Tufts to House BFA Students on Medford Campus in 2027

Starting in September 2027, all first-year BFA students will live on the Medford/Somerville campus.

Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in College Applications

Tufts to House BFA Students on Medford Campus in 2027

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Tufts University will transition all first-year BFA students to on-campus housing in Medford/Somerville starting in September 2027. This move follows the university's plan to integrate these students with the broader undergraduate population.

Why it matters

The university intends for the shift to help SMFA students build social networks with their peers in the Schools of Arts and Sciences and Engineering. The capacity for this change was made possible by the addition of the new Pachyderm Place apartments.

Tufts mandates a two-year on-campus residency requirement for all undergraduate students. The 2026 BFA class marks the final cohort housed in off-campus Beacon Street apartments owned by an external LLC.

The players

Tufts University

A private research university based in Medford/Somerville that oversees the School of the Museum of Fine Arts.

Office of Residential Life & Learning

The administrative department responsible for managing student housing assignments and university living environments.

The details

Incoming BFA students will join the standard Office of Residential Life & Learning room assignment process to live alongside other first-year peers. Students will commute to the SMFA campus using shuttles, trains, or rideshares, building on existing transit support like the CharlieCards provided to students since fall 2024.

Combined degree programs between Tufts and SMFA have existed since the 1970s.
Tufts acquired the SMFA in June 2016.
SMFA students have received loaded CharlieCards since the fall of 2024.
The 2026 cohort is the final group to live in the Fenway apartments.
All first-year BFA students move to on-campus housing in September 2027.

Culture Shift

This policy change reflects a broader effort to unify the undergraduate experience across all university disciplines following the 2016 acquisition of the SMFA. By integrating arts students into the central Medford residential network, the school moves away from an isolated, campus-specific model.

Incoming first-year BFA students will now participate in the standard room assignment process, necessitating adjustments to their housing and commute plans for the Medford campus. Students should prepare for new transit routines involving local shuttles and trains as they integrate into the main campus residential community.

The takeaway

The consolidation of student housing aims to foster stronger interdisciplinary social networks between art students and the broader student body. Students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with campus transit options and residential life resources well in advance of their arrival.