How to Get Into Tulane: Acceptance Rate and Strategies

Oh, to be alive in 1998… we watched with childlike naiveté as Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa launched home run after home run assisted by their “totally natural” superhero muscles, the dotcom bubble continued to balloon every time a new domain was registered, and Andrew Johnson was still the lone President ever impeached. More apropos to our readers, it was an equally innocent time in the college admissions realm, where a school like Tulane still accepted nearly 80% of those who applied. After years of aggressive marketing aimed at encouraging just about every American teen to apply to their school, Tulane’s acceptance rate had dropped to 26% by 2016; a remarkable transformation in terms of selectivity, but not nearly the end of the story. This past admissions cycle, in 2022-23, the Tulane acceptance rate was 13%, placing them in the same company as schools like Bates, Boston College, and Georgetown.

To ensure that future Tulane applicants understand the admissions gauntlet ahead, we will touch on the following topics:

• Where is Tulane University?
• Tulane acceptance rate
• Why is Tulane’s Acceptance Rate so Low?
• Tulane ED acceptance rate
• SAT, ACT, GPA, and class rank of accepted Tulane University applicants
• Admissions trends
• The demographics of current Tulane undergraduates
• Yield rate
• How Tulane University’s admissions officers evaluate candidates
• Tips for applying
• Tulane essay prompts
• How to assess whether applying to Tulane is worth your time

Where is Tulane University?

Before we dive into all of that good ol’ admissions data, let’s first answer a very common question for those just starting their college search process, “Where is Tulane University?” Much to the delight of foodies and entertainment seekers, Tulane University is located in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. More specifically, Tulane’s campus is situated in the Uptown section of New Orleans which is very close to both the Garden District and Central Business District. It is also right across from Audubon Park, a 350-acre greenspace.

Tulane Acceptance Rate – Class of 2027

The Tulane acceptance rate was 13% for the Class of 2027. This was significantly higher than the previous two years which were as follows:

• Class of 2026 Tulane Acceptance Rate: 8.4%
• Class of 2025 Tulane Acceptance Rate: 9.7%

Why is Tulane’s Acceptance Rate so Low?

As we mentioned in our opening, Tulane’s aggressive marketing is a major contributor to the ridiculously low acceptance rates of the 2020s. The other factor is that Tulane GREATLY favors those who apply via Early Decision and reject just about everyone who applies Regular Decision. Incredibly, one recent class was made up of two-thirds ED applicants. For more on this topic, let’s dive into the Tulane ED acceptance rate.

Tulane ED Acceptance Rate – Class of 2027

Tulane admits a large percentage of their freshman class via early decision and applicants applying ED have a significant advantage in the process. The school offers two rounds of early decision—ED I has a November 1 deadline and ED II has a deadline around the second week of January. There is also a non-binding EA round with a November 15 deadline.

According to the most recent stats, the university admitted 1,209 of the 3,852 ED applicants. Therefore, the Tulane ED acceptance rate is 31%. This also means that the acceptance rate for the regular round was roughly 1-2%–and, no, that’s not a typo.

Tulane University Admissions – SAT, ACT, Class Rank, and GPA

Among those enrolled in the Class of 2027, the average SAT score was 1448 and the average ACT score was 33. For applicants whose schools ranked, 64% of students were in the top-10% of their high school class. Tulane’s average GPA for admitted students was 3.8, up from 3.73 the previous year.

Admissions Trends & Notes

• 41% of those admitted into the Class of 2027 identified as Black, Indigenous, or people of color; in 2016, that figure was just 17%.
• 50%% of those admitted applied test-optional.
• 12% are from Louisiana. 49% of US states are represented.
• 10% of admitted freshmen are first-generation students.
• 9% are international students from 36 countries.

Who Actually Gets Into Tulane University?

Let’s look at the demographics of those enrolled in the Class of 2027. Geographically, the breakdown is as follows:

• South Central: 10%
• South Atlantic: 17%
• Louisiana: 12%
• Pacific West: 13%
• Mountain West: 2%
• Midwest: 9%
• Northeast: 28%
• International: 9%

Looking at ethnic identity, the breakdown of incoming freshmen is as follows:

• Asian American: 6%
• Hispanic: 15%
• Native American: 2%
• African American: 5%
• Multiracial: 6%

Tulane University Acceptance Rate (Continued)

The greatest percentage of international students hail from the following countries:

• China
• Spain
• Panama
• India
• Canada

The breakdown by gender of all current undergraduates is quite lopsided in favor of women:

• Male: 39%
• Female: 61%

For the Class of 2027, the gender gap was actually even wider at 64% vs. 36%; 13% identify as LGBTQ+.

Yield Rate

Tulane University’s yield rate—the percentage of accepted students who elect to enroll, divided by the total number of students who are admitted was 52% for the Class of 2026. For comparison, many other top private universities have superior yield rates such as Notre Dame and Northwestern. Tulane lands closer to other elite private schools like Duke and Emory.

How Tulane University Rates Applicants

The school receives 30,000+ applications to fill a first-year class of approximately 1,750 students. Directly from the admissions office: “We review each applicant with an eye toward shaping Tulane and making it stronger and more vibrant each year, so it’s important that we look at each applicant as a whole. An admission decision will never be rendered based on a single piece of information but, rather, on the overall combination of attributes and aspects that make each applicant unique.”

Four factors are rated as being “very important” to the admissions process: the rigor of your secondary school record, academic GPA, class rank, and standardized test scores. It is important to point out that the University was test-optional during the 2022-23 admissions cycle and will remain so moving forward.

It definitely helps if you are recruited as an athlete to join one of Tulane University’s 14 Division I sports teams. Over 425 undergrads are varsity athletes. Those who excel in a given sport can gain an edge in the admissions process.

Tips for Applying

If you plan on joining the horde of Green Wave hopefuls for the next admissions cycle, you should know the following:

• Firstly, the University offers Early Decision I and Early Decision II.  As cited earlier in the blog, ED acceptance rates are significantly higher than during the Regular Decision round.
• Tulane University does offer optional interviews. These are interviews conducted from April 1 to October 15 and students are encouraged to sign up as early as possible. Virtual and in-person interviews “carry the same weight in the admissions process.”
• Tulane University does consider “demonstrated interest” in the admissions process. Therefore, it is definitely worth taking the simple steps of following them on social media, signing up for a virtual tour, or emailing an admissions officer with any questions you may have.
• Applying is a free endeavor; they dropped their fee back in 2008.
• Lastly, make sure to dedicate sufficient time and effort to the supplemental essays required/offered by Tulane. In the 2022-23 cycle, the additional prompts were as follows:

Tulane University Acceptance Rate (Continued)

1)  Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences.

2) Please describe why you are interested in attending Tulane University.

3) Tulane values the lessons gained from pursuing an education alongside a student body that represents a wide range of experiences and perspectives and is reflective of our multicultural world. If you would like to share a perspective related to your family, cultural group, sexual or gender identity, religious group, or some other aspect that has shaped your identity, please do so here.

For more information, visit our blog entitled Tulane University Essay Prompts and Tips.

Should I Apply to Tulane University?

With overall acceptance rates now nearing Ivy levels, Tulane is a school that is looking for students that are at the 95th percentile or above on standardized tests and among the most accomplished students in their high school class. If Tulane University is your aim, make sure to also have multiple other schools on your list where you are more likely to gain acceptance. Further, all students need to make sure that they formulate an appropriate college list, containing a complement of “target” and “safety” schools. You’ll also definitely want to get your counselor’s input during this process and should strongly consider applying ED if you are serious about this university.