Early Impressions of the Students Admitted to the Tufts Undergraduate Class of 2027

Out of the more than 34,000 applications, the students admitted to the Tufts Class of 2027 bring engagement in their communities, academic excellence, and diversity

Tufts this week sent letters of acceptance for the undergraduate Class of 2027, sustaining a highly selective admissions program focused on building a talented and diverse student population.

JT Duck, dean of undergraduate admissions for the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering, reported a 9.5% acceptance rate, and summed up his impression of the incoming Jumbos as “exceptionally engaged, in the classroom and in their communities.”

“By virtue of their lived experiences, accomplishments, and aspirations, these students will positively influence the Tufts community,” he said. “They shared stories about building inclusive communities, about political involvement, about entrepreneurial ventures. We heard from students who were leaders in athletics and the arts, in the sciences and engineering, in civic-minded causes. We look forward to welcoming to Tufts this class of extraordinary learners and doers.”

As reported in January, the Class of 2027 applicant pool exceeds 34,000 and is the university’s most compositionally diverse; it also set a new high for early decision applications. Applications to the School of Engineering and to the School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA) at Tufts also were the most ever received.

Demographic shifts nationwide show a decline in college-age students in the Northeast, Duck said, but Tufts continues to attract students from across the United States. While 28% of admitted students are from New England, 20% are from the West, 10% from the South, and 5% from the Southwest.

Tufts’ reputation is reaching a wider and global population, he said, thanks to a mix of in-person recruitment and virtual engagement opportunities. Admissions staff conducted in-person events in 27 states and 16 countries on four continents, including programs in South Korea, India, the United Kingdom, Jordan, and Argentina, among many others. They were also joined by Vernon Miller, director of the Indigenous Center, in outreach to Indigenous communities.

All told, the admissions staff conducted more than 500 in-person and virtual high school visits, attended 35 National Portfolio Days, and reached nearly 5,000 prospective students through virtual “Fall for Tufts” programming in September and October. In addition, the Office of Admissions hosted nearly 20,000 prospective students on the Medford/Somerville and Fenway campuses for campus tours, information sessions, and special programming.

Highlights of the Admitted Class of 2027

Women comprise 56% of the admitted class, up from 55% last year, and men 41%. Four percent identify as non-binary, genderqueer, or preferred not to specify a gender identity. (The numbers add up to more than 100% due to rounding.) Women also continue to comprise the majority of students admitted to the School of Engineering at 52%.

Of all admitted students, 55% attended public high schools or public charter high schools, with the remainder attending independent schools, religiously affiliated schools, or home schools.

Of those admitted students attending high schools with class rank, 91% are ranked in the top 10% of their class.

Students who will be the first in their family to graduate from a four-year college make up 11% of the class. Thirteen percent of the admitted students are eligible for Pell grants.

Of admitted U.S. students, 57% percent are students of color, up from 56% last year. Black students represent 12% of the admitted class, Hispanic/Latinx students 14% percent (and 15% of admitted engineers), and Asian American students account for 21%. Another 11% percent of U.S. students are multiracial. White students make up 39% of the admitted class, while 3% did not provide race or ethnicity information.

Ninety-five admitted students have Native or Indigenous heritage. They include 62 American Indian or Alaska Native students and 33 Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander students; 21 students are enrolled citizens of tribal nations and communities, including Caddo, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Comanche, Muscogee, Nipmuc, Osage, Pawnee, Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, Sault Ste. Marie, Saint Regis Mohawk, Utu Utu Gwaitu Paiute, the Pueblo of Santa Clara, and the Native Village of Scammon Bay.

Ninety-six students are from Tufts’ host communities—Medford, Somerville, Boston, and Grafton­­­­­­­­­­­­—including students affiliated with local college access organizations such as Breakthrough Greater Boston, Bottom Line, Minds Matter Boston, and the Steppingstone Foundation.

Students affiliated with a college access organization, including QuestBridge, are 11% of the admitted class.

Forty-two percent of admitted students speak a language other than English at home, or have a primary language other than English, including Spanish, Mandarin, Korean, Albanian, Nepali, Kazakh, and Wolof, among many others.

All 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands are represented. The top 11 states for admitted students are Massachusetts, New York, California, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Virginia.

International students—foreign nationals who are not U.S. citizens—represent 11% of the class and 75 countries. The top countries for admitted students are China, India, Canada, South Korea, Turkey, Brazil, United Kingdom, and Singapore.

As in recent years, about 40% of admitted students did not submit SAT/ACT scores with their application.

The Tufts undergraduate admissions team will host three in-person Jumbo Days across March and April, welcoming admitted students to campus. The admissions office will also host dozens of virtual events for admitted students, including conversations with the Division of Student Diversity and Inclusion, student panels, financial aid meetings, and mock classes. Admitted students have until May 1 to confirm their enrollment plans.

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