Tufts University
A research university with a liberal arts core on a hilltop 5 miles from Boston, now tuition-free for US families under $150,000.
- Acceptance rate
- 11%
- Class of 2029, entered fall 2025 (Tufts admissions profile and CDS 2025-26)
- Students
- 13,650
- 7,031 undergraduates
- Student–faculty
- 9.7:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- $74,862
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1852
About Tufts
Tufts University was founded in 1852 and has its main campus on Walnut Hill in Medford and Somerville, about 5 miles from Boston, with health sciences schools in Boston and a veterinary school in Grafton. In fall 2025 it enrolled 13,650 students, 7,031 undergraduates and 6,619 graduate students. Undergraduates apply to the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Engineering or the School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA), or to a five-year BFA plus BA/BS combined degree.
Tufts combines the feel of a liberal arts college with the resources of a research university. It is home to the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, the first graduate school of international affairs in the United States, as well as schools of medicine, dental medicine, nutrition and veterinary medicine, and its Tisch College reflects an emphasis on civic engagement. Undergraduates can take classes across all three undergraduate schools.
Admission is highly selective: Tufts made 3,613 offers to 33,415 first-year applicants for the Class of 2029 (10.8%), and filled a large share of the class through binding Early Decision. It is test-optional, meets 100% of demonstrated need, and from fall 2026 US students from families earning under $150,000 attend tuition-free. It suits intellectually curious students who want small classes, access to Boston and a campus with a strong international and civic streak.
Pax et Lux
“Peace and Light” — university motto
Why students choose Tufts
The Tufts Tuition Pact makes Tufts tuition-free for US students whose family income is under $150,000 (with typical assets), and Tufts meets 100% of demonstrated need.
Students can combine study across Arts and Sciences, Engineering and the SMFA, including a five-year BFA plus BA/BS combined degree.
The Fletcher School, the first graduate school of international affairs in the US, anchors a strong international relations culture, and 12% of the Class of 2029 are international students.
The Medford/Somerville campus is about 5 miles from Boston, with a student-to-faculty ratio of about 10 to 1.
Admissions
Class of 2029, entered fall 2025 (Tufts admissions profile and CDS 2025-26)
About 1 in 9 applicants is admitted
3,613 admitted from 33,415 applicants
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
Early Decision is a major route in: 1,071 of 3,344 ED applicants were admitted for fall 2025 (about 32%), roughly 30% of all offers. 531 of 9,260 international applicants were admitted (about 6%). 1,765 first-years enrolled per the CDS (the admissions profile reports 1,762).
Typical entry requirements
| International curricula | Evaluated in the context of your national system; Tufts names GCSE/A-levels, the French Baccalaureate, the IB and the Abitur among the credentials it regularly reviews |
|---|---|
| English language | IELTS 7 · TOEFL iBT 100 No official minimums, but successful applicants generally have TOEFL 100+ (tests before 21 January 2026) or 5.0+ (from 21 January 2026), IELTS 7+, PTE Academic 68+ or Duolingo 130+. Not needed after three or more years at an English-medium secondary school. Superscored English tests are not accepted. |
Deadlines
- Early Decision I Binding Next deadline · In 27 daysNovember 2, 2026
Binding. Decisions mid-December. Latest tests considered: October ACT or November SAT. CSS Profile for aid due November 1.
- Early Decision II Binding In ~3 monthsJanuary 4, 2027
Binding. Decisions early February.
- Regular Decision Non-binding In ~3 monthsJanuary 4, 2027
Decisions by April 1. Financial aid documents due January 15.
Dates are from Tufts' Applying to Tufts page for the Class of 2031 (entry fall 2027). Tufts has no Early Action plan.
How to apply
Common App, Coalition on Scoir or QuestBridge (no preference); apply to the School of Arts and Sciences, Engineering, the SMFA (BFA) or the BFA+BA/BS combined degree; two required short answers (75-150 words on how you engaged with Tufts, and 100-200 words specific to your school, such as a favourite assignment or an engineering project); transcripts and recommendations through the application; optional SAT/ACT; portfolio for SMFA and combined-degree applicants.
What admissions looks for
- A strong academic record: evidence of preparation and potential for success in your intended area of study is described as essential.
- Extracurricular and community engagement, personal attributes and interests, weighed holistically with transcripts and recommendations.
- Intellectual curiosity, entrepreneurialism, a collaborative orientation and commitment to civic engagement, which Tufts highlights in describing its students.
- Authentic writing in your own words; Tufts strongly discourages using generative AI for essays and short answers.
Tips for applying to Tufts
- 1 If Tufts is your clear first choice, consider Early Decision: about 30% of all offers for the Class of 2029 went to ED applicants, who were admitted at a much higher rate than the overall 10.8%.
- 2 Take the 'how have you engaged with Tufts' short answer seriously: name the events, conversations or resources you actually used.
- 3 Use Tufts' own guidance on testing: submit an SAT of 1300+ or ACT of 28+, and decide before you submit because the choice is locked in.
- 4 Pick your school carefully: you are only considered for the school you apply to (Arts and Sciences, Engineering or SMFA), though enrolled students can cross-register.
