Tulane University is committed to the success of its students and considers student achievement through many different metrics. These include retention rates, graduation rates, job placement rates, admission into graduation and professional schools, and awards and honors.
Undergraduate Retention Rates
Retention rates, specifically undergraduate retention rates, are calculated as the percentage of first-year, full-time students who enroll in the institution the following fall semester. Tulane's retention rate has been at 92% or higher since 2014. Through the COVID-19 pandemic, 92% of the Fall 2019 cohort returned to Tulane for their second year. For more information on Tulane’s student retention efforts, visit the Office of Retention and Student Success.
Undergraduate 6-Year Graduation Rates
Tulane University awards over 4,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees each year. The undergraduate six-year graduation rate remained at 86% for the second consecutive year in 2020. The graduation rate is calculated as the percentage of first-year, full-time students who enrolled in the institution in a Fall term and then graduated from the institution within six years.
PhD Time-to-Degree
The average research doctorate time-to-degree varies by program. For more information on Tulane's PhD programs, visit the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
Tulane Research Doctorate Average Time-to-Degree since entering Graduate School: 2011-2017 Cohorts
School of Business
| Program | Doctoral Degrees Awarded | Time to Degree* |
|---|---|---|
| Business | 13 | 6.2 |
School of Liberal Arts
| Program | Doctoral Degrees Awarded | Time to Degree* |
|---|---|---|
| Anthropology | 9 | 7.0 |
| City, Culture, and Community | 9 | 5.6 |
| Economics | 21 | 5.5 |
| French / Francophone Studies | 9 | 5.3 |
| History | 7 | 6.5 |
| Interdisciplinary | 4 | 4.1 |
| Latin American Studies | 7 | 6.1 |
| Linguistics | 6 | 4.3 |
| Philosophy | 14 | 6.2 |
| Spanish & Portuguese | 11 | 5.8 |
School of Medicine
| Program | Doctoral Degrees Awarded | Time to Degree* |
|---|---|---|
| Aging Studies | 3 | 6.1 |
| Biomedical Sciences | 54 | 5.5 |
School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine
| Program | Doctoral Degrees Awarded | Time to Degree* |
|---|---|---|
| Biostatistics | 10 | 6.3 |
| Epidemiology | 15 | 5.1 |
| Global Community Health and Behavior Sciences | 19 | 5.7 |
| Global Environmental Health Sciences | 12 | 5.4 |
| Global Health Systems Management & Policy | 28 | 5.4 |
| Tropical Medicine | 8 | 5.3 |
School of Science & Engineering
| Program | Doctoral Degrees Awarded | Time to Degree* |
|---|---|---|
| Bioinnovation | 12 | 6.1 |
| Biomedical Engineering | 18 | 5.3 |
| Cell & Molecular Biology | 13 | 5.9 |
| Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering | 30 | 5.6 |
| Chemistry | 29 | 6.6 |
| Computer Science | 1 | 5.0 |
| Earth & Environmental Sciences | 10 | 5.8 |
| Ecology & Evolutionary Biology | 16 | 5.6 |
| Mathematics | 34 | 5.6 |
| Neuroscience | 13 | 6.4 |
| Physics | 21 | 5.7 |
| Psychology | 22 | 6.2 |
*Time to degree is calculated based on the date of first graduate level enrollment at Tulane. Students completing a doctorate mid-year were counted as completing 1/3 of a year for each semester beyond the final full year of enrollment.
2018 NSF Survey of Earned Doctorates: Median Years to Doctorate
| Field of Study | Measure | Average Years to Doctorate* |
|---|---|---|
| Life sciences | Since starting graduate school Since starting doctoral program |
6.8 5.5 |
| Physical sciences and earth sciences |
Since starting graduate school Since starting doctoral program |
6.3 5.7 |
| Mathematics and computer sciences |
Since starting graduate school Since starting doctoral program |
6.8 5.7 |
| Psychology and social sciences |
Since starting graduate school Since starting doctoral program |
7.8 6.0 |
| Engineering | Since starting graduate school Since starting doctoral program |
6.7 5.3 |
| Humanities and arts | Since starting graduate school Since starting doctoral program |
9.4 6.8 |
*Time to doctorate from doctoral program start is based on master's degree entry if the master's degree was at the doctoral institution in the same fine field of study or was a prerequisite to the doctorate; otherwise, it is based on doctoral program entry.
Post-Graduation Outcomes
The post-graduation plans of recent graduates are captured in the Graduating Student Survey. For more information on the Graduating Student Survey and results, visit Student Surveys.
