Tufts University Makes Solid Progress in Black First-Year Enrollments

There are 92 black freshmen at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, this fall. This is an increase of nearly 59 percent from a year ago when there were 58 black freshmen. This year blacks make up 7 percent of the entering class. A year ago blacks were only 4.4 percent of incoming students. While black applicants and acceptances were up slightly from a year ago, the major improvement came in black student yield. Last year just over 20 percent of black students accepted Tufts’ offer of admission. This year black student yield increased to nearly 30 percent.

Lee Coffin, dean of undergraduate admissions at Tufts, tells JBHE, “Our success reflects an aggressive and comprehensive recruitment plan that included increased outreach to urban high schools and access agencies.” He also points to an on-campus recruitment program held last fall and a summer bridge program for minority students interested in the university’s School of Engineering. Tufts admissions officials also made the school’s first recruitment visit to Africa.

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