What a friend would tell you
What Tulane is looking for
Tulane weighs demonstrated interest heavily; visit campus, attend events, and reference specific programs in your application. ED acceptance rates are dramatically higher than RD. Be ready to explain why New Orleans specifically matters to your education (service-learning, cultural immersion, public health). Tulane rewards students who want to engage with the city, not just party in it.
What students wish they'd known
Greek life dominates the social scene at 52%, and if you're not in it, weekends can feel limiting. New Orleans is a draw but also a distraction; some students struggle to balance nightlife access with academic demands. Hurricane season is a logistical concern (Tulane evacuated for Ida in 2021). The city's infrastructure and cost of living have risen sharply. Outside the South, Tulane's name recognition trails its actual selectivity.
Tulane might be a fit if...
- You want a school where the city is part of the curriculum, not just the backdrop
- You're drawn to service-learning, public health, or cultural studies and want to do that work in New Orleans
- You want a mid-size university with Southern social energy and strong pre-professional programs
Tulane Admissions Strategy
4.0x
Early Action Advantage
Early Action admits at 4.0x the RD rate. Non-binding, so the upside is free: apply early and keep every option open.
Early Action: the numbers
Tulane's Early Action acceptance rate is 59.4% vs 14.7% overall. EA is non-binding. You can apply early and keep your options open.
Deadlines: EA November 10 · RD January 15
Deadlines: EA November 10 · RD January 15
Test Policy
Test-optional
You choose whether to send scores. A strong score helps your case; a weak one is better left off.
Demonstrated Interest
Yes, Tracked
Tracked. Campus visits, info sessions, and opened emails all register. Show up where you can.
Interview
Not offered
Yield Rate
40%
40% of admits enroll, which is typical for a selective school. Waitlists here move every year.
Want to boost your odds at Tulane and every reach on your list, so admissions stops feeling like a coin flip?
Join the free one-hour workshop from two Harvard grads who have helped 3,000+ students get in. Parents welcome.
Cost & Financial Aid at Tulane
$64,000
Sticker Price
$8,000
Avg Merit Aid
Need-blind admissions. Meets 100% of demonstrated need. 67% receive financial aid.
What you get for it: Tulane spends about $28,000 per student per year on instruction and student resources, roughly 2x the $15K national average. You see it in class sizes, faculty access, and research budgets.
What Tulane Graduates Get
$63,000
Avg Starting Salary
91%
Employed or in Grad School
82%
Graduate in 4 Years
The 4-year number is the on-time rate; the 6-year rate (86%) is the one schools usually advertise. A wide gap means many students pay for extra semesters.
Tulane Campus & Culture
The Campus
Tulane's 110-acre uptown campus lines St. Charles Avenue, where the streetcar runs past live oaks draped in Spanish moss. Gibson Hall (1894, Romanesque Revival, Richardson limestone) anchors the front. The campus stretches back from St. Charles through a mix of Mediterranean Revival and modern buildings, bordered by Audubon Park's 350 acres and the Mississippi River levee. The Garden District's Victorian mansions begin across the avenue.
The Social Scene
New Orleans location is the main draw; urban nightlife, culture, and music are woven into social fabric
Tulane Traditions & Trivia
Bead Trees
Three 21-foot steel sculptures outside the student union serve as targets for Mardi Gras beads; tossing a strand and landing it counts as a Tulane rite of passage during Carnival season.
Mardi Gras Holiday
Tulane is one of the few universities in the country that gives the entire student body official days off for Mardi Gras, and the big Uptown parades roll right past the edge of campus.
Academics at Tulane
What Tulane is known for
New Orleans location, demonstrated interest, study abroad opportunities, social scene
Most popular majors at Tulane
Standout programs
Business, engineering, liberal arts, public health, pre-med
How the curriculum works
School-based (Business, Engineering, Liberal Arts); strong core curriculum with location integration
Recommended high school courses
4 English, 3-4 Math, 3+ Science, 3 Social Studies, 2 Foreign Language
Notable Tulane Alumni
Newt Gingrich
Former Speaker of the House, Tulane PhD in History
Lisa Jackson
Former EPA Administrator under Obama, Tulane chemical engineering
Jerry Springer
TV host and former mayor of Cincinnati, Tulane BA 1965
Amy Hempel
Short story writer and protege of Gordon Lish, attended Tulane
David Filo
Co-founded Yahoo, Tulane electrical engineering 1988
If you like Tulane, also consider
University of Miami (FL)
Similar warm-weather party reputation with stronger marine science and Miami location
Vanderbilt University
Same Southern social energy, more selective, Nashville instead of New Orleans
Emory University
Comparable Southern private university, stronger pre-med, Atlanta location
Southern Methodist University (SMU)
Similar Greek-heavy social scene and Southern culture, Dallas
University of Virginia
Public Ivy alternative with comparable social polish, Virginia setting