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Northwestern State University of Louisiana: cost, admission and results

Northwestern State University of Louisiana is a public college in Natchitoches, Louisiana. It has about 5,519 undergraduate students. It admits 93% of applicants. The average net price for students with federal aid is $12,842 a year.

At a glance

  • 93%Admission rate
  • $12,842Net price a year
  • 44%Graduation rate
  • $51,238Median earnings, 10 years on
Location
Natchitoches, Louisiana 71497
Type
Public
Degrees
Mostly bachelor's degrees (four-year)
Setting
Remote town
Undergraduate students
5,519
Graduate students
901
Students per teacher
16 to 1
Accredited by
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Website
nsula.edu

Getting in

Northwestern State University of Louisiana admits 93% of those who apply, which makes it open to most applicants. The median admission rate of colleges on this site that report one is 77%. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1088 out of 1600 (midpoints: 530 in reading and writing, 490 in maths). The midpoint ACT score is 19 out of 36.

What it costs

Tuition and fees, students from Louisiana$9,370
Tuition and fees, students from elsewhere$20,158
Room and meals on campus$11,306
Books and supplies$1,385
Average full cost of a year (tuition, living, books), before aid$25,426
Average net price after grants and scholarships$12,842

The net price is what students who got federal aid paid on average for a year after grants and scholarships were taken off (for a public college, students from inside the state). It is 14% below the median net price of colleges in Louisiana on this site ($14,924). International students are normally charged the out-of-state tuition and do not receive US federal aid.

Net price by family income

Family income a yearAverage net price
Up to $30,000$12,760
$30,001 to $48,000$10,038
$48,001 to $75,000$10,217
$75,001 to $110,000$14,572
Above $110,000$19,044

For students who received federal aid. A negative figure means grants were larger than the cost counted.

For an estimate that fits your own family, use the college's net price calculator.

Results

MeasureThis collegeLA medianUS median
Students who come back for a second year71%71%73%
Students who finish their degree (within one and a half times the normal length)44%49%49%
Median earnings 10 years after starting$51,238$50,152$53,132
Median federal loan debt of those who finish$24,875$22,246$19,994

Medians are the middle value of the colleges on this site in Louisiana and in the whole country. Completion and return rates count first-time, full-time students. Earnings and debt count students who received federal aid.

The students

38% of undergraduates receive a Pell Grant, the federal grant for students from lower-income families. 35% take a federal student loan. The undergraduate body is 71% women and 29% men. By undergraduate numbers it is number 7 of the 34 colleges in Louisiana on this site that report a size; the middle-sized one has 2,032.

Other colleges in Louisiana of a similar size

Common questions

What is the acceptance rate of Northwestern State University of Louisiana?

Northwestern State University of Louisiana admits 93% of applicants, according to the College Scorecard.

How much is tuition at Northwestern State University of Louisiana?

Published tuition and fees are $9,370 a year for students from Louisiana and $20,158 for others. Most students with aid pay less: see the net price.

What is the graduation rate of Northwestern State University of Louisiana?

44% of first-time, full-time students finish within one and a half times the normal length of the course.

Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education, data released on 2 November 2026; checked in November 2026. Net price, debt and earnings describe students who received US federal aid. Costs change each year. This is official data for general information, not advice: confirm costs and admission rules on the college's own website and at collegescorecard.ed.gov.

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