Cost of Attendance: Graduate

Student Financial Services uses the cost of attendance to determine aid eligibility. The cost of attendance is comprised of direct, or fixed, costs charged by Tufts such as tuition and fees and indirect, or estimated, costs such as rent, food, and personal expenses.

Direct costs include tuition, fees, and other charges assessed by Tufts. Students will receive a bill from Tufts each semester for their direct costs. Direct costs vary by school, program, and modality. 

Indirect costs are estimates for how much a student may spend on out-of-pocket expenses such as off-campus rent, food, personal expenses, books, and transportation. These costs will vary by student and the choices they make. Students do not receive a bill for indirect costs (with the exception of students living in on-campus housing or purchasing a meal plan). 

These figures represent the expenses used to determine the cost of attendance for each graduate student during a traditional fall and spring academic year. Please note that the cost of attendance is not a bill, and does not reflect actual charges on your student account. Students are billed for each semester through eBill. Each year you can log in to SIS to view your fall eBill in early July, and your spring eBill in early November.

This estimate reflects estimates for fall 2024 plus spring 2025. The table below represents the traditional fall and spring academic year.

1. Tuition is determined by each school. Most GSAS and SoE programs are charged per credit, or "pay as you go." Most Fletcher programs (except GMAP and GBA) are charged flat-rate.

2. The Health and Wellness Fee is mandatory for most graduate students attending more than half-time in a residential program. The Student Activity Fee is mandatory for most in-person GSAS, SoE, and Fletcher students. There is no way to waive these fees.

3. This housing estimate does not reflect the actual charge for an on-campus room selection, or the actual cost of off-campus rent. Federal Student Aid regulations require the use of the average cost of housing for each housing category. Use this figure as an estimate for budgeting purposes.

4. This food does not reflect the actual charge for a Tufts dining plan, or the actual cost of food for a graduate student who does not purchase a dining plan. The amount is based on the cost of a Premium dining plan, which provides 21 meals a week. Most graduate students do not purchase a dining plan from Tufts.

5. Books and supplies, personal expenses, and transportation are estimates of costs graduate students may expect during the semester. 

6. Loan fees assume a student is borrowing a $20,500 unsubsidized federal Direct Loan. The amount will be adjusted if the student borrows less than this amount or has additional loan fees from a Grad PLUS loan.

7. Proof of health insurance is required. In compliance with Massachusetts law, students will be charged for the Tufts student health insurance then can waive the charge in SIS with proof of comparable health insurance coverage. MassHealth and most private insurance plans satisfy the health insurance requirement. The cost of health insurance is not automatically added to domestic students’ cost of attendance. Graduate students can request it be added for the purpose of borrowing additional loan funds.