Tulane University
Tulane University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Tulane University Featured Rankings
- #1 Best Colleges in Louisiana
- #1 Best Research Universities in Louisiana 2026
- #1 Best Private Colleges in Louisiana 2026
- #1 Best Grad Schools in Louisiana 2026
- #1 Most Influential US Universities by State
- #3 Most Affordable Online DSW and PhD in Social Work Doctorate Programs 2026
- #5 Accelerated Online Public Health Doctorate Programs
- #10 Best Online MBAs Louisiana
- #39 Best Private Grad Schools 2026
- #42 Best Undergrad Research Universities 2026
- #43 The Best Traditional MBA Programs
About Tulane University
According to Wikipedia, Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it was turned into a comprehensive public university as the University of Louisiana by the state legislature in 1847. The institution became private under the endowments of Paul Tulane and Josephine Louise Newcomb in 1884 and 1887. The Tulane University Law School and Tulane University Medical School are, respectively, the 12th oldest law school and 15th oldest medical school in the United States.
Tulane University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27,936 | 14% | 93% | 87% | 1460 | 32 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Tulane University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $71,998 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $23,823 |
| 30K - 48K | $27,524 |
| 48K - 75K | $27,708 |
| 75K - 110K | $30,737 |
| 110K+ | $59,766 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Tulane University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Tulane University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $68,226 a year, and 90% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Tulane University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 15,026 | 9,131 | 5,895 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Tulane University?
Tulane University is located at 6823 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118-5698.
How Safe is Tulane University?
Relative to its enrollment, Tulane University has a violent crime rate of 0.23% and a property crime rate of 0.13%. New Orleans has a violent crime rate of less than 0.01% and a property crime rate of less than 0.01%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Tulane University Known For?
Tulane University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Social Work
- Law
- Medical
- Sociology
- Anthropology
- Business
- Political Science
- Communications
- Engineering
- History
- Biology
- Education
- Literature
- Chemistry
- Mathematics
- Nursing
- Economics
- Philosophy
- Psychology
- Physics
- Computer Science
- Earth Sciences
- Criminal Justice
- Religious Studies
Tulane University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Tulane University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Tulane University ranks #24 in the U.S. and #31 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesTulane University ranks #27 in the U.S. and #100 worldwide for influence in Law.
Tulane University ranks #30 in the U.S. and #68 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesTulane University ranks #34 in the U.S. and #98 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesTulane University ranks #58 in the U.S. and #155 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesTulane University ranks #59 in the U.S. and #144 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesTulane University ranks #69 in the U.S. and #241 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesTulane University ranks #72 in the U.S. and #241 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesTulane University ranks #76 in the U.S. and #281 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesTulane University ranks #77 in the U.S. and #192 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesTulane University ranks #84 in the U.S. and #254 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesTulane University ranks #88 in the U.S. and #299 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesTulane University ranks #88 in the U.S. and #226 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesTulane University ranks #92 in the U.S. and #419 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesTulane University ranks #93 in the U.S. and #347 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesTulane University ranks #100 in the U.S. and #225 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesTulane University ranks #104 in the U.S. and #417 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesTulane University ranks #108 in the U.S. and #341 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesTulane University ranks #117 in the U.S. and #257 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesTulane University ranks #118 in the U.S. and #484 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesTulane University ranks #148 in the U.S. and #552 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesTulane University ranks #151 in the U.S. and #612 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesTulane University ranks #164 in the U.S. and #275 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesTulane University ranks #183 in the U.S. and #811 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesWho Are Tulane University's Most Influential Alumni?
Tulane University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Social Work, Medical, and Sociology. Here are some of Tulane University's most famous alumni:
- Cleanth Brooks
- An American literary critic and academic.
- Newt Gingrich
- An American politician and author .
- Jim Garrison
- An American district attorney .
- Florian Cajori
- An American mathematician.
- Henry Hobson Richardson
- An American architect.
- Andrew Breitbart
- An American writer and publisher.
- Richard Schechner
- An American theatre director.
- John Kennedy Toole
- An American novelist.
- Sander Gilman
- An American historian.
- Maxwell Wintrobe
- An American hematologist .
- Huey Long
- An American politician, Governor of Louisiana, and United States Senator .
- John Sallis
- An American philosopher.
Who Are Tulane University's Most Influential Faculty?
Tulane University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Social Work, Medical, and Sociology. Here are some of Tulane University's most famous faculty:
- Melissa Harris-Perry
- An American journalist.
- Christoph Koutschan
- A German mathematician and computer scientist.
- Nicholas Bloom
- A British economist.
- Jesmyn Ward
- An American writer.
- Ana Maria Gonçalves
- A Brazilian writer.
- Geoffrey G. Parker
- An American academic.
- Michael Cunningham
- An American non-fiction writer, university teacher and psychologist.
- Vicki Mayer
- A .
- Monica Maxwell
- An American basketball player.
- Carola Wenk
- A German-American computer scientist.