Cost of Attendance: Graduate

Student Financial Services uses the cost of attendance (COA) to determine financial aid eligibility. The COA includes both direct (fixed) costs billed by Tufts and indirect (estimated) costs that students may incur while attending school.

Direct costs refer to charges billed by Tufts, such as tuition and mandatory fees. Students will receive a bill each semester for these costs. Direct costs vary depending on the student’s school, program, and mode of instruction.

Indirect costs are estimates of out-of-pocket expenses, including off-campus housing, food, books, personal expenses, and transportation. These costs are not billed by Tufts (except for students living in on-campus housing or enrolled in a meal plan) and will vary based on individual choices and circumstances.

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 2025 plus spring 2026. 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 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. This fee cannot be waived.

3. The housing estimate does not represent the actual charge for an on-campus room or the actual cost of off-campus rent. Per Federal Student Aid regulations, we are required to use the average cost of housing within each housing category. This figure is provided solely for budgeting purposes and should be used as a general estimate.

4. The food estimate 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 for all students. In compliance with Massachusetts law, students are automatically charged for the Tufts student health insurance plan. However, this charge can be waived in SIS by providing proof of comparable health insurance coverage. Most private insurance plans, as well as MassHealth, meet the state’s requirements. The cost of health insurance is not automatically included in the cost of attendance for domestic students. Graduate students who enroll in the Tufts plan may request to have the insurance cost added to their cost of attendance in order to borrow additional loan funds.