how to get into tulane: sat and act scores, gpa, and more

there’s no other way to say it: tulane university is one of the dreamiest colleges you could possibly attend.

why, you may ask? because tulane is located in one of the most diverse, compelling, history-rich cities in the world: new orleans–known for its jazz, art, incredible food, sprawling parks, and of course, mardi gras. specifically, tulane’s gorgeous central campus is located in new orleans’ uptown neighborhood, across from audobon park, and is full of giant oak trees and historic buildings.

but even more importantly, tulane is a prestigious private research university known for its robust academics and prominent alumni (including many u.s. congress members, emmy award winners, pulitzer prize winners, and the president of costa rica, just to name a few!). in fact, it’s the top school in all of louisiana and is categorized as “most selective” by u.s. news & world report.

so you’ll have to be a very strong candidate if you’d like a good chance of calling the green wave your mascot.

before we dive into a thorough discussion of just exactly how to get into tulane university, let’s take a quick look at some of tulane’s admissions statistics. you can also read more about how to get into tulane here!

“if you’re really interested in tulane, visit the school or show interest by emailing. i did both, and i know people much smarter than i am who were rejected probably due to a lack of interest. tulane isn’t interested in being a backup school, they want to know that you’ll consider them seriously.” — mhawkins, admitsee

tulane quick admissions statistics (for the class of 2022)

tulane sat scores (average composite score of admitted students)	1410-1510 (middle 50% of students accepted for class of 2024)
tulane act scores (average composite score of admitted students)	31-33 (middle 50% of students accepted for class of 2024)
tulane gpa (average of admitted students)	3.56 out of 4.0
tulane acceptance rate	11% (for class of 2024)

tulane sat scores

first and foremost, here are a few things you should know if you plan to take the sat and submit your scores to tulane university:

tulane requires sat or act scores as part of your application, but you are certainly welcome to submit both.
the essay portion of the sat is not required.
tulane “superscores” the sat scores you submit, meaning that they take only the highest scores across all sections across for all testing date scores submitted. you can take the sat several times and tulane will take the highest section scores from each time you sit.
sat subject tests are optional. you may choose to submit sat subject test scores if you’d like to showcase your skill in a particular subject, depending on what school and program you’re applying to specifically.

so then, what do you actually need to score on your sat to be a viable candidate?

historically, the average sat score of students admitted to tulane is about 1410 (this past year it was a wee bit higher).

additionally:

the 25th percentile for tulane sat scores is 1410
the 75th percentile for tulane sat scores is 1510

this means that scoring a 1410 or below will place you below average compared to other students applying to tulane, while a 1510 will put you above average compared to other applicants. therefore, we recommend that you take the sat as many times as necessary to score a 1480 or higher if you want the best chances of getting in.

the percentiles for each of the sat sections are as follows:

section	average	25th percentile	75th percentile
math	720	680	760
reading	700	670	730

for more information on how to submit your sat scores, read this general information about standardized test scores at tulane.

tulane act scores

here are some things to know about submitting your act scores to tulane university:

the writing portion of the act is not required.
tulane does not superscore the act, but they will consider the highest composite act score of all testing dates.

as far as what you need to get on the act to be have an excellent chance of getting accepted to tulane, you’ll want to aim for 30 or higher.

historically, the average act score of those admitted to tulane is 30, and the percentiles shake out as follows:

the 25th percentile for tulane act scores is 30
the 75th percentile for tulane act scores is 33

this means if you score a 30 or below, you’ll be below average compared the other applicants, and if you score a 33 or above, you’ll be above average. therefore we recommend taking the act a few times if necessary in order to crack a 33.

tulane gpa average

the average gpa of students admitted to tulane is 3.56 out of 4.0, which is a b+ average. this means you’ll need a good deal of a’s and b’s, and few to no c’s to have a good chance of getting in.

