Medford, MA
Founded in 1852
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford, Massachusetts, founded in 1852 as Tufts College and renamed Tufts University in 1954. Tufts focuses on fostering students' awareness of civic engagement and public service, and is renowned for its international affairs program and study abroad programs, where students can exchange to prestigious universities like the University of Oxford, University College London, University of Paris, and the University of Hong Kong during their junior and senior years. The main campus is located on Walnut Hill in Medford and Somerville, with additional campuses in Boston's Chinatown, Grafton, Massachusetts, and Talloires, France. Tufts University is highly internationalized, with first- and second-year students required to live on campus. The university is composed of 10 schools, including the School of Medicine, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, School of Dental Medicine, and The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Founded in 1933, the Fletcher School is the oldest and one of the most prestigious international relations schools in the U.S. It is often referred to as the "cradle of ambassadors," with over 100 alumni who are current or former ambassadors. The dental school, located in downtown Boston, is one of the most prestigious in the country and the second largest in the U.S., known for training dentists with a strong biomedical foundation. The Tufts Jumbos compete at the NCAA Division III level, with their mascot being Jumbo the Elephant, originating from a circus elephant owned by the school's first board member, Phineas Taylor Barnum. The campus features a large statue of Jumbo, which has become an iconic symbol of the university. Notable alumni include Pierre Omidyar, founder of eBay; Laura Lang, former CEO of Time Inc.; Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase; Peter Roth, CEO of Warner Bros. Television; and Golden Globe winner Peter Gallagher.