New Tufts President Welcomes School's Most Diverse Class Ever

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MA — Tufts new president Sunil Kumar on Wednesday welcomed the school's incoming students — most of them in the Class of 2027 —as part of the annual Matriculation ceremony, the school reported.

Kumar, who took over the presidency on July 1, addressed the students online. The ceremony is traditionally held on the Academic Quad, but was virtual this year due to a forecast for heavy rain.

"Today marks the beginning of an exciting journey, and it is a privilege for me to be part of it," Kumar said. "I look forward to getting to know each of you during your time here, and I can't wait to see what you will accomplish."

According to the university, there are 1,742 new first-year students at the school, while another 73 new students have transferred to the school.

In his welcome remarks to the students on Wednesday, JT Duck, dean of admissions for the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering, said the first-year students represent the most ethnically and racially diverse class ever to enroll at Tufts.

"This class represents our continuing commitment to expand access to a Tufts education and to expand the number of communities from which our students enroll," Duck said.

The Tufts first-year class by the numbers:

• First-year students come from 1,100 high schools —the largest number of high schools ever represented in a single, incoming class. More than 300 of the high schools represented have not sent a student to Tufts in the past five years.
• Women make up 55 percent of the overall class and men account for 41 percent.
• Students who identify as genderqueer, non-binary, or preferred not to specify a gender identity account for 4 percent.
• 50 percent of incoming U.S. undergraduates identify as students of color.
• 7 percent identify as Black or African American.
• 11 percent identify as Latinx/Hispanic.
• 20 percent identify as Asian American.
• 11 percent identify as multiracial.
• 47 percent identify as white.
• 3 percent of students did not specify a race or ethnicity at the time of application.
• 40 first-year students identify with a Native or Indigenous heritage, nearly all as part of a multiracial identity.
• In total, enrolled students have citizenships from 65 countries.
• The most represented citizenships among international students are: China, South Korea, India, Turkey, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, United Kingdom, Brazil and Spain.
• At least 75 different languages are spoken in the homes of the students enrolling in the Class of 2027.
• The most common languages other than English are Spanish, Mandarin, French, Korean, Hindi, German, Arabic, Cantonese, Thai and Turkish.
• Students hail from­­ 49 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• Students designated as foreign nationals account for 12 percent.
• The states that sent the most students are Massachusetts, New York, California, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Florida, Texas, and Washington.
• One-third of the class enrolling from the U.S. is enrolling from the South, Southwest and West.
• 48 students come from the university's host communities of Medford, Somerville, Boston, and Grafton.