- 5 US applicants should check the Tuition Pact: families earning under $150,000 with typical assets pay no tuition from fall 2026.
What are your chances?
Sign up to see your personalized admission chances for Tufts University
Sign up to see your chancesCosts & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in USD
Tufts meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for admitted students. Under the Tufts Tuition Pact, US undergraduates entering from fall 2026 attend tuition-free if family income is under $150,000 with typical assets; students from families earning under $60,000 receive no-loan packages, and many families earning up to $300,000 qualify for some aid. Aid applicants file the CSS Profile (Tufts code 3901), and US citizens and permanent residents also file the FAFSA.
- 44%
- Students receiving financial aid
- $55,000
- Average total grants in an aid award
- 100%
- Average need met for aid recipients (CDS 2025-26)
- $14,300
- Average undergraduate debt at graduation
- $97,152 billed (tuition, housing, food, fees) plus $2,846 for books and personal expenses, before transportation
- 2026-27 cost of attendance, first-year on campus
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters
International Relations
Undergraduates study alongside the Fletcher School, founded in 1933 as the first graduate school of international affairs in the US.
BFA + BA/BS Combined Degree (SMFA and Arts and Sciences)
A five-year programme pairing an art school BFA with a liberal arts or sciences degree; 85 first-years enrolled in it in the Class of 2029.
School of Engineering
296 first-years in the Class of 2029; applicants write about an engineering or science project they helped build or design.
Civic studies through Tisch College
Tisch College and the Experimental College, both non-degree-granting, give undergraduates civic-engagement and additional course options alongside their degrees.
Research
- Tufts runs health sciences schools on its Boston campus and the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in Grafton, plus a campus in Talloires, France.
- Tufts alumni include Nobel laureates Roderick MacKinnon (Chemistry, MD 1982) and Juan Manuel Santos (Peace, MA 1981).
- The Omidyar-Tufts Microfinance Fund was created with a $100 million gift from eBay founder and alumnus Pierre Omidyar.
Schools & faculties
- School of Arts and Sciences
- School of Engineering
- School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA)
- Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy
- Tisch College
- Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy
- School of Medicine
- School of Dental Medicine
- Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
College Scorecard: median earnings of $83,214 ten years after entry (and $68,337 six years after entry) for federally aided students.
Student life
Tufts' hilltop campus in Medford and Somerville includes The Green and sits on Walnut Hill, with Boston about 5 miles away. Its mascot is Jumbo the elephant, and the Jumbos compete in NCAA Division III in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC). Civic engagement runs through campus life via Tisch College, and the Experimental College offers additional courses. The Class of 2029 includes 16% Pell Grant recipients, 12% first-generation students and 12% international students.
- Jumbos athletics in NCAA Division III, NESCAC.
- Jumbo the elephant, the university's long-standing mascot.
- The Experimental College and Tisch College offer non-degree programmes open to undergraduates.
- Class of 2029: 1,762 first-years, 16% Pell recipients, 12% first-generation.
Location
Tufts' main campus sits on Walnut Hill across Medford and Somerville, about 5 miles from downtown Boston, on the site of the original farm of Charles Tufts. Students get a green, residential campus with Boston's museums, internships and hospitals close by; Tufts' own medical, dental and nutrition schools are in Boston.
Nearest airport: Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
Notable alumni
- JM Juan Manuel SantosPresident of Colombia and 2016 Nobel Peace Prize laureate (MA 1981)
- RM Roderick MacKinnonNobel Prize in Chemistry laureate (MD 1982)
- PO Pierre OmidyarFounder of eBay (BS 1988)
- JD Jamie DimonCEO of JPMorgan Chase (BA 1978)
- TC Tracy ChapmanSinger-songwriter (BA 1987)
- HA Hank AzariaActor and voice actor (BA 1988)
- ST Shashi TharoorFormer UN Under-Secretary-General and Indian member of parliament (MA, MALD, PhD)
- VB Vannevar BushInventor and science administrator, founder of Raytheon (BS and MS 1913)
Frequently asked questions
What is Tufts' acceptance rate?
Tufts admitted 3,613 of 33,415 first-year applicants for the Class of 2029, a 10.8% admission rate.
Is Tufts test-optional for fall 2027?
Yes. Tufts is test-optional for all undergraduate applicants, but it encourages you to submit an SAT of 1300+ or ACT of 28+. The middle 50% of enrolled students who submitted scores was 1460-1520 on the SAT and 33-35 on the ACT.
Does Tufts have Early Decision?
Yes, two binding rounds: Early Decision I (deadline November 2, 2026) and Early Decision II (January 4, 2027). Regular Decision is also due January 4, 2027. There is no Early Action.
How much does Tufts cost?
For 2026-27, tuition is $74,862 and the billed cost for a first-year living on campus is $97,152, or about $100,000 including books and personal expenses. US students from families earning under $150,000 with typical assets pay no tuition under the Tufts Tuition Pact.
What English test score does Tufts expect?
Tufts has no minimum, but successful applicants usually have TOEFL 100+ (or 5.0+ on the new scale), IELTS 7+, PTE 68+ or Duolingo 130+.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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