Tufts

Tufts University

Tufts
#141 / #51
Global Influence / U.S. Influence
#25
Most Desirable School
Private research university in Medford/Somerville, Massachusetts

Tufts University Featured Rankings

About Tufts University

Featured Alumna

Mariana Mazzucato ranks among our Top Influential Economists Today.

By James Barham, PhD

Tufts University was founded as Tufts College in 1852 in the Boston Metropolitan Area–suburb of Medford, north of Cambridge. The school was built under the auspices of the Universalist Church of America on 20 acres of land donated by businessman and philanthropist Charles Tufts. Today, the university also has a satellite campus located in downtown Boston.

When Charles Tufts first purchased the land, it was an undeveloped parcel on the top of a barren hill, and when his family asked him what he intended to do with it, he is said to have replied: “I will put a light on it.”

The college was built up piecemeal over the years. In 1893 a medical school began operation, with electrical, chemical, civil, and mechanical engineering schools all opening during the same decade. In 1933 the internationally renowned Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy was founded.

Women began to be admitted to Tufts College in 1893, while Jackson College for Women—a closely associated, but administratively separate, four-year, women’s liberal arts college—opened in 1910. In 2002, Jackson College was wholly absorbed by Tufts’s School of Arts and Sciences.

In 1954 the college was officially elevated to university status and its name changed accordingly. However, the school’s rapid growth into a major research university began particularly with the presidency of French scientist, Jean Mayer, beginning in 1976.

Tufts is associated with seven Nobel laureates, namely,

  • Physicist, Rainer Weiss
  • Chemist, Roderick MacKinnon
  • Computed-tomography (CT) pioneer Allan MacLeod Cormack — physiology or medicine
  • Economists, Eugene Fama & Paul Samuelson
  • Egyptian-born international public servant, Mohamed ElBaradei — peace
  • President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos — peace

Other distinguished Tufts-connected individuals include the following:

  • Singer-songwriter, Tracy Chapman
  • New York Times publisher, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr.
  • TV personality, Meredith Vieira
  • Showman and philanthropist, P.T. Barnum
  • Actors, William Hurt, Peter Gallagher & Jessica Biel
  • Psychologists, Robert J. Sternberg & Richard Alpert (Ram Dass)
  • Mathematician and philosopher, Norbert Wiener
  • Linguist, Ray Jackendoff
  • Computer scientists, John Reif, Kathleen Fisher & Pierre Omidyar
  • Cell biologist, Frederick Grinnell
  • Evolutionary biologist, Sean B. Carroll
  • Electrical engineer and inventor, Elihu Thomson
  • Engineer and government administrator, Vannevar Bush
  • Economist, Peter Navarro
  • Historians, Gordon S. Wood & Jill Lepore
  • Indian politician and former United Nations diplomat, Shashi Tharoor
  • Former New Mexico governor, Bill Richardson
  • Current US Representative, Dan Crenshaw
  • Former US Senators, Daniel Patrick Moynihan & Scott Brown

According to Wikipedia, Tufts University is a private research university located in the Greater Boston area. The main campus is located in the Walnut Hill neighborhood of the towns of Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts, with additional facilities located in Boston and Grafton, Massachusetts and in Talloires, France. It was founded in 1852 as Tufts College by Christian universalists who sought to provide a nonsectarian institution of higher learning. Tufts remained a small liberal arts college until the 1970s, when it transformed into a large research university offering several doctorates.

Tufts University's Online Degrees

Tufts University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information

Annual ApplicationsAcceptanceGraduation RateMedian SAT ScoreMedian ACT Score
34,88210%94%150034

How Much Does Tufts University Cost To Attend?

Tuition (in-state)
$65,222
Price by Family Income
IncomeAverage Net Cost
0 - 30K$9,223
30K - 48K$6,812
48K - 75K$14,765
75K - 110K$26,144
110K+$57,478

Source: National Center for Education Statistics

How Much Do Tufts University Graduates Make?

If you graduate from Tufts University, then you can expect to earn an average of $103,300 per year. You also have a 91% chance of being employed after 10 years.

Tufts University's Demographics

Demographic data is for full-time, on-campus students.

Student BodyUnder-GradsGraduates
15,5237,8157,708

Where is Tufts University?

Tufts University is located at , Medford MA 02155-5555

How Safe is Tufts University?

