<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 B000000 12/31/96
000 C000000 0000799127
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 QUANTITATIVE PORTFOLIOS, INC.
001 B000000 811-4526
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 94
019 C000000 VANGUARDGR
020 A000001 INVESTMENT TECHNOLOGY GROUP, INC.
020 B000001 95-4339369
020 C000001 330
020 A000002 INSTINET CORPORATION
020 B000002 13-3443395
020 C000002 150
020 A000003 CS FIRST BOSTON CORORATION
020 B000003 13-5659485
020 C000003 130
020 A000004 FIDELITY CAPITAL MARKETS
020 B000004 04-2785576
020 C000004 118
020 A000005 FRANK RUSSELL SECURITIES, INC.
020 B000005 91-0604934
020 C000005 104
020 A000006 LEHMAN BROTHERS INC.
020 B000006 13-2518466
020 C000006 102
020 A000007 PRUDENTIAL SECURITIES INCORPORATED
020 B000007 22-2347336
020 C000007 100
020 A000008 ALEX BROWN & SONS, INCORPORATED
020 B000008 52-1319768
020 C000008 85
020 A000009 LYNCH, JONES & RYAN, INC.
<PAGE> PAGE 2
020 B000009 13-3356934
020 C000009 62
020 A000010 OPPENHEIMER & CO., INC.
020 B000010 13-2798343
020 C000010 60
021 000000 1563
022 A000001 THE VANGUARD GROUP, INC./POOLED CASH ACCT.
022 B000001 23-1945930
022 C000001 11021464
022 D000001 0
022 A000002 CS FIRST BOSTON CORPORATION
022 B000002 13-5659485
022 C000002 3732
022 D000002 0
022 A000003 CANTOR, FITZGERALD & CO.
022 B000003 13-3680184
022 C000003 792
022 D000003 1415
022 A000004 HERZOG, HEINE, GEDULD, INC.
022 B000004 13-1955436
022 C000004 1275
022 D000004 1
022 A000005 MERRILL LYNCH PIERCE FENNER & SMITH
022 B000005 13-5674085
022 C000005 150
022 D000005 0
022 A000006 SALOMON BROTHERS INC.
022 B000006 13-3082694
022 C000006 0
022 D000006 96
022 A000007 NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES CORPORATION
022 B000007 04-2785576
022 C000007 81
022 D000007 0
022 A000008 TELEDYNE
022 C000008 5
022 D000008 10
022 C000009 0
022 D000009 0
022 C000010 0
022 D000010 0
023 C000000 11027499
023 D000000 1522
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
<PAGE> PAGE 3
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 954200
071 B000000 796547
071 C000000 1060662
071 D000000 75
072 A000000 12
072 B000000 2642
072 C000000 23253
072 D000000 0
072 E000000 0
072 F000000 1217
072 G000000 1413
072 H000000 0
072 I000000 1136
072 J000000 22
072 K000000 0
072 L000000 55
072 M000000 3
072 N000000 0
072 O000000 76
072 P000000 0
072 Q000000 0
072 R000000 9
072 S000000 0
072 T000000 246
072 U000000 0
072 V000000 16
072 W000000 0
072 X000000 4193
072 Y000000 104
072 Z000000 21806
072AA000000 162338
072BB000000 30295
072CC010000 77181
072CC020000 0
072DD010000 21371
072DD020000 0
072EE000000 96032
073 A010000 0.4000
073 A020000 0.0000
073 B000000 1.8200
073 C000000 0.0000
<PAGE> PAGE 4
074 A000000 0
074 B000000 57948
074 C000000 1979
074 D000000 0
074 E000000 0
074 F000000 1229239
074 G000000 0
074 H000000 0
074 I000000 116
074 J000000 3190
074 K000000 0
074 L000000 5631
074 M000000 0
074 N000000 1298103
074 O000000 6814
074 P000000 428
074 Q000000 0
074 R010000 0
074 R020000 0
074 R030000 0
074 R040000 5446
074 S000000 0
074 T000000 1285415
074 U010000 57825
074 U020000 0
074 V010000 22.23
074 V020000 0.00
074 W000000 0.0000
074 X000000 52071
074 Y000000 0
075 A000000 0
075 B000000 1106631
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
<PAGE> PAGE 5
077 Q030000 N
078 000000 N
080 A000000 ICI MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY
080 C000000 200000
081 A000000 Y
081 B000000 114
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 MANAGER
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<CIK> 0000799127
<NAME> VANGUARD QUANTITATIVE PORTFOLIOS, INC.
<MULTIPLIER> 1,000
<CURRENCY> US
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> YEAR
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> DEC-31-1996
<PERIOD-START> JAN-01-1996
<PERIOD-END> DEC-31-1996
<EXCHANGE-RATE> 1
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 1026844
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 1289166
<RECEIVABLES> 8821
<ASSETS-OTHER> 116
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 1298103
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 6814
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 5874
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 12688
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 971415
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 57825
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 45594
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 434
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 50674
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 262892
<NET-ASSETS> 1285415
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 23253
<INTEREST-INCOME> 2642
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 4089
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 21806
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 132043
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> 77181
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 231030
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> 21371
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 96032
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 16557
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> 9549
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 5223
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> 375968
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 2725
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> 18051
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 1217
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 4193
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 1106631
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 19.95
<PER-SHARE-NII> 0.41
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> 4.09
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> 0.40
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> 1.82
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 22.23
<EXPENSE-RATIO> 0.38
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0
</TABLE>