Tufts University vs Boston College

Tufts University and Boston College, both esteemed institutions in the Boston area, offer distinct educational experiences. Tufts, known for its rigorous academics and research opportunities, boasts an acceptance rate of 13%, while Boston College, with its strong liberal arts foundation and Jesuit tradition, has an acceptance rate of 26%. Tufts students pursue diverse majors, with popular choices including biomedical engineering, international relations, and psychology, while Boston College students often major in finance, marketing, and nursing. Tufts' student body is slightly more diverse, with 44% students of color compared to Boston College's 36%. Both universities boast impressive graduation rates, with Tufts at 93% and Boston College at 92%. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more key differences and find the university that best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Boston College logo

Boston College

Tufts University logo

Tufts University

Overview

Location Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts Medford, Massachusetts
Campus setting City: Small Suburb: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 95.0% 97.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Catholic

Admission

Acceptance rate 19.0% 11.4%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $80

Graduate: $75
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $85
SAT range 1420 - 1530 1440 - 1550
ACT range 33 - 34 33 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 30.0% 32.0%
Students submitting ACT score 20.0% 23.0%
Total number of applicants 39,846 31,198
Total number of admissions given out 7,587 3,566
Admitted students who chose to enroll 2,516 1,800
Yield rate 33.2% 50.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $76,606 $81,700
Average net price $30,159 $31,630
Tuition $60,530 $61,646
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $9,780

Meal plan: $5,822
Room/dormitory: $8,832

Meal plan: $7,378
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

39.0%
Average amount $48,693
38.0%
Average amount $47,937
Students receiving federal student loan 33.0%
Average amount $3,579
20.0%
Average amount $3,824
Students taking out private loans 0.0%
Average amount $2,200
9.0%
Average amount $8,607

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 9,955
Men 47.1% Women 52.9%
6,676
Men 44.8% Women 55.2%
Graduate students 5,622
Men 42.2% Women 57.8%
6,617
Men 38.6% Women 61.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 12.4% 14.0%
Campus local/setting City: Small Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 7,602 4,100
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A New York California New Jersey Connecticut Maryland

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Legal Profession
  • Health Professions
  • Social Sciences
  • Engineering
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio 14:1 10:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 90.8% 93.8%
Dropout rate 2.5% 1.2%
Transferred out 6.4% 4.8%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $90,012
  • Year 2: $117,572
  • Year 3: $142,311
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $99,514
  • Year 2: $115,060
  • Year 3: $137,599
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $114,055
  • Year 2: $111,435
  • Year 3: $126,491
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $89,485
  • Year 2: $93,588
  • Year 3: $114,789
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $92,426
  • Year 2: $100,439
  • Year 3: $112,343
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $89,714
  • Year 2: $84,100
  • Year 3: $105,872
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,320
  • Year 2: $75,518
  • Year 3: $94,626
Information Science/Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $69,748
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: $90,750
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $69,899
  • Year 2: $69,937
  • Year 3: $82,416
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,785
  • Year 2: $69,069
  • Year 3: $77,978
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: $210,928
  • Year 2: $207,590
  • Year 3: $167,393
Dentistry (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $98,934
  • Year 2: $112,802
  • Year 3: $128,899
Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $120,961
  • Year 2: $113,135
  • Year 3: $123,967
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $104,612
  • Year 2: $107,163
  • Year 3: $117,666
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $96,349
  • Year 2: $97,959
  • Year 3: $113,556
Biomedical/Medical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $79,010
  • Year 2: $84,653
  • Year 3: $111,235
Veterinary Medicine (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $75,720
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $89,511
Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,529
  • Year 2: $73,635
  • Year 3: $83,832
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,321
  • Year 2: $71,778
  • Year 3: $83,710
Public Health (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,852
  • Year 2: $69,338
  • Year 3: $76,984

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