Tufts University tuition, cost & net price

The sticker price at Tufts University is $88,300 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $39,998 on average, and what your family pays depends mostly on income. Choose yours below.

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What your family pays
$39,998 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $88,300. College Scorecard.

Net price by family income

Average after grants and scholarships for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard, latest reported year

Sticker price, line by line

Per year, living on campusAll students
Tuition & fees$70,704
Housing & meals$17,660
Books & supplies$1,000
Personal & travel$1,796
Living-at-home adjustment−$2,860
Total cost of attendance$88,300

Cost items: IPEDS 2023-24, on-campus budget. Total: College Scorecard, which averages students living on and off campus; the adjustment row reconciles the two.

Debt after graduation

Median federal loan debt$15,043
Loan default rate1.1%3-year rate, 2017 repayment cohort
Debt as a share of earnings 10 years out18%

College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal

Who gets aid

Students with Pell Grants12%Federal grants for lower-income students
Grants for the average aided student$48,302Sticker price minus average net price

College Scorecard

Need-based and merit aid at Tufts University

What Tufts University reported for full-time first-year students in fall 2025. Merit aid is the money net price averages miss for families who don't qualify for need-based aid.

If you qualify for need-based aid

Share of need met, on average100%Of students awarded need-based aid; excludes parent and unsubsidized loans
Students with need who had all of it met100%666 of 665
Average need-based grant$64,788
Average aid package$66,244Grants, work-study and need-based loans

If you don't qualify for need-based aid

Average merit scholarship from the college$23,157Students with no financial need; excludes athletic awards and tuition benefits
Students without need who got one5%52 first-year students

Items H2-H2A. Common Data Set 2025-26 (fall 2025 first-year students), published by the college.

Tufts University net price compared with other Massachusetts colleges

Tufts University has the 59th-lowest average net price of 67 Massachusetts colleges we cover. Schools around it:

RankCollegeAvg. net priceGraduationEarnings, 10 yrs
55Merrimack College$37,92770%$75,584
56Bentley University$37,93087%$120,959
57College of the Holy Cross$38,78287%$90,543
58MCPHS University$39,54562%$125,557
59Tufts University$39,99894%$83,214
60Babson College$40,51493%$123,938
61Endicott College$40,65476%$58,336
62Boston College$41,70491%$103,937
63Worcester Polytechnic Institute$43,07190%$103,470

College Scorecard, latest year. Average for all aided students; your price depends on income. All Massachusetts colleges →

Why Tufts University costs more or less than similar schools

SchoolAcceptanceYou'd payGraduationEarnings, 10 yrsPrice gap
Tufts University11%$39,99894%$83,214This school
Harvard University4%$19,06698%$101,817
Massachusetts Institute of Technology5%$20,11196%$143,372
Boston College16%$41,70491%$103,937
Babson College17%$40,51493%$123,938

College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.

Why the price is different

Tufts University would cost you $20,932 more per year than Harvard University, on average.

  • Higher sticker price at Tufts University, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$9,028).
  • Harvard University gives aided families $18,172 more in grants, on average.
Per year, Massachusetts residentTufts UniversityHarvard UniversityDifference
Tuition & fees$70,704$61,676+$9,028
Books & supplies$1,000$1,000$0
Housing & meals$17,660$20,374−$2,714
Personal & travel$1,796$6,255−$4,459
Living-at-home adjustment−$2,860−$3,765+$905
Sticker price$88,300$85,540+$2,760
Average grants−$48,302−$66,474+$18,172
You pay$39,998$19,066+$20,932

“+” means Tufts University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.

Tufts University cost questions

How much is tuition at Tufts University?

Tuition and fees are $70,704 a year.

What is the total cost of attending Tufts University?

The total cost of attendance, including housing, meals, books and personal costs, is $88,300 a year.

What do families actually pay at Tufts University?

After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $39,998 a year on average. Families earning $0–30k pay $11,284; $48–75k pay $14,923; $110k+ pay $58,570.

Does Tufts University give merit scholarships?

For fall 2025, 52 full-time first-year students with no financial need received merit scholarships or grants from Tufts University, averaging $23,157 (Common Data Set 2025-26, excluding athletic awards). Students with need had 100% of it met on average.

How much debt do Tufts University graduates have?

The median federal loan debt at graduation is $15,043, and 1.1% of borrowers defaulted within three years of entering repayment (2017 cohort).

Is Tufts University the right fit for your family?

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By). Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote; confirm with the school's net price calculator. Back to Tufts University overview