Admit rate has ranged 10%–16% over the last 5 years. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Tufts University blends the intimacy of a liberal arts college with the resources of a research powerhouse, attracting intellectually curious students who thrive in its collaborative, interdisciplinary culture. Known for its strengths in international relations, STEM, and the arts, Tufts offers a distinctly quirky, service-oriented community just minutes from Boston. With a 94% graduation rate and a recent pledge to make tuition free for families earning under $150k, it's a university that backs its progressive ideals with concrete action.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
High school transcript
Letters of recommendation
College-prep program
TOEFL (non-native English)
Considered (not required)
Grade point average
Class rank
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
Demonstrated competencies
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
7,061
In-state tuition
$70,704
Out-of-state tuition
$70,704
Location
Medford, MA
Notable Fact
Tuition-free for families earning <$150k
Avg Class Size
20
Acceptance Rate
10.5% (Class of 2029)
Avg Starting Salary
$63,641
Student-Faculty Ratio
10:1
6-Year Graduation Rate
94%
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$83,214
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
2.1×
Median debt at graduation
$16,250
Graduation rate
94%
First-year retention
96%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
91%
Pell (lower-income) share
38%
First-generation share
15%
Endowment / student
$358,838
Financial health
2.7 / 3.0Meets the federal financial-responsibility standard
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Computer Science$97,959
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$84,653
Chemical Engineering$73,635
Economics$71,778
Human Computer Interaction$69,732
Mechanical Engineering$66,821
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
8
Per 1,000 students
1.13
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
91
Summer high
80°F
Winter low
25°F
Annual rain
49.7"
Annual snow
33"
Natural-hazard risk
Relatively High
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Research output
Institutional h-index
980
Scholarly works
117,129
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Economic mobility
Mobility rate
2.1%
Bottom → top quintile
62%
From bottom quintile
3%
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at Tufts University?
Tufts University's acceptance rate is approximately 11% (Medford, MA), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for Tufts University?
Admitted students at Tufts University typically score 1470–1560 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does Tufts University cost?
At Tufts University, the average net price (after aid) is about $39,998 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Tufts University?
Tufts University enrolls approximately 7,061 undergraduate students.
Where is Tufts University located?
Tufts University is located in Medford, MA.
Admissions
Tufts remains fiercely selective, with Acceptance rateThe share of applicants a college admits in a given year. A 10% acceptance rate means it admits about 1 in 10 applicants. hovering between 10.5% (Class of 2029) and 14.6% in recent years. The middle 50% SAT range for admitted students is 1480–1540, though 65% of the Class of 2029 submitted test scores during Tufts' Test-optionalA policy where you choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores. If you don't, the rest of your application carries more weight. pilot. The university actively recruits non-citizens (including DACA and undocumented students) who complete high school in the U.S., reflecting its commitment to accessibility.
With a 10:1 student-faculty ratio and average class size of 20, Tufts strikes a rare balance between research opportunities and personalized attention. Over 70 majors include standouts like International Relations (a feeder for the Fletcher School), Computer Science, and Biology (40% of students pursue pre-health tracks). The top 2022-2023 majors were:
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
Civil Engineering
$63,005
Sociology$55,693
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
Computer Science
Economics
International Relations
Biology
Political Science
Interdisciplinary work is encouraged—engineering students might minor in Museum Studies, while liberal arts majors collaborate at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts.
The vibe is 'work hard, play quirky'—students describe a laid-back social scene with niche traditions like the Naked Quad Run and Tuftonia's Day carnival. While Greek life exists (15% participation), the 400+ clubs dominate, from the competitive Mock Trial team to the decades-old Tufts Mountain Club. The campus buzzes with activism (Tufts was the first U.S. university to divest from fossil fuels) and a cappella groups (there are 13). Proximity to Boston means easy access to internships and concerts, though some lament the 'suburban sleepiness' of Medford.
Tufts' 94% six-year graduation rate outpaces national averages by 40+ points. Alumni earnings are strong: $63,641 at one year post-graduation, jumping to $86,650 by year five (well above the $60,377 national median). The Career Center reports that 72% of graduates secure jobs within six months, with top employers including Mass General Hospital, Google, and the U.S. State Department. Notably, 19% pursue advanced degrees immediately, often at peer institutions like Harvard and Columbia.
At $66,358 total annual cost (2024-2025), Tufts is pricey but increasingly accessible: families earning <$150k will pay $0 in tuition thanks to a 2024 policy change. The average Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost. after aid is $33,908, with 44% of undergrads receiving need-based grants. The MyinTuition estimator helps applicants gauge costs in minutes—a rarity among elite privates. Notably, aid packages exclude loans, relying instead on grants and work-study.
Tufts defies easy categorization—it's a research university that feels like a liberal arts college, a STEM powerhouse with renowned arts programs, and a progressive campus that still cherishes goofy traditions. The combination attracts polymaths: the pre-med who minors in philosophy, the engineer who writes for the satire magazine. Its 'civic university' ethos means students don't just study global issues—they intern at the UN, research with Nobel laureates, and launch nonprofits before graduation. For those seeking rigor without cutthroat competition, it's a golden mean.
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