Finding the mean time it takes for a particle to escape from a metastable state due to thermal fluctuations is a fundamental problem in physics, chemistry, and biology. Here, we consider the escape rate of interacting diffusive particles, from a deep potential trap within the framework of the macroscopic fluctuation theory—a nonequilibrium hydrodynamic theory. For systems without excluded volume, our investigation reveals adherence to the well-established Arrhenius law. However, in the presence of excluded volume, a universality class emerges, fundamentally altering the escape rate. Remarkably, the modified escape rate within this universality class is independent of the interactions at play. The universality class, demonstrating the importance of excluded volume effects, may bring insights to the interpretation of escape processes in the realm of chemical physics.

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• Escape problems
• Noise-induced transitions
• Nonequilibrium statistical mechanics
• First passage problems
• Many-body techniques