Tulane Prioritizes Business School, Leaving Other Graduate Programs Behind
– Tulane University appears to be prioritizing its A.B. Freeman School of Business when it comes to graduate-level recruitment and support, according to observations from students and a review of university programming.
In the spring of 2025, a Tulane Career Center event intended to showcase graduate school opportunities revealed a stark contrast between support for business programs and other disciplines. While a STEM-focused career fair was bustling with students and organizations filling Kendall Cram Lecture Hall and Qatar Ballroom, the graduate school fair was sparsely attended, with fewer than 20 students present. Notably, almost half of the organizations represented at the graduate school fair were Tulane programs themselves.
One student, attending the fair with hopes of learning more about law school options, found only Tulane University Law School and a single LSAT preparation course, Test Masters, represented. This experience prompted questions about the disproportionate attention given to business graduate programs compared to others.
The disparity, according to analysis, stems from a deliberate and consistent effort by Tulane to promote its business pathways. The A.B. Freeman School of Business benefits from targeted events, polished marketing materials, alumni panels, and networking opportunities designed to make graduate-level business education more accessible and appealing to prospective students.
This focused approach stands in contrast to the support offered to students pursuing graduate studies in fields like English, history, political science, or doctoral research. These disciplines lack the consistent, discipline-specific master’s program discussions, large-scale doctoral pathway events, and visibility for post-graduate research centers enjoyed by the business school.
While Tulane has recently added a few new events aimed at other graduate programs – a talk with current law students and a discussion of master’s programs within the School of Science and Engineering – advocates say more is needed. Even LSAT preparation opportunities are largely geared towards students interested in legal studies *within* the business school, further highlighting the preference for business-related graduate education.
The result is an uneven playing field, where business graduate education feels “institutionally championed” while other graduate ambitions appear peripheral. This imbalance extends beyond recruitment events. The Freeman Beyond program, an initiative designed to help undergraduate business students develop essential competencies sought by employers, provides a structured pathway for professional development.
However, the university’s ability to build robust graduate pipelines within the business school demonstrates its capacity to extend similar levels of visibility and enthusiasm to all graduate disciplines. If Tulane aims to position itself as a university that values diverse academic futures and a significant contributor to New Orleans’ intellectual community, it must broaden its support for graduate study beyond the business school and encompass students across all fields.
According to GradReports, 17% of 201 students surveyed said Tulane University boosted their career, and 83% of students recommend it to others. However, the current imbalance in graduate program support may impact the university’s ability to attract and retain top talent in fields outside of business.
