Tufts University
Tufts University Featured Rankings
- #1 Best Online MBAs Massachusetts
- #3 Most Influential US Universities by State
- #4 Best Online Public Health PhD Degree Programs
- #5 Best Grad Schools in Massachusetts 2022
- #5 Private Colleges in Massachusetts 2022
- #5 Best Online Clinical Nutrition Degree Doctorate Programs
- #5 Research Universities in Massachusetts 2025
- #5 Best Colleges in Massachusetts
- #17 Education Research Universities
- #24 Best Undergrad Private Colleges
- #24 Best Research Universities for Psychology Majors
- #24 Best Undergrad Research Universities 2022
- #25 Political Science Research Universities
- #25 English Research Universities
- #25 Economics Research Universities
- #26 The Fastest Traditional MBA Degree Programs
- #27 Best Private Grad Schools 2022
- #28 Best Undergrad Colleges 2025
- #44 Best Grad Schools 2025
- #46 Best US Universities 2025
About Tufts University
Featured Alumna
Mariana Mazzucato ranks among our Top Influential Economists Today.
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 Applications | Acceptance | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34,882 | 10% | 94% | 1500 | 34 |
How Much Does Tufts University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition (in-state) |
|---|
| $65,222 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $9,223 |
| 30K - 48K | $6,812 |
| 48K - 75K | $14,765 |
| 75K - 110K | $26,144 |
| 110K+ | $57,478 |
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 Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 15,523 | 7,815 | 7,708 |
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:
- Medical
- Political Science
- Economics
- Business
- Law
- Philosophy
- Education
- Physics
- Biology
- Engineering
- Psychology
- Communications
- Literature
- History
- Computer Science
- Chemistry
- Sociology
- Earth Sciences
- Religious Studies
- Anthropology
- Mathematics
Tufts University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
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
- An American mathematician, scientist in cybernetics and artificial intelligence.
- Vannevar Bush
- An American electrical engineer and science administrator .
- Eugene Fama
- An American economist and Nobel laureate in Economics.
- Jamie Dimon
- An American banking executive.
- Ram Dass
- An American contemporary spiritual teacher and the author of the 1971 book Be Here Now.
- Gordon S. Wood
- An American historian.
- Roderick MacKinnon
- An American neuroscientist.
- Paul Offit
- An American immunologist.
- Peter Navarro
- An American economist and author, Trump advisor.
- Mariana Mazzucato
- An Italian-American economist, professor .
- John Ciardi
- An American poet, professor, translator.
- 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
- An Australian law scholar.
- Bonnie Berger
- An American mathematician and computer scientist.
- Peniel E. Joseph
- An American scholar.
- Robert Paarlberg
- An American academic.
- Rachel Kyte
- A British academic.
- Kathleen Fisher
- An American computer scientist.
- 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
- An American mathematician.
- David R. Snydman
- A Researcher.
