How does Tulane’s admissions difficulty compare with UChicago’s for undergraduate applicants?

UChicago is harder to get into than Tulane for undergraduate applicants, and the gap is meaningful. UChicago sits in the very top tier of selective colleges nationally, while Tulane is selective but not in that same extreme category. In practice, that means a student who is competitive at Tulane may still be a reach candidate at UChicago even with strong grades, rigor, and testing.

One major difference is the academic profile each school tends to attract and admit. UChicago draws a very concentrated pool of applicants with exceptional academic records, especially students aiming for highly intellectual, theory-heavy environments. Tulane also gets many strong applicants, but its pool is broader in academic style and student interests, so the admissions bar is not quite as compressed at the very top.

Another differentiator is how the schools are perceived in the admissions landscape. UChicago is viewed alongside the most selective private universities in the country, where even outstanding applicants are denied routinely. Tulane is still a reach for many students, but it is more often discussed as selective in a way that depends heavily on application strategy, academic fit, and demonstrated interest rather than as a near-universal long shot.

Application behavior matters too. UChicago certainly values fit and thoughtful applications, especially through its distinctive essay process, but the overall level of competition is intense enough that strong interest alone does much less to change the odds.

So when building a list, treat UChicago as the tougher admit by a clear margin, and Tulane as selective but more attainable for a wider range of strong applicants.