Tufts University Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford / Somerville , near Boston , in the U . S . state of Massachusetts . The university is organized into ten schools , including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions , on four campuses in Massachusetts and the French Alps . The university emphasizes active citizenship and public service in all of its disciplines and is known for its internationalism and study abroad programs . Among its schools is the United States ' oldest graduate school of international relations , The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy . In 1852 , Tufts College was founded by Christian Universalist s who worked for years to open a non - sectarian institution of higher learning . Charles Tufts donated the land for the campus on Walnut Hill , the highest point in Medford , saying that he wanted to set a " light on the hill . " The name was changed to Tufts University in 1954 , although the corporate name remains " the Trustees of Tufts College . " After more than a century , Tufts was a small New England liberal arts college . The French - American nutritionist Jean Mayer became president of Tufts in the late 1970s and , through a series of rapid acquisitions , transformed the school into an internationally renowned research university . It is known as both a Little Ivy and a " New Ivy " and consistently ranks among the nation ' s top schools . History . 19th century . In the 1840s , the Universalist church wanted to open a college in New England , and in 1852 , Charles Tufts donated 20 acres to the church to help them achieve this goal . Charles Tufts had inherited the land , a barren hill which was one of the highest points in the Boston area , called Walnut HIll , and when asked by a family member what he intended to do with the land , he said " I will put a light on it . " His 20 acre donation ( then valued at $ 20 , 000 ) is still at the heart of Tufts ' now 150 acre campus , straddling Somerville and Medford . It was also in 1852 that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts chartered Tufts College , noting the college should promote " virtue and piety and learning in such of the languages and liberal and useful arts as shall be recommended . " Having been one of the biggest influences in the establishment of the College , Hosea Ballou II became the first president in 1853 , and College Hall , the first building on campus , was completed the following year . That building now bears Ballou ' s name . The campus opened in August 1854 . The divinity school was organized in 1867 . P . T . Barnum was one of the earliest benefactors of Tufts College , and the Barnum Museum of Natural History was constructed in 1884 with funds donated by him to house his collection of animal specimens and the stuffed hide of Jumbo the elephant , who would become the university ' s mascot . The building stood until April 14 , 1975 , when fire gutted Barnum Hall , destroying the entire collection . On July 15 , 1892 , the Tufts Board of Trustees voted " that the College be opened to women in the undergraduate departments on the same terms and conditions as men . " At the same meeting , the trustees voted to create a graduate school faculty and to offer the Ph . D . degree in biology and chemistry . 20th century . Tufts expanded in the 1930s with the opening of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy , the first graduate school of international affairs in the United States and a collaboration with Harvard University . Eventually , Fletcher lost its affiliation with Harvard . In 1955 , continued expansion was reflected in the change of the school ' s name to Tufts University . During World War II , Tufts College was one of 131 colleges and universities nationally that took part in the V - 12 Navy College Training Program which offered students a path to a Navy commission . Due to travel restrictions imposed by World War II , the Boston Red Sox conducted spring training for the 1943 Major League season at Tufts College . The university experienced tremendous growth during the presidency of Jean Mayer ( 1976 – 1992 ) . Mayer was , by all accounts , some combination of " charming , witty , duplicitous , ambitious , brilliant , intellectual , opportunistic , generous , vain , slippery , loyal , possessed of an inner standard of excellence , and charismatic . " Mayer established Tufts ' veterinary , nutrition , and biomedical schools and acquired the Grafton and Talloires campuses , at the same time lifting the university out of its dire financial situation by increasing the size of the endowment by a factor of 15 . 21st century . Under President Larry Bacow , Tufts started a capital campaign in 2006 with the goal of raising $ 1 . 2 billion to implement full need - blind admission by 2011 . the campaign raised $ 1 . 