Tufts University

Tufts University's published cost of attendance is $88,300. Net price by income band shows how financial aid reshapes that headline figure: low-income families pay approximately $11,284, mid-low-income families pay around $9,811, middle-income families pay about $14,923, mid-high-income families pay approximately $23,311, and higher-income families pay around $58,570.

Azimuth ranks Tufts University #1285 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown.

Tufts University is a public research university with broad access to federal and state aid programs. Most students apply for need-based aid through the FAFSA, and the university participates in federal Pell Grants, Direct Loans, and Arkansas state grant programs.

The financial aid structure emphasizes need-based support, and families should review the university's [financial aid page ↗](#) for current aid policies and application requirements. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $16,250, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $38,325; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions.

For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $97,474, median federal debt of $16,250 projects to a monthly payment of about $184 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $97,474, placing Tufts University in the 93.9 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs well above the $67,139 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band).

Graduates earn about $6,604 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Tufts University in the 30.5 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Tufts University #121 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The earnings pattern at Tufts University is anchored in Social Sciences, which accounts for 25% of degrees awarded, alongside Engineering at 11% and Arts at 5%. Computer Science stands out as the highest aggregate-return major, combining cohort scale with strong four-year earnings.

Economics, the largest program by graduate count with 198 graduates, delivers median four-year earnings of $123,809, and Azimuth ranks it #25 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions [per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/). Computer Science and Biology, General round out the high-volume programs, with graduates earning $156,343 and $76,782 respectively four years after enrollment.

On the higher-earning end, Economics graduates earn median four-year earnings of $123,809 — 1.50x the national benchmark for the field — and Azimuth ranks the program #25 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Tufts University's program mix is anchored in social sciences, international relations, and quantitative fields — a signature that reflects the university's research identity and its location in a major metropolitan labor market. Social Sciences accounts for the largest share of degree output, with Social Sciences at 25%, Engineering at 11%, and Arts at 5% rounding out the core concentration.

Across 47 programs, 18 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold, serving roughly 1,889 students annually. The strongest aggregate-return program is Computer Science, which combines meaningful cohort scale with strong four-year earnings — making it a central driver of Tufts University's overall financial outcomes.

Among the highest-earning programs, Computer Science leads with median earnings of $156,343 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks it #31 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Economics follows with median earnings of $123,809, ranked #25 among nonprofit four-year institutions, and Mechanical Engineering posts median earnings of $101,196, ranked #42 among nonprofit four-year institutions — together signaling depth in quantitative and applied fields where graduates enter the workforce directly into high-demand roles.

The most popular programs by graduate volume — Economics (198 graduates, median earnings $123,809), Computer Science (171 graduates, median earnings $156,343), and Biology, General (138 graduates, median earnings $76,782) — reflect a mix of direct-to-workforce and graduate-school-dependent pathways. Fields like International Relations and National Security Studies and Research Psychology are largely grad-school-dependent, where four-year earnings undercount the longer-term trajectory of graduates who continue to medical, law, or doctoral programs.

The [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how these program families align with national labor-market trends.