Tufts is a school outside Boston. Not just a school, though, it’s a leading research university that pairs a serious academic powerhouse with a close and supportive community. The Tufts motto is Pax et Lux, or “Peace and Light,” which can sound pretty lighthearted or even angelic, but what it really speaks to is the bringing of peace and light into the serious world of world-class academics. Tufts does serious stuff, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously.
The numbers are serious, though. There are more than 90 “academic offerings,” and more than 150 majors and minors. They back these programs up with serious cash. There is nearly $200 million in sponsored research in health, medicine, and dental, providing undergrads with access to internships and research positions in labs that are changing the world. Across the board, they prioritize innovation across four campuses in the Boston area: Medford, Somerville, Grafton, and an urban Boston campus.
A lot of students want to get into Tufts, and they receive over 34,000 applications annually. For the class of 2028, they accepted 10% of applicants — a half-point rise over the record low 9.5% the previous year.
So, if you want to get into Tufts and become one of those 10 in 100 who get in, what should you do? Well, one important step is choosing a major. While you can apply to college as “undecided,” that doesn’t help your application to Tufts. They want to see focus, direction, and a vision for your future — even as they know that your vision may shift once you’re on campus. Below are 5 of the best majors at Tufts, but consider them a starting point. If something sparks your imagination, dig deeper. Confirm if it’s your ideal program, or continue exploring. Applying to college is an exploration in self, so follow what you find interesting!
If you’re considering applying to Tufts, send us an email. We help outstanding students find — and get into — their perfect match.
What do we mean by best major?
Before we unveil our top 5 (ish, and you’ll see why in a moment), let’s clarify how we even picked these few from the over 150 majors and minors Tufts offers. First, we looked at resources. A great program is a program with depth. There should be a wide variety of courses, a strong team of professors and instructors, and additional learning opportunities through research, internships, study away, and more. We also look at the level of focus the program offers, and whether there are opportunities for students to pursue their niche.
The last big thing we take into consideration is post-graduation resources. College is a big investment in time and money, and degrees need to turn into jobs. So, we look at how each major can be transformed into a career path. The result is this list of the top 5-ish majors at Tufts!
Bio…fill-in-the-blank
This is the ‘ish.’ We were going to do one biology and medicine-related major, but Tufts has too many that are too good for us to not group a few together here. So, for the first one on our list we’re spotlighting how Tufts offers amazing opportunities for aspiring scientists, doctors, and researchers. Below are four biomedical-related majors at Tufts that are worthy of being on this list.
Biomedical Sciences
The biomedical sciences program in the School of Arts & Sciences is like a more humanities-centric biomedical engineering track. The major is a cross between the School of Arts & Sciences and the School of Engineering, so students take biomedical engineering courses alongside courses in “biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering psychology, math, mechanical engineering, philosophy, and physics.”
Biopsychology
The biopsychology major at Tufts is available as a BA or a BS in the Department of Psychology, and is designed for students who want to pursue an interest in neurobiology and behavior, with an eye (often, but not required) towards a career in or adjacent to the field of medicine. There are electives like “Emotion Laboratory” and “Psychology of Fear” that we would love to take ourselves.
Biomedical Engineering
Students in the Biomedical Engineering program pursue the major in the School of Engineering, and have access to research from the start. “Given that Tufts is home to one of New England’s most important medical centers and an excellent School of Engineering,” they say, correctly tooting their own horn, “it’s only natural that it would be a recognized leader in this fast-growing field.”
Biotechnology
There are two tracks in biotechnology available to students at Tufts, one in science through the School of Arts and Sciences and one in engineering through the School of Engineering. This program is available as a second major pursued in partnership with another major in either biology, biochemistry, or engineering.
Architectural Studies
It would be hard to find a course of study as different from biology as architecture, and yet the Architectural Studies program at Tufts is another of the best majors at Tufts. Run through the Department of the History of Art and Architecture (BA) or Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (BS), the program is available as a major or minor in the School of Arts & Sciences or the School of Engineering, or as a minor in the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. Both programs prepare students for graduate studies in architecture and careers as residential or commercial architects who shape the world around us. Students go on to design buildings, manage major development programs, and guide the reshaping of our planet to be a more sustainable, equitable, and enjoyable place.
Community Health
The Department of Community Health was founded in 1975, and is “one of oldest multidisciplinary programs at the university.” The program is small, but using this cross-department structure they pack a serious punch while nurturing a close-knit community that truly wants to shape the world. Students take courses in anthropology, nutrition, medicine, classics, sociology, biology, psychology, history, economics, engineering, philosophy, political science, and, obviously, public health. All students in the program complete at least one internship, and take classes like “Biology of Water and Health,” “US Healthcare Systems,” and “Health Economics.” You can also pursue a combined degree in Community Health and Public Health (BA/MPH) that means you graduate with a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree.
Ancient World Studies
The Ancient World Studies program may sound like a wildcard, and it sort of is. But hear us out. The major is housed in the School of Arts & Sciences, and accessible to students in the School of Engineering and the School of the Museum of Fine Art as a minor. Like many of our favorite programs at Tufts, this one is also an interdisciplinary program that draws on history, literature, and the material history of ancient cultures like the Greeks and Romans, Near Eastern cultures, Ancient China, and more. Why to pursue this major may not be immediately clear to those who don’t already love the classics, but Tufts knows that “the study of antiquity has always been fundamental to our understanding of the human condition.” “Observation of those diverse communities,” they know, “les us see what has worked, what hasn’t, and why.” So, students in the Ancient World Studies program learn about history, yes, but also about how to chart the future. It’s a program that sounds, by name, stuck in the past, but that is actually extremely forward-reaching and progressive.
Computer Science
We’re ending this list with the most popular major at Tufts: Computer Science. In 2023, 10% of graduating students were computer science majors. The major is available through the School of Arts & Sciences (as a BA) or the School of Engineering (as a BA). This is computer science, and most computer science programs are pretty similar from college to college — what makes Tufts unique, though, is everything that happens around the run-of-the-mill classes every computer science major needs to take regardless of where they go to college. One of these perks is access to opportunities to participate in faculty research from nearly day one. Another is the opportunity to pair computer science with another area of focus in a serious (not just a class here or there) way. You aren’t pigeonholed at Tufts, and the diversity of your experience is considered an asset, not a distraction. As you prepare to graduate, there is a super strong alumni network that makes a big difference when you start interviewing for a job. Before that point, you can take cool courses like “How Systems Fail” and “Entrepreneurship for Computer Scientists.”
Final Thoughts
No matter what you major in at Tufts, you’ll have amazing opportunities. About 45% of students at Tufts study away — annually. Tufts has a campus in Talloires, France (which is an amazing small town in the French Alps, we say from experience), and semester and year-long programs in Chile, China, France, Germany, Ghana, Hong Kong, Japan, London, Madrid, Oxford, and Paris. If you want even more choices, there are “nearly 200 pre-approved external programs.”
There are also programs within the US that offer Tufts students the opportunity to dive deep, like Tufts in Washington, a semester-long program for juniors and seniors pursuing political science. No matter where you go with Tufts — whether you stay on campus all four years or take every stay away opportunity you can — you know you’ll have an amazing experience.
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