14 billion . Tufts received the largest donations in its history since 2005 , including a $ 136 million bequest to its endowment upon the dissolution of a charitable trust set up by 1911 alumnus Frank C . Doble , a $ 100 million gift from eBay founder Pierre Omidyar to establish the Omidyar - Tufts Microfinance Fund , and a number of $ 40 million - plus gifts to specific schools . On November 30 , 2010 , the university announced that Anthony P . Monaco , formerly of Oxford , would become its thirteenth president . Monaco ' s inauguration took place on October 21 , 2011 . Campuses . The University has four main campuses — three in the Boston area and one in southern France . The main campus is located on the border of Medford and Somerville just outside Boston . The medical and dental school are located in Boston proper , and the veterinary school is located in central Massachusetts , in Grafton . Medford / Somerville , Massachusetts . Tufts ' main campus is located on Walnut Hill in Medford , about from Boston . This campus houses all undergraduates in Arts & Sciences and Engineering , the graduate programs at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and all of the graduate programs in Arts & Sciences and Engineering . While the majority of the campus is in Medford , the Somerville line intersects it , placing parts of the lower campus in Somerville and leading to the common terms " Uphill " and " Downhill . " Many points on the hill have noted views of the Boston skyline , particularly the patio on the Tisch Library roof . It has been ranked one of the prettiest college campuses in America . The offices of the president , the provost , and several vice presidents and deans are located in Ballou Hall , and administrative offices occupy the surrounding neighborhoods and nearby Davis Square , where Tufts makes payments in lieu of taxes on some of its tax - exempt ( educational ) properties . Chinatown , Boston . The Schools of Medicine , Biomedical Sciences , Dental Medicine , and the Friedman School of Nutrition are located on a campus in the Chinatown neighborhood of Boston , adjacent to Tufts Medical Center , a 451 - bed academic medical institution . All full - time Tufts Medical Center physicians hold clinical faculty appointments at Tufts School of Medicine . Grafton , Massachusetts . The Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine is located in Grafton , Massachusetts , west of Boston , on a campus . The school also maintains the Ambulatory Farm Clinic in Woodstock , Connecticut and the Tufts Laboratory at the Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole on Cape Cod . Talloires , France . Tufts has a satellite campus in Talloires , France at the Tufts European Center , a former Benedictine priory built in the 11th century . The priory was purchased in 1958 by Donald MacJannet and his wife Charlotte and used as a summer camp site for several years before the MacJannets gave the campus to Tufts in 1978 . Each year the center hosts a number of summer study programs , and enrolled students live with local families . There are programs for American high school students during the month of July , as well as a 6 - week program for Tufts undergraduates that extends from the middle of May until the end of June . The site is frequently the host of international conferences and summits , most notably the Talloires Declaration which united 22 universities toward a goal of sustainability . Academic organization . Tufts University comprises ten schools including : Exclusively graduate students . Each school has its own faculty and is led by a dean appointed by the president and the provost with the consent of the Board of Trustees . In addition , the university is affiliated with the School of the Museum of Fine Arts , Boston and the New England Conservatory . The School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering are the only schools that award both undergraduate and graduate degrees . The Jackson College for Women , established in 1910 as a coordinate college adjacent to the Tufts campus , was integrated with the College of Liberal Arts in 1980 , but is recognized in the formal name of the undergraduate arts and sciences division , the " College of Liberal Arts and Jackson College . " Undergraduate women in arts and sciences continued to receive their diplomas from Jackson College until 2002 . The Jonathan M . Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service was founded in 2000 " to educate for active citizenship " with the help of a $ 10 million gift from eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and his wife Pam . The school was renamed in 2006 after a $ 40 million gift from Jonathan Tisch . It has been called the " most ambitious attempt by any research university to make public service part of its core academic mission . " Tisch College does not grant degrees ; the college facilitates and supports a wide range of community service , civic engagement programs , research , and teaching initiatives across the university . Under the purview of the School of Arts and Sciences is the Experimental College , a non - degree - granting entity created in 1964 as a proving ground for innovative , experimental , and interdisciplinary curricula and courses . It offers the opportunity for students to take for - credit courses with non - academic practitioners in a variety of fields , and also from upper - level undergraduates who have a chance to design and teach their own courses . Another successful component of the Ex College is EPIIC , a year - long program begun in 1985 to immerse students in a global issue , which culminates in an annual symposium of scholars and experts from the field . Former schools . The Crane Theological School opened in 1869 and closed in 1968 . Reputation . Rankings . Tufts ' undergraduate school is ranked # 15 in " Forbes " ' list of America ' s Best Colleges among universities and # 32 among all educational institutions . Washington Monthly ' s annual list of best colleges ranked Tufts # 25 in the nation . According to U . S . News & World Report ' s 2013 college rankings , Tufts ranks # 28 in the nation , while high school guidance counselors rank Tufts # 22 in the nation . In 2010 , the Times Higher Education World University Rankings placed Tufts at # 53 in the world . The university ranks # 101 in Shanghai Jiao Tong University ' s 2009 Academic Ranking of World Universities and 174th in the 2011 QS World University Rankings . " Foreign Policy " ranks Tufts ' Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy # 4 in the world for International Relations . U . S . News ranks Tufts as # 51 for engineering among schools that grant PhD degrees , slightly ahead of nearby Worcester Polytechnic Institute . Tufts ' Medical School and Research Institute are ranked # 33 and # 44 , respectively , according to " U . S . News & World Report " 2010 rankings of Best Medical Schools in primary care and research , and the Sackler School likewise ranks # 56 in their rankings of Best Graduate Schools , Biological Sciences . The " Boston School of Occupational Therapy " , an entry - level masters program within the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences at Tufts , ranks " # 5 " in " U . S . News & World Report " Best Occupational Therapy Programs . Tufts is counted among the " Little Ivies " and was named by " Newsweek " as one of the " 25 New Ivies . " In " The Princeton Review " 2010 – 2011 " Best 363 Colleges , " Tufts was ranked # 14 for the happiest students and its study abroad program was ranked # 3 in the country . According to the October 2010 rankings compiled by " The Chronicle of Higher Education " , Tufts ranked 12th in the country ( tied with both Harvard and Johns Hopkins ) with 17 Fulbright scholars . Tufts also ranks # 20 among medium - sized schools for the number of Teach for America volunteers it produces . Tufts is also tied for second ( tied with Dartmouth College and the University of Pennsylvania ) for the number of undergraduate alumni who are current Fortune 100 CEOs . Because of its continual growth as an institution , Tufts was ranked as the 5th " hottest school " of the decade from 2000 - 2010 . Admissions . Undergraduate admissions . In the 2013 " U . S . News & World Report " college rankings , Tufts ranked as one of the top 20 most selective schools among national universities in the United States . For the class of 2016 , Tufts accepted 18 . 8 % of 19 , 130 applicants , an all - time low . For the matriculating class of 2016 , 91 % of incoming freshmen rank in the top 10 % of their high school class ( up one percent from the previous year ) . Tufts expects approximately thirty eight percent of its admitted students to enroll . The most common overlap schools are Brown University , Dartmouth College , Cornell University , Washington University in St . Louis , University of Pennsylvania , and Georgetown University . In 2006 , Dean of Arts and Sciences Robert Sternberg added experimental criteria to the application process for undergraduates to test " creativity and other non - academic factors , " including inviting applicants to submit YouTube videos to supplement their application . Calling it the " first major university to try such a departure from the norm , " " Inside Higher Ed " also notes that Tufts continues to consider the SAT and other traditional criteria . Graduate admissions . The graduate schools each hold their own admission process . Students apply directly to the graduate program to which they are seeking acceptance , and so acceptance rates vary dramatically between programs . Libraries . The Tufts University Library System contains over three million volumes . The main library , Tisch Library , holds about 2 . 