Tufts University has a violent crime rate of less than .01% and a property crime rate of less than .01%. Medford has a violent crime rate of less than .01% and a property crime rate of less than .01%.

What Is Tufts University Known For?

Tufts University is known for it's academic work in the following disciplines:

Tufts University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered

Medical
#58
World Rank
#61
Historical Rank
#27
USA Rank
medicine Degrees
Political Science
#97
World Rank
#104
Historical Rank
#30
USA Rank
political-science Degrees
Economics
#92
World Rank
#110
Historical Rank
#32
USA Rank
economics Degrees
Business
#80
World Rank
#79
Historical Rank
#37
USA Rank
business Degrees
Law
#143
World Rank
#153
Historical Rank
#45
USA Rank
Philosophy
#142
World Rank
#184
Historical Rank
#47
USA Rank
philosophy Degrees
Education
#164
World Rank
#164
Historical Rank
#49
USA Rank
education Degrees
Physics
#174
World Rank
#212
Historical Rank
#50
USA Rank
physics Degrees
Biology
#143
World Rank
#166
Historical Rank
#51
USA Rank
biology Degrees
Engineering
#185
World Rank
#132
Historical Rank
#53
USA Rank
engineering Degrees
Psychology
#111
World Rank
#126
Historical Rank
#60
USA Rank
psychology Degrees
Communications
#205
World Rank
#226
Historical Rank
#63
USA Rank
communications Degrees
Literature
#163
World Rank
#201
Historical Rank
#64
USA Rank
literature Degrees
History
#166
World Rank
#176
Historical Rank
#65
USA Rank
history Degrees
Computer Science
#199
World Rank
#164
Historical Rank
#69
USA Rank
computer-science Degrees
Chemistry
#321
World Rank
#292
Historical Rank
#76
USA Rank
chemistry Degrees
Sociology
#225
World Rank
#243
Historical Rank
#76
USA Rank
sociology Degrees
Earth Sciences
#332
World Rank
#346
Historical Rank
#85
USA Rank
earth-science Degrees
Religious Studies
#399
World Rank
#426
Historical Rank
#90
USA Rank
religious-studies-hub Degrees
Anthropology
#252
World Rank
#278
Historical Rank
#95
USA Rank
anthropology Degrees
Mathematics
#384
World Rank
#431
Historical Rank
#105
USA Rank
math Degrees

Who Are Tufts University's Most Influential Alumni?

Tufts University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Medical, Business, and Political Science. Here are some of Tufts University's most famous alumni:

Norbert Wiener
Norbert Wiener
An American mathematician, scientist in cybernetics and artificial intelligence.
Vannevar Bush
Vannevar Bush
An American electrical engineer and science administrator .
Eugene Fama
Eugene Fama
An American economist and Nobel laureate in Economics.
Jamie Dimon
Jamie Dimon
An American banking executive.
Ram Dass
Ram Dass
An American contemporary spiritual teacher and the author of the 1971 book Be Here Now.
Gordon S. Wood
Gordon S. Wood
An American historian.
Roderick MacKinnon
Roderick MacKinnon
An American neuroscientist.
Paul Offit
Paul Offit
An American immunologist.
Peter Navarro
Peter Navarro
An American economist and author, Trump advisor.
Mariana Mazzucato
Mariana Mazzucato
An Italian-American economist, professor .
John Ciardi
John Ciardi
An American poet, professor, translator.
Richard N. Goodwin
Richard N. Goodwin
An American speechwriter .

Who Are Tufts University's Most Influential Faculty?

Tufts University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Medical, Business, and Political Science. Here are some of Tufts University's most famous alumni:

Philip Alston
Philip Alston
An Australian law scholar.
Bonnie Berger
Bonnie Berger
An American mathematician and computer scientist.
Peniel E. Joseph
Peniel E. Joseph
An American scholar.
Robert Paarlberg
An American academic.
Rachel Kyte
Rachel Kyte
A British academic.
Kathleen Fisher
An American computer scientist.
Lina Ben Mhenni
Lina Ben Mhenni
A Tunisian Internet activist and blogger.
Ioannis D. Evrigenis
A Greek American political philosopher.
Kelly Greenhill
An American political scientist.
Krishna Kumar
An Indian chemist.
Dan Margalit
Dan Margalit
An American mathematician.
David R. Snydman
A Researcher.