Tulane vs. Temple: which one has a bigger, more traditional big-school feel?

Temple is more likely to give you the bigger, more traditional big-school feel day to day. It has a larger undergraduate population, a busier urban campus with lots of students moving through it at once, and the atmosphere tends to feel more public, active, and high-energy in a noticeable way.

Tulane is lively too, but it usually feels more contained and more residential than Temple. Even though it has strong school spirit and a lot going on, the campus experience is less about constant crowd flow and more about a distinct campus community centered in Uptown New Orleans.

Temple tends to fit the student who wants to feel surrounded by a very large student body, frequent activity, and the pace of a major city campus. Walking around Temple, you are more likely to notice the scale through foot traffic, the size of classes in some intro courses, and the sense that the university is woven into a dense part of Philadelphia.

Tulane fits someone who wants energy and social life without quite as much of that crowded, public-university intensity. Its campus is beautiful and active, and New Orleans adds a lot culturally, but the actual student experience often feels smaller, more bounded, and easier to get your bearings in.

If your question is specifically, which school feels bigger in a way you would actually notice as a student, Temple is the clearer answer. Tulane can still feel busy and spirited, but Temple is the one more likely to register as the larger, more traditional big-school environment.