How selective are Tufts and Lehigh admissions compared with each other?

Tufts is typically the more selective of the two, often by a noticeable margin, so most students should treat Tufts as the tougher admit. Lehigh is still selective and should not be assumed to be easy, but in a head-to-head comparison it usually sits a step more accessible than Tufts. For a lot of applicants, that means Tufts lands in reach or high reach territory, while Lehigh may fall closer to target or low reach depending on grades, course rigor, and testing.

Tufts tends to attract a very large pool of academically strong applicants across arts and sciences, engineering, and international relations, and its admissions process is known for being especially competitive even for students with excellent numbers. It is the kind of school where strong stats alone do not make admission feel predictable. If your profile is solid but not exceptional at the most selective private-university level, Tufts usually belongs on the more cautious side of your list.

Lehigh fits students who are looking at a selective private university with strong engineering, business, and undergraduate focus, but not quite the same level of admissions pressure as Tufts. That does not make it a safety for most applicants, especially in popular programs, yet it is more often a school where a clearly above-average applicant can make a reasonable target case.

A practical way to label them is this: if your academic profile is competitive for both, Tufts should usually be categorized one level harder than Lehigh. So if Lehigh feels like a target for you, Tufts is more likely a reach. If Lehigh already feels like a reach, Tufts may be closer to high reach.