Nicholls State University
Thibodaux, LA · Public · Small city · NSU
Public institution in Thibodaux, LA · 4,772 undergraduates · 96% acceptance rate · $45,454 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 10%Out-of-state tuition & fees
- Top 19%In-state tuition & fees
- Top 23%Average net price
- Top 24%Cost of attendance
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $12,091454th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $8,173381st cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $9,266212th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $21,519466th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $22,675963rd lowest of 1,865 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $45,4541,324th highest of 1,954 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $38,8291,302nd highest of 1,950 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 54.3%986th highest of 2,014 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 76.6%861st highest of 1,837 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 96.0%1,432nd most selective of 1,596 reporting
- Average SAT
- 1088736th highest of 1,022 reporting
- Median ACT
- 23493rd highest of 952 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 4,772508th largest of 2,144 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 17.0:11,581st smallest of 2,141 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 35.0%938th highest of 2,122 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 272 mi (IAH)
On 1 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 32 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mining and Petroleum Technologies/TechniciansEngineering Technology | bachelors | $59,937 | $52,733 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professions | bachelors | $59,325 | $60,030 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsEducation | bachelors | $39,784 | $39,286 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $37,478 | $31,987 |
| Special Education and TeachingEducation | bachelors | $36,344 | $37,748 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $36,282 | $32,186 |
| MarketingBusiness | bachelors | $35,416 | $33,993 |
| Management Information Systems and ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $31,762 | $37,779 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherMultidisciplinary Studies | bachelors | $29,995 | $28,348 |
| Communication and Media StudiesCommunications | bachelors | $29,685 | $28,212 |
| Culinary Arts and Related ServicesCulinary & Personal Services | bachelors | $29,413 | $26,997 |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition ServicesHealth Professions | bachelors | $28,598 | $28,055 |
Campus facts
- Founded in 1948source
- Athletic nickname: "Colonels"source
- Mascot: Colonel Tillousource
- Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium seats about 10,500source
- Competes in NCAA Division Isource
- School colors: #A6192E and #7C858Csource
- Motto: "People Creating Possibilities"source
- Formerly known as "Francis T. Nicholls Junior College" (1948–1956)source
- Formerly known as "Francis T. Nicholls State College" (1956–1970)source
- Athletic conference: FCSsource
- A [[National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program institutionsource
- A Space-grant]] institutionsource
- Plays for the "NSU Trophy" (since 1973)source
- Plays for the "River Bell Trophy" (since 1972)source
- Plays for the "Paddle Trophy" (since 1980)source
- Fight song: ""[[Nicholls State Colonels Fight Song]]""source
Athletics — 10 sports
NCAA Division I-FCS · NCAA Division I
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $3,275,238 (M $2,031,361 · W $1,243,877)
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Beach Volleyball
- Football
- Golf
- Soccer
- Softball
- Tennis
- Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
- Volleyball
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Similar-size colleges
Nearest undergraduate enrollment to Nicholls State University’s 4,772 (College Scorecard UGDS, compiled 2026-10-24). Size only — not a judgment of similarity or quality.
In LA
- McNeese State UniversityLake Charles, LA · 4,846 undergrads
- University of Louisiana at MonroeMonroe, LA · 4,891 undergrads
- University of New OrleansNew Orleans, LA · 4,479 undergrads
- Louisiana State University-AlexandriaAlexandria, LA · 4,414 undergrads
- Southern University and A & M CollegeBaton Rouge, LA · 5,323 undergrads
- Grambling State UniversityGrambling, LA · 4,144 undergrads
Elsewhere
- Jackson State UniversityJackson, MS · 4,769 undergrads
- Virginia State UniversityPetersburg, VA · 4,787 undergrads
- Trinity Valley Community CollegeAthens, TX · 4,793 undergrads
- Lindenwood UniversitySaint Charles, MO · 4,748 undergrads
- University of New HavenWest Haven, CT · 4,799 undergrads
- Saint Joseph's UniversityPhiladelphia, PA · 4,742 undergrads
Key links
- Official websitenicholls.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 159966)
- Compare colleges in LARe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in LouisianaEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Compare with McNeese State UniversitySide by side on every Scorecard measure — closest in-state school by enrollment
- Showdown: Nicholls State University vs McNeese State UniversityHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 10 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.