performing well in honors, ap, and ib classes is a good way to show tulane admissions that you are prepared for the rigor of college courses, and depending on how your school calculates your gpa, high grades in these types of classes will raise your gpa significantly.

keep in mind, though, that from your sophomore year on, it’s pretty hard to change your gpa significantly, so you’ll want to get good grades from the outset of your high school career. and if standardized tests aren’t your strong suit, a higher gpa can definitely help strengthen your overall application.

finally, it’s important to realize that even with a high gpa, tulane remains highly selective. the following data on the percent of students admitted with various gpas illustrates this reality:

gpa in high school	% of accepted freshmen
3.75+	30%
3.50 to 3.75	24%
3.25 to 3.50	22%
3.00 to 3.25	15%
2.75 to 3.00	8%
2.50 to 2.75	1%
<2.50	0%

tulane acceptance rate

like many other schools over the last few years, tulane has become increasingly hard to get into.

according to the piece, “class of 2024 sets university record for yield, academic quality and diversity,” the class of 2024 marks the most impressive and competitive group of students to date.

additionally, the new class is highly diverse. according to the above article, “one-third of the incoming class will be made up of students of color and international students from 20 countries. that increase shows 65% growth over the past five years, although the university aspires to even greater diversity among its students.”

so the gist is that tulane continues to become one of the nation’s most selective colleges, even for those with very good grades and test scores.

tulane freshman profile

tulane at a glance provides some very comprehensive information on the undergraduate student body in general, including the following noteworthy data:

about 1,800 students make up the class of 2024
they come from 1,100 different high schools across the globe
24% are students of color

as far as the current incoming freshman class, this is a great run-down about tulane’s class of 2024.

as far as the geographic distribution of the class of 2024:

28% are from the north east
15% are from the south atlantic
13% are from the midwest
10% are from louisiana
13% are from the pacific west
10% are from the south central
9% are international
2% are from the mountain west

additionally, there’s a 3:2 female to male student ratio.

tulane’s other admissions requirements and information

as far as what you’ll actually need to apply to tulane, here is a great overview of tulane curriculum requirements, a tulane application checklist, and application instructions.

in short, you’ll need the following:

a completed tulane application or common app application
your high school transcripts
a recommendation form completed and submitted by your counselor (you can read more about asking for a letter of recommendation here)
your act and/or your sat scores

depending on what program you’re applying to, you can also provide the following optional materials if you feel they will strengthen your overall application:

sat subject test scores
portfolios or auditions

if you’re applying as a louisiana resident, you can apply for guaranteed admissions through focus louisiana.

you can read more about guaranteed admission criteria for tulane, but you will need to:

be a louisiana resident
attend or have graduated from a louisiana high school when you apply
achieve a 31+ score on the act or a 1450 on the sat
have a 3.6+ unweighted gpa at the time of application in all of the required courses
complete 4 years of english, 3 years of social sciences, 3 years of lab science, 3 years of math, and 2 years of foreign language
have no prior college attendance
have no suspensions, expulsions, or similar disciplinary actions taken against you

please also note that in order to apply for guaranteed admissions, you will need to apply with an early decision application due november 1.

you can also read more about the tulane admissions requirements for homeschooled students, transfer students, and international students should this information apply to you.

tulane faqs

check out these faqs about tulane undergraduate admissions for more in-depth answers to all of your burning questions, but here are some of the most common inquiries about applying to tulane.

does tulane have multiple campuses?

yes, there are several tulane campuses, but the admissions process for tulane is the same regardless of where particular schools are located.

does tulane use the common app?

you can apply to tulane through the common app, short for the common application, or through their own application. as part of the common app, you will have to write an essay, and you can read more about how to write an outstanding common app essay.

can i transfer to tulane?

you sure can, and can read more about transferring to tulane here.

does tulane accept ap credit?

yes, it does. for more information about exactly how many course hours you’ll earn, visit this page on ap and ib exam credit at tulane.

does tulane have early decision?

yes, tulane offers both non-binding early action and binding early decision application options.