Is Tulane or Boston University more fun as a college experience?

The biggest practical tradeoff is this: Tulane tends to offer a more campus-centered, spirited social scene, while Boston University gives you a more city-centered experience where the fun is spread across Boston rather than concentrated around one traditional campus. Tulane has a strong reputation for students going out, Mardi Gras season, and visible school energy around athletics and campus traditions. BU has access to an incredible city, but its social life can feel more independent and less unified because the campus stretches along Commonwealth Avenue and many students build their own circles through clubs, apartments, and the city itself.

Day to day, Tulane usually feels more like the classic lively college experience. Students often talk about a stronger sense of community, more tailgates and campus events, and a social scene that is easier to plug into quickly. New Orleans also shapes the atmosphere in a big way, since live music, festivals, food, and nightlife are woven into everyday life in a way that feels very distinct from most college towns or cities.

BU is fun in a different way. Boston gives you concerts, restaurants, pro sports, internships, and easy access to neighborhoods with very different personalities, so there is always something to do. But BU can feel less overtly spirited than Tulane, and students sometimes describe the social environment as more self-directed, with less of that one shared campus vibe.

If school spirit and a social scene where people visibly go out matter a lot, Tulane is more likely to match what you are picturing. If your version of fun is having a major city as your playground and you do not need the social energy to revolve around campus, BU can be a great experience, but for the specific kind of fun you described, Tulane has the clearer edge.