Tulane University is a private research institution in New Orleans, Louisiana, founded in 1834 as the Medical College of Louisiana by seven physicians seeking to train doctors to combat epidemics of yellow fever, cholera, and smallpox. The institution evolved significantly following a $1 million donation from wealthy merchant Paul Tulane in 1884, which transformed the University of Louisiana into Tulane University of Louisiana and established it as a comprehensive research university.
Today, Tulane is a member of the Association of American Universities, an organisation of 62 leading research institutions in the United States and Canada. The Carnegie Foundation ranks it among the top 2% of universities nationwide for research activity. The university maintains its historical focus on medical education, biomedical research, and public health alongside broader multidisciplinary research programmes across its schools and colleges.
Michael A. Fitts has served as the university's 15th president since 2014. Tulane's stated mission centres on fostering exploration, innovation, and meaningful community engagement, reflecting both its origins in combating infectious disease and its evolution into a modern research institution spanning multiple academic disciplines.
