HEAD-TO-HEAD · 30-YEAR ROI

Tufts University vs Boston University

Tufts University clears +$432K in 30-year net value, Boston University +$43K — both pay off, Tufts University by +$389K.

Two cross-admit private universities at the tuition they charge everyone (in-state and out-of-state are identical at a private). Same sticker, same admit pool — a clean head-to-head.

IPEDS 2023 tuition · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · their (identical) published tuition · same model as /worth-it · both schools NPV-positive.

Tufts University · Medford, MA

clears more

30-year net value
+$432K
Total cost of attendance
$342,016
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$71,987
Breaks even by age
—

Boston University · Boston, MA

30-year net value
+$43K
Total cost of attendance
$333,112
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$67,070
Breaks even by age
—
How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

Each school runs through the /worth-it model at its published tuition (identical in-state and out-of-state at a private), with the same loan assumptions, the same 30-year horizon, and each state’s own cost-of-living. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of the degree over that horizon, in real dollars — the same figure the calculator headlines.

We only publish pairs where both schools clear positive net value, so the comparison is “both pay off, one clears more,” never “this school is a bad bet.” Earnings are rolled up from at least three FREOPP programs per school (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t distort the number.

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “Tufts University vs Boston University: 30-year ROI head-to-head.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/compare/tufts-vs-bu

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Questions

Is Tufts University or Boston University a better return on investment?
On a 30-year net-value basis at their (identical) published tuition, Tufts University clears +$432K and Boston University +$43K — both are solidly positive, so neither is a bad bet; Tufts University comes out ahead by +$389K. Figures from IPEDS 2023 tuition, FREOPP 2021 earnings, and BEA 2023 cost-of-living, run through the same model as the LE TEEN calculator.
How much more does Tufts University pay off than Boston University?
About +$389K over a 30-year horizon (+$432K vs +$43K in projected net value). That gap reflects each school's net price and its graduates' median earnings — not a judgment that either degree fails to pay off, since both clear positive.
What is the 30-year net value of a degree from Tufts University?
+$432K at their (identical) published tuition — total cost of attendance $342,016, median earnings ten years out $71,987. Run your own assumptions on the /worth-it calculator.