040000 20453
028 C010000 36077
028 C020000 0
028 C030000 0
028 C040000 18137
028 D010000 37222
028 D020000 0
028 D030000 0
028 D040000 26729
028 E010000 36243
028 E020000 0
028 E030000 0
028 E040000 22554
028 F010000 31885
028 F020000 2
028 F030000 0
028 F040000 26880
028 G010000 218975
028 G020000 2
028 G030000 0
028 G040000 142596
028 H000000 0
062 A000000 N
062 B000000 0.0
062 C000000 0.0
062 D000000 0.0
062 E000000 0.0
062 F000000 0.0
062 G000000 0.0
062 H000000 0.0
062 I000000 0.0
062 J000000 0.0
062 K000000 0.0
062 L000000 0.0
062 M000000 0.0
062 N000000 0.0
062 O000000 0.0
062 P000000 0.0
062 Q000000 0.0
062 R000000 0.0
071 A000000 871849
071 B000000 741292
071 C000000 1115829
071 D000000 66
072 A000000 12
072 B000000 10129
072 C000000 5173
<PAGE> PAGE 4
072 D000000 0
072 E000000 0
072 F000000 3522
072 G000000 1934
072 H000000 0
072 I000000 2652
072 J000000 55
072 K000000 0
072 L000000 127
072 M000000 6
072 N000000 0
072 O000000 110
072 P000000 0
072 Q000000 0
072 R000000 10
072 S000000 0
072 T000000 232
072 U000000 0
072 V000000 32
072 W000000 0
072 X000000 8680
072 Y000000 0
072 Z000000 6622
072AA000000 190246
072BB000000 72918
072CC010000 85259
072CC020000 0
072DD010000 4173
072DD020000 0
072EE000000 55488
073 A010000 0.1700
073 A020000 0.0000
073 B000000 2.2600
073 C000000 0.0000
074 A000000 0
074 B000000 191698
074 C000000 0
074 D000000 0
074 E000000 4663
074 F000000 1285290
074 G000000 0
074 H000000 0
074 I000000 188
074 J000000 25678
074 K000000 0
074 L000000 3995
074 M000000 0
074 N000000 1511512
074 O000000 32120
074 P000000 624
074 Q000000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 5
074 R010000 0
074 R020000 0
074 R030000 0
074 R040000 2808
074 S000000 0
074 T000000 1475960
074 U010000 28909
074 U020000 0
074 V010000 51.05
074 V020000 0.00
074 W000000 0.0000
074 X000000 125139
074 Y000000 0
075 A000000 0
075 B000000 1281141
076 000000 0.00
077 A000000 Y
077 B000000 Y
077 C000000 N
077 D000000 N
077 E000000 N
077 F000000 N
077 G000000 N
077 H000000 N
077 I000000 N
077 J000000 N
077 K000000 N
077 L000000 N
077 M000000 N
077 N000000 N
077 O000000 N
077 P000000 N
077 Q010000 N
077 Q020000 N
077 Q030000 N
078 000000 N
080 A000000 ICI MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY
080 C000000 130000
081 A000000 Y
081 B000000 113
082 A000000 N
082 B000000 0
083 A000000 N
083 B000000 0
084 A000000 N
084 B000000 0
085 A000000 Y
085 B000000 N
SIGNATURE GARY P. SOURA
TITLE SR. MANAGER
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<RESTATED>
<CIK> 0000034066
<NAME> VANGUARD EXPLORER FUND, INC.
<MULTIPLIER> 1,000
<CURRENCY> US
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> YEAR
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> OCT-31-1995
<PERIOD-START> NOV-01-1994
<PERIOD-END> OCT-31-1995
<EXCHANGE-RATE> 1
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 1271673
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 1481651
<RECEIVABLES> 29673
<ASSETS-OTHER> 188
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 1511512
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 32120
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 3432
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 35552
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 1143472
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 28909
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 24185
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 5269
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 117241
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 209978
<NET-ASSETS> 1475960
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 5173
<INTEREST-INCOME> 10129
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 8680
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 6622
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 117328
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> 85259
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 209209
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> 4173
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 55488
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 8774
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> 5452
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 1402
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> 363633
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 2820
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> 55401
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 3522
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 8680
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 1281141
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 45.99
<PER-SHARE-NII> 0.24
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> 7.25
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> 0.17
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> 2.26
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 51.05
<EXPENSE-RATIO> 0.68
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0
</TABLE>