More selective than 68% of Louisiana colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $34,705. College Scorecard.
Higher than 92% of Louisiana colleges we cover and 77% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 92% of Louisiana colleges we cover and 72% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
LSU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 42,558 applicants, Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College admitted 31,491 and 7,521 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1180–1340 on the SAT or 24–30 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
LSU tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Louisiana residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What LSU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College took 4.4 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Louisiana. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $13,056 | $56,924 | 2.0 years |
| $30–48k | $15,696 | $68,435 | 2.4 years |
| $48–75k | $20,223 | $88,172 | 3.1 years |
| $75–110k | $23,878 | $104,108 | 3.6 years |
| $110k+ | $26,489 | $115,492 | 4.0 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (46% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($61,251) minus $32,488 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in LA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $28,763 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
LSU majors, earnings & careers
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College offers 83 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Engineering · 15
- Science & Math · 15
- Business & Finance · 12
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 11
- Education · 9
- Humanities & Languages · 8
- Health & Medicine · 6
- Arts & Design · 4
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
Highest-earning majors at LSU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical Engineering | $114,226 | $20,500 |
| Computer Engineering | $106,897 | — |
| Petroleum Engineering | $103,421 | $25,750 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $99,975 | $18,500 |
| Electrical Engineering | $97,208 | $22,368 |
| Finance | $95,302 | $19,500 |
| Industrial Engineering | $94,748 | $21,500 |
| Construction Management | $91,660 | $24,000 |
Quick list of all 83 majors
- Accounting$82,617
- Agricultural Business—
- Agricultural Production Operations—
- Agricultural Public Services—
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Animal Sciences$43,797
- Anthropology$44,738
- Apparel and Textiles$48,603
- Architectural Sciences and Technology—
- Architecture$69,029
- Biochemistry—
- Biological and Physical Sciences—
- Biology$56,019
- Biomedical Engineering—
- Business Administration$64,590
- Business Economics$81,799
- Chemical Engineering$114,226
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering$85,627
- Communications$55,245
- Computer Engineering$106,897
- Computer Science$89,307
- Construction Management$91,660
- Curriculum and Instruction—
- Data Analytics—
- Economics—
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$51,577
- Education (Subject Teaching)$61,045
- Education, Other—
- Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research—
- Electrical Engineering$97,208
- Engineering Science—
- English$49,464
- Entrepreneurship—
- Environmental / Natural Resources Management and Policy$50,173
- Environmental Engineering$80,129
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences$38,968
- Film and Photography—
- Finance$95,302
- Food Science and Technology—
- Geography$66,168
- Geology / Earth Science$67,493
- History$48,454
- Human Development and Family Studies$50,422
- Human Resources—
- Industrial Engineering$94,748
- Interior Architecture$58,518
- International / Global Studies$49,540
- International Business$65,326
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$56,413
- Landscape Architecture$68,140
- Law—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$43,964
- Library Science and Administration—
- Management Science / Analytics$80,498
- Marketing$60,408
- Materials Engineering—
- Mathematics$64,121
- Mechanical Engineering$99,975
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$47,176
- Music$47,521
- Nutrition Science$55,159
- Petroleum Engineering$103,421
- Philosophy$50,016
- Physics—
- Plant Sciences—
- Political Science$67,007
- Psychology$51,675
- Public Administration—
- Social Work—
- Sociology$54,442
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$51,592
- Special Education—
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$55,630
- Student Counseling and Personnel Services—
- Studio Art$43,364
- Theatre$38,317
- Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences—
- Veterinary Medicine—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Communications → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Education (Subject Teaching) → High school teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Baton Rouge
Overall prices in the Baton Rouge, LA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,149. Housing costs 26% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 66 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: hurricane (very high); tornado (very high); river flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, East Baton Rouge Parish
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
East Baton Rouge Parish at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare LSU with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Louisiana by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | 73% | $19,151 | 69% | $61,251 | This school |
| Louisiana Tech University | 86% | $11,864 | 64% | $52,279 | |
| University of Louisiana at Lafayette | 87% | $13,530 | 53% | $47,089 | |
| McNeese State University | 78% | $12,493 | 47% | $46,453 | |
| University of Louisiana at Monroe | 85% | $13,466 | 54% | $46,769 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College would cost you $7,287 more per year than Louisiana Tech University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College, mostly from higher housing & meal costs (+$4,849).
- Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College gives aided families $3,138 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Louisiana resident | LSU | Louisiana Tech University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $11,954 | $10,125 | +$1,829 |
| Books & supplies | $1,084 | $1,590 | −$506 |
| Housing & meals | $14,296 | $9,447 | +$4,849 |
| Personal & travel | $7,884 | $3,603 | +$4,281 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$513 | −$485 | −$28 |
| Sticker price | $34,705 | $24,280 | +$10,425 |
| Average grants | −$15,554 | −$12,416 | −$3,138 |
| You pay | $19,151 | $11,864 | +$7,287 |
“+” means LSU costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about LSU
What is the LSU acceptance rate?
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College accepts 73% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 31,491 of 42,558 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1180–1340 on the SAT or 24–30 on the ACT.
How much does Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $34,705 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $19,151 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $13,056 and families earning $110k+ pay $26,489.
How much do LSU graduates earn?
Former Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College students earn a median $61,251 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the LSU graduation rate?
69% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 85% return for their second year.
How long does a LSU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College costs about $88,172 after grants ($20,223 a year for 4.4 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $61,251 ten years after starting, $28,763 more than high school graduates in Louisiana ($32,488), so the cost is repaid in 3.1 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/louisiana-state-university-and-agricultural-and-mechanical-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).