Northwestern State University of Louisiana
Natchitoches, LA · Public · Town (remote) · NSU · NSUL · NSULA · Northwestern · Northwestern State University · NwSU
Public institution in Natchitoches, LA · 5,840 undergraduates · 94% acceptance rate · $47,021 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 20%Undergraduates
- Top 23%In-state tuition & fees
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
- $13,809575th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $8,864468th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $19,652835th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $24,496652nd cheapest of 1,969 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $25,0001,238th lowest of 1,865 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $47,0211,241st highest of 1,954 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $39,4851,254th highest of 1,950 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 44.6%1,355th highest of 2,014 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 70.4%1,211th highest of 1,837 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 93.7%1,359th most selective of 1,596 reporting
- Average SAT
- 1090704th highest of 1,022 reporting
- Median ACT
- 19865th highest of 952 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 5,840432nd largest of 2,144 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 16.0:11,454th smallest of 2,141 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 34.9%944th highest of 2,122 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 180 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 31 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professions | bachelors | $61,789 | $63,326 |
| Information Science/StudiesComputer Science | bachelors | $61,516 | $59,350 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, GeneralHealth Professions | bachelors | $55,693 | $45,529 |
| Industrial Production Technologies/TechniciansEngineering Technology | bachelors | $43,128 | $45,696 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsHealth Professions | bachelors | $43,000 | $43,957 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasEducation | bachelors | $42,682 | $40,945 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsEducation | bachelors | $41,058 | $39,214 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $35,060 | $33,459 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $35,060 | $35,861 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsHomeland Security & Law Enforcement | bachelors | $32,498 | $28,870 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsHealth Professions | bachelors | $29,685 | $26,585 |
| Hospitality Administration/ManagementBusiness | bachelors | $28,960 | $31,527 |
Campus facts
- Founded in 1884source
- Athletic nickname: "Lady Demons"source
- Competes in NCAA Division Isource
- School colors: Purple and Whitesource
- Mascot: Vic the Demonsource
- Motto: "Dedicated to one goal. Yours."source
- Campus size: about 916 acressource
- Formerly known as "Louisiana State Normal School" (1884–1944)source
- Formerly known as "Northwestern State College of Louisiana" (1944–1970)source
- Athletic conference: FCSsource
- A [[National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program institutionsource
- A Space-grant]] institutionsource
- Football rivalry: McNeese–Northwestern State (since 1951)source
- Football rivalry: Northwestern State–Southeastern Louisiana (since 1935)source
- Plays for the "The Chief" (since 1924)source
- Plays for the "NSU Trophy" (since 1973)source
- Football rivalry: Louisiana Tech–Northwestern State (since 1907)source
- Fight song: ""Demon Fight Song""source
Athletics — 8 sports
NCAA Division I-FCS · NCAA Division I
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $5,403,600 (M $2,970,148 · W $2,433,452)
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Football
- 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 Northwestern State University of Louisiana’s 5,840 (College Scorecard UGDS, compiled 2026-10-24). Size only — not a judgment of similarity or quality.
In LA
- Southern University and A & M CollegeBaton Rouge, LA · 5,323 undergrads
- University of Louisiana at MonroeMonroe, LA · 4,891 undergrads
- McNeese State UniversityLake Charles, LA · 4,846 undergrads
- Nicholls State UniversityThibodaux, LA · 4,772 undergrads
- University of New OrleansNew Orleans, LA · 4,479 undergrads
- Louisiana State University-AlexandriaAlexandria, LA · 4,414 undergrads
Elsewhere
- Los Angeles Film SchoolHollywood, CA · 5,833 undergrads
- Albany State UniversityAlbany, GA · 5,829 undergrads
- Michigan Technological UniversityHoughton, MI · 5,829 undergrads
- California State University-Monterey BaySeaside, CA · 5,811 undergrads
- Lehigh UniversityBethlehem, PA · 5,803 undergrads
- Colorado School of MinesGolden, CO · 5,801 undergrads
Key links
- Official websitensula.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 160038)
- 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 Southern University and A & M CollegeSide by side on every Scorecard measure — closest in-state school by enrollment
- Showdown: Northwestern State University of Louisiana vs Southern University and A & M CollegeHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 8 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.