Tufts University is a private research university just outside Boston, with campuses in Medford, Somerville and downtown Boston. It is best known for international relations, medicine, dental medicine and engineering, and for the Fletcher School, the oldest graduate school of international affairs in the US. Choose it for a top-40 US degree with Boston's job market next door.
Medford, United States
Official website: tufts.edu
#344
Top 40 (U.S. News)
Oldest graduate school of international affairs in the US, founded 1933
One of the largest dental schools in the US
$62,000 – $70,000
International students, undergraduate and most master's programmes
$20,000 – $26,000
Rent, food and local transport
Approximate figures for 2026-27, please verify. Fees change every year and vary by course, so check the latest amount on tufts.edu before you apply.
MS Computer Science
Masters DegreeDuration
18 Months
Intake
Sep, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 7.0, TOEFL: 100
Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (Fletcher)
Masters DegreeDuration
24 Months
Intake
Sep
Exam Score
IELTS: 7.5, TOEFL: 100
MS Data Science
Masters DegreeDuration
18 Months
Intake
Sep, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 7.0, TOEFL: 100
MS Electrical Engineering
Masters DegreeDuration
18 Months
Intake
Sep, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 7.0, TOEFL: 100
MS Innovation and Management
Masters DegreeDuration
12 Months
Intake
Sep
Exam Score
IELTS: 7.0, TOEFL: 100
BS Computer Science
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Sep
Exam Score
IELTS: 7.0, TOEFL: 100
Fletcher School — the first US graduate school of international affairs, with alumni across diplomacy and the UN.
Tufts Medical and Dental schools — in downtown Boston, linked to Tufts Medical Center.
Hilltop campus — ten minutes from Boston's centre by Green Line, extended to Medford in 2022.
Friedman School — the only US graduate school dedicated to nutrition.
Graduates join Amazon, Google, Deloitte, Boston's biotech cluster and the UN and World Bank.
STEM master's graduates can work in the US for up to three years on OPT.
Fletcher alumni work in foreign ministries, the UN, NGOs and international finance worldwide.
Engineering and CS bachelor's graduates report median starting salaries around USD 85,000-95,000.
Undergrad
4 Jan 2027
Postgrad
Varies by programme
Undergrad
No UG intake
Postgrad
Varies by programme
The main campus sits on a hill across Medford and Somerville, with a Green Line station at its edge since 2022; the health sciences campus is in Boston's Chinatown.
Boston has more than 50 colleges, so students shape much of the city's life. Somerville's Davis Square is a short walk, though rent across the area is among the highest in the US.
Form I-20 issued by Tufts
Proof of funds for one academic year
SEVIS I-901 fee payment receipt
Completed DS-160 online application
US embassy or consulate interview
Passport valid six months beyond stay
For fall 2027 undergraduate entry, Early Decision I closes 1 November 2026, and Early Decision II and Regular Decision both close 4 January 2027. Graduate deadlines vary: Fletcher's master's close in January, and most engineering and computer science master's close between 15 December and 15 February.
Undergraduates start in the fall (September). Many engineering and computer science master's programmes also admit for spring (January), while Fletcher and the innovation and management master's are fall only. Check your programme's admissions page to confirm.
You need an F-1 student visa. The International Center issues your Form I-20 after you accept the offer and submit proof of funding. Then pay the SEVIS fee, complete the DS-160 and book an interview at a US embassy or consulate.
Computer science, the Fletcher law and diplomacy master's, data science, electrical engineering and innovation and management attract the most international applicants. Graduate admission needs a strong bachelor's degree, TOEFL 100 or IELTS 7.0-7.5, and the GRE for some programmes. Undergraduate admission is highly selective, with an acceptance rate around 10%.
Tufts offers need-based financial aid to admitted international undergraduates and meets full demonstrated need, though admission for them is need-aware; there are no merit scholarships. Fletcher and the engineering school offer partial merit scholarships to master's applicants. Check each school's financial aid page for details.
