Tufts University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
Tufts University, a private college in Massachusetts, reports a 11% acceptance rate and sits in the highly selective band. In practice that means it turns away most applicants, so a strong application is judged against an applicant pool that is already self-selected.
Use this page to see what Tufts University weighs, where it ranks among Massachusetts schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1530, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What is Tufts University's acceptance rate?
Tufts University admitted 3,444 of 34,003 first-year applicants for fall 2023, an acceptance rate of 11.5%. The middle 50% of enrolled students scored 1470 to 1560 on the SAT and 33 to 35 on the ACT.
Source: IPEDS admissions survey, fall 2023. Updated October 31, 2026.
Tufts University application deadlines, 2026-27 · Tufts University supplemental essays, 2026-27
What do students study at Tufts University?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into Tufts University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Tufts University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Tufts University?
Your odds at Tufts University are not the same as its 11% acceptance rate. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Tufts University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Tufts University hard to get into?
Tufts University is highly selective: it turns away most applicants, with about a 11% acceptance rate. Strong academics are expected here, so the rest of your profile usually decides the outcome.
What GPA do you need to get into Tufts University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Tufts University, but most admitted students present roughly a 3.8 to 4.0 GPA with a rigorous course load. Tufts University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Tufts University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Tufts University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 6 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at Tufts University with a 3.9 GPA and a 1520 SAT?
About 20% (Reach), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.9 unweighted GPA and a 1520 SAT, the middle of Tufts University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 4.0 GPA with a 1560 SAT comes out near 23%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/tufts-university.
Early Decision, Early Action and the waitlist at Tufts University
From Tufts University's own 2025-26 Common Data Set (fall 2025 entering class): sections C1, C2, C21-C22 and D2.
What is the early decision acceptance rate at Tufts University?
32%. Tufts University admitted 1,071 of 3,344 Early Decision applicants for fall 2025, against 10.8% of all 33,415 first-year applicants (Tufts University's 2025-26 Common Data Set).
Does applying early decision help at Tufts University?
On the raw numbers, yes: Early Decision applicants were admitted at 32% versus about 8.5% for everyone who applied another way, 3.8x the rate, and Early Decision filled 29.6% of the admitted class. Part of that gap is who applies early (recruited athletes and legacy applicants often do), so it is not all the round itself. Early Decision is binding: apply only if Tufts University is your clear first choice and the family can commit without comparing aid offers.
How many students get off the waitlist at Tufts University?
71 for fall 2025. Tufts University offered 3,061 applicants a waitlist spot, 1,193 accepted one, and 71 were admitted from it: 6% of those who stayed on (Tufts University's 2025-26 Common Data Set).
What is the transfer acceptance rate at Tufts University?
10.9%: 178 of 1,631 transfer applicants were admitted for fall 2025 (Tufts University's 2025-26 Common Data Set).
Source: Tufts University Common Data Set 2025-26. Read from the document twice independently; only matching figures are shown. See how early rounds compare across colleges in the Early Decision rankings.
How to get into Tufts University
Built from Tufts University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
There is no formula that guarantees a spot at Tufts University, but the applicants who get in tend to do the same four things. Here is what the numbers say each one looks like.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Tufts University carries about a 3.88 core GPA and a 1510 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. At this selectivity that is the entry ticket, not the deciding factor.
The admitted middle 50% is 1470 to 1560 SAT (33 to 35 ACT). Submit a score at 1515 or higher; below 1470, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Tufts University rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and application essay highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: essays that sound like you and answer the actual prompt, and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
Selective private colleges admit a larger share of their class in binding Early Decision; if Tufts University is your clear first choice and the net price works, ED is the single biggest lever an applicant controls. Most early deadlines fall on November 1 and Regular Decision on January 1 to 15; confirm Tufts University's exact dates at www.tufts.edu.
How many students apply to Tufts University, and how many get in?
Tufts University admitted 3,444 of the 34,003 students who applied for fall 2023, which works out to 10.1%. 1,739 enrolled. Roughly 50% of admitted students enrolled, a typical yield for a school in this range. Tufts University enrolls about 7,061 undergraduates in total, 57% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Tufts University?
The middle 50% of admitted students at Tufts University scored between 1470 and 1560 on the SAT (average 1513). On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 33 to 35. A score above 1560 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1470 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Tufts University is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Tufts University looks for
What Tufts University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
The factors that carry the most weight at Tufts University are rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and application essay. At this level of selectivity, the difference between admits is rarely the transcript alone; essays, recommendations, and a coherent story matter. These ratings come from Tufts University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Tufts University
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does Tufts University cost after financial aid?
Tufts University's published cost of attendance, before any aid, is roughly $88,300 per year. Tuition and fees alone are $70,704. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $39,998 a year, and it ranges from $11,284 for families earning under $30,000 to $58,570 for families earning over $110,000. 12% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do Tufts University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Tufts University student who received federal aid earns $83,214 a year, up from $68,337 at six years. 94% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 96% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $16,250; 19% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Tufts University compares in Massachusetts
Tufts University ranks #7 most selective of 36 schools in Massachusetts in our database.
Among the 36 Massachusetts schools we track, Tufts University ranks #7 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Harvard University (4%) and Northeastern University (5%) sit nearby, which makes Massachusetts a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list.
Similar to Tufts University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Applicants targeting Tufts University often weigh Boston University, University of Notre Dame, and Emory University, which sit at a similar level. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is Tufts University's acceptance rate?
Tufts University admitted 3,444 of 34,003 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 10.1% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 50% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Tufts University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1470 to 1560 on the SAT and 33 to 35 on the ACT. A score above 1560 is in the top quarter of admits. Tufts University is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Tufts University test-optional?
Yes. Tufts University reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does Tufts University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Tufts University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $39,998 a year against a sticker price of about $88,300. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $11,284 on average.
What do Tufts University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Tufts University are $83,214 a year among students who received federal aid, and 94% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Tufts University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Tufts University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and application essay most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Tufts University consider legacy or demonstrated interest?
Many private colleges weigh legacy relationships and demonstrated interest. Tufts University's full factor profile is charted on this page, and CollegeCalcAI models a legacy effect scaled to a school's selectivity.
How can I improve my chances at Tufts University?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Tufts University specifically.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.