Tufts University research and development spending, FY2024

  • Medford, MA
  • R1
  • Private nonprofit
  • Standard form filer

Tufts University in FY2024

$278.3 million

spent on research and development in FY2024, as reported to the NSF HERD Survey

National rank
#116 of 925
Change on FY2023
up 12.5%
Rank change
up 3

Tufts University reported $278.3 million of research and development spending in FY2024, ranking #116 of the 925 institutions in the survey. That is up 12.5% on FY2023's $247.3 million; its national rank was up 3 places. Federal government is its largest funding source at 60.9% ($169.6 million), followed by institution funds at 15.2%. Its largest field of research is life sciences, $176.3 million or 63.4% of the total.

Over time

Research spending, FY2010 to FY2024

Tufts University research and development expenditures, FY2010 to FY2024A line from $156.1 million in FY2010 to $278.3 million in FY2024. Every plotted figure is in the table below.$0$69.6M$139.2M$208.7M$278.3MFY2010FY2015FY2020FY2024

Standard-form totals FY2010 onwards as revised by NCSES in the newest release; rank is within that series.

Year-by-year figures
Tufts University research and development expenditures by fiscal year, NSF HERD.
Fiscal yearR&D expenditureRank in series
FY2010$156.1 million109
FY2011$156.4 million114
FY2012$160.9 million110
FY2013$156.5 million113
FY2014$160.8 million114
FY2015$168.3 million112
FY2016$189.1 million104
FY2017$223.4 million95
FY2018$213.5 million104
FY2019$213.3 million110
FY2020$216.2 million111
FY2021$225.0 million109
FY2022$231.2 million115
FY2023$247.3 million119
FY2024$278.3 million116

FY2024 breakdown

Where the money came from, and what it paid for

FY2024 funding sources and research fields

Funding sources

The 6 NSF funding sources Tufts University reported in FY2024, largest first. Shares are of its own FY2024 total, and the rank is national within that source.

Tufts University research and development expenditures by funding source, NSF HERD FY2024.
SourceFY2024ShareChange on FY2023US rank
Federal government$169.6 million60.9%+9.8%101
Institution funds$42.2 million15.2%+24.2%159
Nonprofit organizations$34.6 million12.4%+17.4%56
Business$15.2 million5.5%−5.0%88
All other sources$12.3 million4.4%+10.8%64
State and local government$4.5 million1.6%+92.6%179
All sources$278.3 million100.0%+12.5%116

Fields of research

The 10 NSF research fields Tufts University reported in FY2024, largest first.

Tufts University research and development expenditures by field of research, NSF HERD FY2024.
FieldFY2024ShareChange on FY2023US rank
Life sciences$176.3 million63.4%+27.6%95
Engineering$39.2 million14.1%+13.2%114
Social sciences$16.2 million5.8%−9.1%64
Non-S&E$15.1 million5.4%+51.3%135
Physical sciences$10.3 million3.7%−1.4%136
Psychology$6.1 million2.2%−9.4%91
Other sciences$5.7 million2.0%−69.0%57
Computer and information sciences$5.2 million1.9%+15.4%131
Mathematics and statistics$2.5 million0.9%−45.1%102
Geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences$1.7 million0.6%−16.7%207

Neighbours

Ranked around Tufts University

Institutions ranked immediately above and below

The five institutions ranked above Tufts University and the five below it in the FY2024 national ranking.

Institutions ranked immediately above and below Tufts University, NSF HERD FY2024.
RankInstitutionFY2024 R&D
111University of California, Santa Barbara$303.4M
112Wayne State University$291.7M
113University of Central Florida$284.9M
114University of Massachusetts Amherst$281.7M
115George Mason University$281.7M
116Tufts University$278.3M
117Rice University$277.7M
118University of South Carolina, Columbia$277.3M
119Tulane University$275.9M
120Thomas Jefferson University$271.2M
121Kansas State University$265.0M

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Data: NSF HERD FY2024, built from NSF's published tables on September 8, 2026. Page updated September 13, 2026.

Data: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, National Science Foundation, Higher Education Research and Development Survey, FY2024.

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