5 million volumes , with other holdings dispersed at subject libraries including the Hirsh Health Sciences Library on the Medical campus in Boston , the Edwin Ginn Library at the Fletcher School , the Lilly Music Library in the Granoff Music Center , and Webster Library at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine on the Grafton campus . Culture and student life . Athletics . Tufts competes in the New England Small College Athletic Conference — the NESCAC — in NCAA Division III . Their mascot is the Jumbo , which is the only college mascot to appear in Webster ' s Dictionary . The mascot comes from P . T . Barnum ' s circus , as Barnum was one of the original trustees of Tufts College . According to legend , Jumbo the Elephant heroically jumped in front of a train , sacrificing himself to save a younger elephant from dying . Jumbo ' s stuffed skin was donated to the school , and was displayed until a fire destroyed the body . Now , a statue of the elephant is a prominent landmark on the quad , near Barnum Hall , the Biology building . Tufts men ' s lacrosse team won the school ' s first ever NCAA team championship in 2010 , beating Salisbury State University in the championship game . They lost in 2011 to Salisbury in the championship . In 2012 , the womens ' field hockey team won their first national championship , beating Montclair State University 2 - 1 in the finals . Coach Tina McDavitt won DIII National Coach of the Year in 2012 , as well . Student media . The " Tufts Daily " is the daily student newspaper , and the " Tufts Observer " , established in 1895 , is the school ' s biweekly magazine and the oldest publication on campus . " The Princeton Review " has named Tufts ' college newspaper as one of the best in the country , currently ranking it # 15 . Greek life . There are 9 fraternities , 3 sororities , and one co - ed group . About 18 % of the student body is involved in Greek life . Other . In " The Princeton Review ' s " 2010 – 2011 " Best 363 Colleges , " Tufts was ranked # 14 for the happiest students and Tufts ' study abroad program was ranked # 3 in the country . " The Princeton Review " has also listed Tufts in its " Best Campus Food " category since 2005 , ranking it as high as second . The undergraduate student body is considered to be both ethnically and socioeconomically diverse . " The Advocate " ranks Tufts as one of the top 20 gay - friendly campuses . People . Faculty . Current and former Tufts faculty include former American Psychological Association president Robert Sternberg , Pulitzer Prize - winning historian Martin J . Sherwin , preeminent philosopher Daniel Dennett , Nobel Laureate Allan M . Cormack ( 1924 – 1998 ) , regular featured columnist in Foreign Policy Magazine Daniel W . Drezner , radio host Lonnie Carton and author of " No Future : Queer Theory and the Death Drive " Lee Edelman . Alumni . Tufts alumni in the government sector include Kostas Karamanlis , former Prime Minister of Greece ; Shashi Tharoor , former United Nations Under - Secretary General and Indian Minister ; Scott Brown , Republican ex - U S Senator from Massachusetts ; Bill Richardson , Democratic Governor of New Mexico ; and Peter DeFazio , Democratic United States Representative from Oregon . Graduates who have found success in business include Pierre Omidyar , eBay founder ; Roy Raymond , founder of Victoria ' s Secret ; Laura Lang , CEO of Time Inc ; Jamie Dimon , CEO of JPMorgan Chase ; John Bello , SoBe Beverages founder ; Jeff Kindler , Former CEO of Pfizer ; Jonathan Tisch , CEO of Loews Hotels ; Ellen J . Kullman , CEO of DuPont ; and Joseph Neubauer , Former CEO and currently Chairman of ARAMARK . In media , alumni include David Faber ( CNBC ) , anchor at CNBC ; Meredith Vieira , journalist and TV personality ; Arthur Ochs Sulzberger , Jr . , " The New York Times " publisher ; Lew Rockwell , founder of Ludwig von Mises Institute ; Gregory Maguire , novelist ; and Abdi Yusuf Hassan , former Director of IRIN . Some of the writer alumni have been known to write characters as students of Tufts or a thinly - veiled substitute , such as the title characters of " Two Guys and a Girl " and the lead character of Christopher Golden ' s " Body of Evidence " mystery novels . Other notable alumni include Michelle Kwan , Olympic medallist and World Champion figure skater from the United States ; Rainn Wilson , American actor and comedian ; Tracy Chapman , American singer / songwriter ; and Peter Gallagher , American actor . Fictional alumni include the title character on " Crossing Jordan " , Alex Welch from the novella " The Odd Saga of the American and a Curious Icelandic Flock " , and Dr . Jennifer Melfi on " The Sopranos " . Elaine Benes from " Seinfeld " claims that she attended Tufts , calling it her " safety school . " In the 2009 " The Simpsons " episode " Bart Gets a ' Z ' , " Bart ' s substitute teacher announces to the class that he received his Master ' s in teaching from Tufts . External links . < br clear = all >