Is UChicago or Tufts better for study abroad opportunities?

Tufts has the edge for study abroad. It has a long-standing emphasis on internationalism, a dedicated Tufts Global Education office, and a wide mix of semester, year, summer, and faculty-led options that tend to fit naturally into many majors.

One concrete difference is how study abroad fits the academic structure. Tufts’ curriculum is typically more straightforward to plan around for a semester away, especially in fields like international relations, humanities, social sciences, and languages.

At UChicago, study abroad is absolutely possible and well supported, but the Core Curriculum can make timing more complicated. Because students need to complete a significant set of core requirements, going abroad often requires earlier planning so that required sequences and major courses still line up. UChicago does offer distinctive programs, including some faculty-led and major-specific options, but it can take more coordination to make a semester abroad fit cleanly.

Support culture is another separator. Tufts’ international focus is woven into campus life in a way that makes abroad feel like a normal extension of the undergraduate experience rather than an add-on. UChicago’s advising is solid, but the academic intensity and quarter system can make logistics feel tighter, especially if you are trying to study abroad during a specific term or while balancing demanding major requirements.