2022 best colleges in Louisiana
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Net cost: The median annual cost of all students that receive any aid. This does not refer to the “sticker price”, the price listed by the college.
Earnings: The median earnings of all bachelor-level students 10 years after enrollment. This includes both students that do and do not graduate, across all majors.
Payback: The amount of time in years it takes to pay off the median net cost by the median earnings. For this calculation, the median earning of high school graduates (in the school’s home state) are deducted from the median earnings.
Degree premium: The difference between the school’s median earnings and the median earnings for all schools in the same state. This is called “Vs. state average” in school profiles below.
Ranking: The payback rate is divided by the degree premium (set as a percentage), the lower the number the higher the rank. (i.e. payback=1, degree premium 20% higher than state school median: 1/120% = .883.
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Admission rate: 74%
Grad rate: 68%
Net cost: $15,465
Payback: 2.2 Years
Earnings: $56,806
Vs. state average: + $10,864
Economic score: 1.78
Louisiana Tech University
Ruston, Louisiana
Admission rate: 64%
Grad rate: 51%
Net cost: $12,084
Payback: 2.2 Years
Earnings: $48,840
Vs. state average: + $2,898
Economic score: 2.11
University of New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
Admission rate: 83%
Grad rate: 44%
Net cost: $11,193
Payback: 2.4 Years
Earnings: $46,502
Vs. state average: + $560
Economic score: 2.41
Xavier University of Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
Admission rate: 81%
Grad rate: 51%
Net cost: $19,715
Payback: 3.0 Years
Earnings: $53,554
Vs. state average: + $7,612
Economic score: 2.55
Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Admission rate: 47%
Grad rate: 47%
Net cost: $17,191
Payback: 3.3 Years
Earnings: $49,017
Vs. state average: + $3,075
Economic score: 3.07
University of Louisiana at Monroe
Monroe, Louisiana
Admission rate: 78%
Grad rate: 47%
Net cost: $10,453
Payback: 2.8 Years
Earnings: $41,304
Vs. state average: - $4,638
Economic score: 3.16
McNeese State University
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Admission rate: 64%
Grad rate: 47%
Net cost: $12,267
Payback: 3.3 Years
Earnings: $42,965
Vs. state average: - $2,977
Economic score: 3.49
Loyola University New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
Admission rate: 73%
Grad rate: 61%
Net cost: $21,486
Payback: 3.8 Years
Earnings: $48,747
Vs. state average: + $2,805
Economic score: 3.54
Nicholls State University
Thibodaux, Louisiana
Admission rate: 94%
Grad rate: 45%
Net cost: $12,247
Payback: 3.3 Years
Earnings: $42,206
Vs. state average: - $3,736
Economic score: 3.62
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Lafayette, Louisiana
Admission rate: 68%
Grad rate: 54%
Net cost: $12,487
Payback: 3.6 Years
Earnings: $42,350
Vs. state average: - $3,592
Economic score: 3.85
Tulane University of Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
Admission rate: 12%
Grad rate: 66%
Net cost: $37,841
Payback: 4.8 Years
Earnings: $56,999
Vs. state average: + $11,057
Economic score: 3.88
Centenary College of Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana
Admission rate: 64%
Grad rate: 60%
Net cost: $20,740
Payback: 4.6 Years
Earnings: $47,598
Vs. state average: + $1,656
Economic score: 4.42
Dillard University
New Orleans, Louisiana
Admission rate: 66%
Grad rate: 45%
Net cost: $17,128
Payback: 6.1 Years
Earnings: $37,014
Vs. state average: - $8,928
Economic score: 7.52
Saint Joseph Seminary College
St. Benedict, Louisiana
Admission rate: N/A
Grad rate: 63%
Net cost: $30,272
Payback: 8.0 Years
Earnings: $43,873
Vs. state average: - $2,069
Economic score: 8.35
Grambling State University
Grambling, Louisiana
Admission rate: 94%
Grad rate: 45%
Net cost: $18,516
Payback: 10.4 Years
Earnings: $33,961
Vs. state average: - $11,981
Economic score: 14.04
Louisiana State University-Shreveport
Shreveport, Louisiana
Admission rate: 83%
Grad rate: 35%
Net cost: $8,952
Payback: 2.5 Years
Earnings: $42,467
Vs. state average: - $3,475
Economic score: 2.72
University of Holy Cross
New Orleans, Louisiana
Admission rate: 53%
Grad rate: 42%
Net cost: $16,466
Payback: 3.6 Years
Earnings: $49,594
Vs. state average: + $3,652
Economic score: 3.31
Louisiana College
Pineville, Louisiana
Admission rate: 72%
Grad rate: 34%
Net cost: $12,684
Payback: 3.4 Years
Earnings: $43,411
Vs. state average: - $2,531
Economic score: 3.62
Northwestern State University of Louisiana
Natchitoches, Louisiana
Admission rate: 95%
Grad rate: 41%
Net cost: $12,866
Payback: 3.4 Years
Earnings: $42,102
Vs. state average: - $3,840
Economic score: 3.68
Southeastern Louisiana University
Hammond, Louisiana
Admission rate: 98%
Grad rate: 42%
Net cost: $12,171
Payback: 3.6 Years
Earnings: $41,516
Vs. state average: - $4,426
Economic score: 3.96
