Is Villanova or Tufts more selective for undergraduate admission?

Tufts is more selective overall for undergraduate admission. Both Tufts and Villanova receive strong applicant pools and use holistic review, but Tufts is typically viewed as the more difficult admission because of its broader national and international applicant demand. Its applicant pool also tends to include a particularly large concentration of students with very strong academic records and extensive extracurricular involvement.

Villanova is also a selective university. A student should not treat it as a safety simply because Tufts is harder to enter; Villanova’s admissions process can be highly competitive, and academic preparation, course rigor, grades, writing, activities, and fit with the university all matter.

The two schools attract somewhat different groups of applicants, which helps explain the distinction. Tufts is a medium-sized research university near Boston with a notably broad liberal arts, research, and globally oriented identity. Villanova is a private Catholic university outside Philadelphia whose Augustinian community, undergraduate focus, and strong school spirit are major draws. An applicant drawn to Tufts should be prepared for a very high-reach admissions outcome, while Villanova may still fall in the reach or target-range category depending on the student’s academic profile and chosen program.