Tufts University vs American University

Tufts University and American University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Tufts, situated just outside Boston, boasts a lower acceptance rate, smaller student body, and higher graduation rate compared to American University in Washington, D.C. While Tufts excels in STEM fields, American University shines in international studies and public affairs. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details, including cost, financial aid, and student life, to determine which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
American University logo

American University

Tufts University logo

Tufts University

Overview

Location Washington, District of Columbia Medford, Massachusetts
Campus setting City: Large 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 90.0% 97.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Methodism

Admission

Acceptance rate 64.1% 11.4%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $61
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $85
SAT range 1280 - 1440 1440 - 1550
ACT range 29 - 33 33 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 28.0% 32.0%
Students submitting ACT score 18.0% 23.0%
Total number of applicants 19,650 31,198
Total number of admissions given out 12,594 3,566
Admitted students who chose to enroll 2,372 1,800
Yield rate 18.8% 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 $70,512 $81,700
Average net price $28,622 $31,630
Tuition $52,542 $61,646
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $10,096

Meal plan: $6,314
Room/dormitory: $8,832

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

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

64.0%
Average amount $27,332
38.0%
Average amount $47,937
Students receiving federal student loan 38.0%
Average amount $4,933
20.0%
Average amount $3,824
Students taking out private loans 4.0%
Average amount $25,877
9.0%
Average amount $8,607

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 8,463
Men 37.2% Women 62.8%
6,676
Men 44.8% Women 55.2%
Graduate students 6,389
Men 37.1% Women 62.9%
6,617
Men 38.6% Women 61.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 10.6% 14.0%
Campus local/setting City: Large Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 4,080 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
  • Legal Profession
  • Social Sciences
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Education
  • Health Professions
  • Social Sciences
  • Engineering
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio 12:1 10:1
Institutional accreditation Middle States Commission on Higher Education New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 78.7% 93.8%
Dropout rate 20.9% 1.2%
Transferred out N/A 4.8%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Taxation (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $93,187
  • Year 2: $97,907
  • Year 3: $111,993
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $89,205
  • Year 2: $99,458
  • Year 3: $107,216
Economics (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,457
  • Year 2: $69,338
  • Year 3: $93,099
Public Administration (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $69,734
  • Year 2: $74,953
  • Year 3: $85,544
Public Policy Analysis (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,308
  • Year 2: $60,771
  • Year 3: $80,276
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,267
  • Year 2: $63,203
  • Year 3: $78,002
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,356
  • Year 2: $69,338
  • Year 3: $76,697
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $66,014
  • Year 3: $76,448
International Relations and National Security Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,460
  • Year 2: $63,692
  • Year 3: $73,342
Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $63,600
  • Year 3: $72,861
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

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
American University American University vs University of Arizona University of Arizona
American University American University vs University of Denver University of Denver
American University American University vs Quinnipiac University Quinnipiac University
American University American University vs University of Georgia University of Georgia
American University American University vs Loyola University Chicago Loyola University Chicago
American University American University vs University of Maryland-College Park University of Maryland-College Park
American University American University vs Clark University Clark University
American University American University vs Endicott College Endicott College
American University American University vs Hampshire College Hampshire College
American University American University vs Saint Louis University Saint Louis University
American University American University vs Adelphi University Adelphi University
American University American University vs Hofstra University Hofstra University
American University American University vs The New School The New School
American University American University vs Elon University Elon University
American University American University vs University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
American University American University vs University of Dayton University of Dayton
American University American University vs Villanova University Villanova University
American University American University vs Belmont University Belmont University
American University American University vs Southern Methodist University Southern Methodist University
American University American University vs Shenandoah University Shenandoah University
American University American University vs University of Virginia-Main Campus University of Virginia-Main Campus
American University American University vs The Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University
Tufts University Tufts vs University of California-Berkeley University of California-Berkeley
Tufts University Tufts vs Wesleyan University Wesleyan University
Tufts University Tufts vs American University American University
Tufts University Tufts vs George Washington University George Washington University
Tufts University Tufts vs Georgetown University Georgetown University
Tufts University Tufts vs Emory University Emory University
Tufts University Tufts vs Northwestern University Northwestern University
Tufts University Tufts vs Bowdoin College Bowdoin College
Tufts University Tufts vs Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University
Tufts University Tufts vs Boston College Boston College
Tufts University Tufts vs Boston University Boston University
Tufts University Tufts vs Brandeis University Brandeis University
Tufts University Tufts vs Endicott College Endicott College
Tufts University Tufts vs Hampshire College Hampshire College
Tufts University Tufts vs Harvard University Harvard University
Tufts University Tufts vs Massachusetts Institute of Technology Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Tufts University Tufts vs Northeastern University Northeastern University
Tufts University Tufts vs Wellesley College Wellesley College
Tufts University Tufts vs New York University New York University
Tufts University Tufts vs Syracuse University Syracuse University
Tufts University Tufts vs Duke University Duke University
Tufts University Tufts vs Carnegie Mellon University Carnegie Mellon University
Tufts University Tufts vs Lehigh University Lehigh University
Tufts University Tufts vs Southern Methodist University Southern Methodist University
Tufts University Tufts vs Marquette University Marquette University