Tulane University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
Tulane University is a private college in Louisiana that admits about 14% of applicants, which puts it in the highly selective range. A rate like this means it turns away most applicants; the bar is less about clearing a single cutoff and more about how your full profile compares to admitted students.
Use this page to see what Tulane University weighs, where it ranks among Louisiana schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1500, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at Tulane 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 Tulane University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Tulane University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Tulane University?
At Tulane University, your real chance depends on far more than the published 14% admit 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 Tulane University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Tulane University hard to get into?
Tulane University is highly selective: it turns away most applicants, with about a 14% 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 Tulane University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Tulane University, but most admitted students present roughly a 3.8 to 4.0 GPA with a rigorous course load. Tulane University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Tulane University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Tulane 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 Tulane University with a 3.9 GPA and a 1460 SAT?
About 25% (Target), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.9 unweighted GPA and a 1460 SAT, the middle of Tulane University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 4.0 GPA with a 1520 SAT comes out near 28%. 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/tulane-university.
How to get into Tulane University
Built from Tulane University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
Getting into Tulane University comes down to four decisions, each one visible in the data on this page.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Tulane University carries about a 3.85 core GPA and a 1470 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. At this selectivity that is the entry ticket, not the deciding factor.
The admitted middle 50% is 1400 to 1520 SAT (31 to 34 ACT). Submit a score at 1460 or higher; below 1400, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Tulane 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 Tulane 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 Tulane University's exact dates at tulane.edu.
How many students apply to Tulane University, and how many get in?
27,936 students applied to Tulane University for fall 2023; 4,077 were admitted (14.6%). 1,867 enrolled. Roughly 46% of admitted students enrolled, a typical yield for a school in this range. Tulane University enrolls about 7,767 undergraduates in total, 62% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Tulane University?
Admitted students at Tulane University post SAT scores of 1400 to 1520 in the middle 50%, with an average of 1448. On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 31 to 34. A score above 1520 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1400 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Tulane 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 Tulane University looks for
What Tulane University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
Tulane University signals that it values rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and application essay above the rest of the file. 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 Tulane 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 Tulane 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 Tulane University cost after financial aid?
The full sticker price at Tulane University (tuition, fees, housing, food, books) is about $87,004 a year. Tuition and fees alone are $68,678. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $39,949 a year, and it ranges from $16,126 for families earning under $30,000 to $56,667 for families earning over $110,000. 10% 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 Tulane University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Median earnings for Tulane University students ten years after entry are $63,268 ($50,220 at the six-year mark). 86% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 93% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $20,500; 21% 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 Tulane University compares in Louisiana
Tulane University ranks #1 most selective of 19 schools in Louisiana in our database.
Among the 19 Louisiana schools we track, Tulane University ranks the most selective by acceptance rate. Nothing else in the state is harder to get into; the next tier down includes Southern University at 35%.
Similar to Tulane University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
If Tulane University is on your list, schools with a similar admit profile are worth a look: Colgate University, Hamilton College, and Washington and Lee University. 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 Tulane University's acceptance rate?
Tulane University admitted 4,077 of 27,936 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 14.6% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 46% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Tulane University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1400 to 1520 on the SAT and 31 to 34 on the ACT. A score above 1520 is in the top quarter of admits. Tulane University is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Tulane University test-optional?
Yes. Tulane 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 Tulane University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Tulane University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $39,949 a year against a sticker price of about $87,004. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $16,126 on average.
What do Tulane University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Tulane University are $63,268 a year among students who received federal aid, and 86% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Tulane University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Tulane University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and application essay most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Tulane University consider legacy or demonstrated interest?
Many private colleges weigh legacy relationships and demonstrated interest. Tulane 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 Tulane 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 Tulane University specifically.
What makes an application stand out at Tulane University?
Beyond strong academics, Tulane University rewards a clear, specific story: focused activities with real impact, essays in an authentic voice, and recommendations that corroborate it. Depth beats a long list of unrelated activities.
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.