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Tufts University is a private research university located in Massachusetts. The school operates off of four campuses; its main location is in Medford/Somerville, Massachusetts with additional campuses in Boston and Grafton, MA and Taillores, France. A moderately sized university, Tufts was established in 1852 by Christian Universalists. For more than a century, Tufts served as a small New England liberal arts college until the late 1970’s when Jean Mayer became president and transformed the school into a research university with a much larger reach. Since then, the school is regularly ranked as the third best university in Massachusetts, after Harvard and MIT.
Academic Programs
Tufts University has been accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges since 1929. The school awards degrees at the baccalaureate, master, and doctoral levels and is comprised of multiple colleges and schools, including the School of Arts and Sciences; Graduate School of Arts and Sciences; School of Engineering; The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy; Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service; School of Dental Medicine; Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy; School of Medicine; Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences; Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging; and the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine.Dedicated to both the creation and application of knowledge, the school is student-centered in its approach, boasting at least six libraries with more than one million volumes and multiple centers and institutes for research. Research is a central and top priority to Tufts’ mission and the school is committed to fostering an inclusive and collaborative environment in which students and faculty work closely together.
Student Life
More than 10,000 students are enrolled at Tufts, including over 5,000 undergraduates. Ranked one of the “happiest colleges” in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, more than 93% of students engage in at least one extracurricular or co-curricular activity. More than 340 undergraduate and over 130 graduate and professional clubs and organizations are recognized by the university, catering to a wide range of interests, passions, cultures, backgrounds, and beliefs. More than a dozen Greek life organizations also exist at Tufts, involving nearly 20% of the student body.Tufts’ varsity teams compete at the NCAA Division III level and the school is a member of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC). Jumbo the Elephant serves as the school’s mascot and is based on a real elephant from the circus of P.T. Barnum, who served as one of the original trustees of the college. Based on participation figures, Tufts’ most popular sports have proven to be track and field, football, lacrosse, swimming, and rowing.