NSU vs. UL Lafayette

Should I go to Northwestern State University of Louisiana or University of Louisiana at Lafayette? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if NSU or UL Lafayette is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Northwestern State University of Louisiana vs. University of Louisiana at Lafayette comparison
Northwestern State University of Louisiana University of Louisiana at Lafayette College 3 College 4
Northwestern State University of Louisiana University of Louisiana at Lafayette
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Overview

 NSU UL Lafayette
Location Natchitoches, LA Lafayette, LA
Setting Remote Town Midsize City
Enrollment 9,389 15,219
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #975 #784
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website nsula.edu louisiana.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 NSU UL Lafayette
Tuition (In State) $5,180 $5,407
Tuition (Out of State) $15,968 $19,135
Room & Board $10,269 $11,642
Avg Net Price $14,238 $13,036
Avg Grant Aid $9,499 $10,672
% Receiving Grant Aid 89% 100%

Admission

 NSU UL Lafayette
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,903 11,752
Admitted 2,843 8,762
Acceptance Rate 97.9% 74.6%
Enrolled % 35.9% 32.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.3 3.4
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/23 19/24
SAT Range 955/1135 1023/1198
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

 NSU UL Lafayette
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (39%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (5%)
  • Business (23%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (15%)
  • Education (11%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Engineering (6%)

Outcomes

 NSU UL Lafayette
Graduation Rate 37% 41%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $38,100 $45,000
Making Student Loan Payments 46% 55%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,531 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $222 $201

Diversity

 NSU UL Lafayette
% Men 29% 43%
% Women 71% 57%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 54% 67%
% Black 31% 22%
% Hispanic 5% 4%
% Native American 2% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 2%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

 NSU UL Lafayette
% In-State 98% 96%
% Out-of-State 2% 3%

Campus

 NSU UL Lafayette
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of Louisiana at Lafayette is larger than than NSU based on total student enrollment (15,219 students vs. 9,389 students)

NSU vs. UL Lafayette Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, NSU or UL Lafayette?

  • University of Louisiana at Lafayette is 4.4% more expensive to attend than NSU for in-state tuition ($5,407.00 vs. $5,180.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 19.8% higher at UL Lafayette than Northwestern State University of Louisiana ($19,135.00 vs. $15,968.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Louisiana at Lafayette than NSU ($13,036 vs. $14,238)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Northwestern State University of Louisiana are 13.4% lower than costs at University of Louisiana at Lafayette ($10,269 vs. $11,642)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Louisiana at Lafayette than Northwestern State University of Louisiana (100% vs. 89%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Louisiana at Lafayette students is 12.3% larger than aid received Northwestern State University of Louisiana ($10,672 vs. $9,499)

NSU vs. UL Lafayette Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, NSU or UL Lafayette? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between UL Lafayette or NSU .

  • The average SAT score at University of Louisiana at Lafayette (1069) is 61 points higher than at NSU (1008)
  • Incoming UL Lafayette students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at NSU (22)
  • Accepted freshman UL Lafayette students have a 0.1 point higher average high school GPA (3.4) than students at NSU (3.3)
  • NSU has a higher acceptance rate (97.9%) than UL Lafayette (74.6%)

NSU vs. UL Lafayette Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, NSU or UL Lafayette? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between UL Lafayette and NSU.

  • The graduation rate at UL Lafayette is higher than Northwestern State University of Louisiana (41% vs. 37%)
  • Graduates from University of Louisiana at Lafayette earn on average $6,900 more per year than NSU graduates after ten years. ($45,000 vs. $38,100)
  • University of Louisiana at Lafayette students graduate with a $2,031 lower median federal student loan debt than NSU graduates. ($19,500 vs. $21,531)
  • UL Lafayette graduates are paying $21 less per month on federal student loans than NSU graduates. ($201 vs. $222)
  • More UL Lafayette graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former NSU students, three years after graduation. (55% vs. 46%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/