More selective than 27% 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 $23,481. College Scorecard.
Higher than 72% of Louisiana colleges we cover and 50% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 32% of Louisiana colleges we cover and 27% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Nicholls State University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 3,320 applicants, Nicholls State University admitted 3,188 and 1,169 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 934–1196 on the SAT or 19–24 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Nicholls State University 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 Nicholls State University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Nicholls State University took 4.5 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 | $10,714 | $48,427 | 3.7 years |
| $30–48k | $10,527 | $47,582 | 3.7 years |
| $48–75k | $12,139 | $54,868 | 4.2 years |
| $75–110k | $16,784 | $75,864 | 5.9 years |
| $110k+ | $17,954 | $81,152 | 6.3 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (30% 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 ($45,454) minus $32,488 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in LA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $12,966 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.
Nicholls State University majors, earnings & careers
Nicholls State University offers 32 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 5
- Health & Medicine · 5
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 5
- Engineering · 4
- Education · 3
- Humanities & Languages · 3
- Science & Math · 3
- Arts & Design · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Trades & Applied Technology · 1
Highest-earning majors at Nicholls State University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $79,428 | $25,631 |
| Mining and Petroleum Technologies / Technicians | $74,167 | $19,125 |
| Accounting | $66,499 | $23,410 |
| Management Information Systems | $65,635 | $26,875 |
| Business Administration | $54,927 | $26,000 |
| Marketing | $53,871 | $23,025 |
| History | $50,107 | $28,512 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $49,442 | $22,692 |
Quick list of all 32 majors
- Accounting$66,499
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Biology$45,142
- Business Administration$54,927
- Chemistry—
- Communications$46,355
- Criminal Justice—
- Culinary Arts and Related Services$46,969
- Dietetics$47,677
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$49,442
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Engineering-Related Technologies / Technicians—
- English$41,459
- Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences$40,241
- Finance—
- Health Sciences$49,343
- History$50,107
- Management Information Systems$65,635
- Marketing$53,871
- Mathematics—
- Mining and Petroleum Technologies / Technicians$74,167
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$43,992
- Music—
- Nursing$79,428
- Political Science—
- Psychology$43,011
- Quality Control and Safety Technologies / Technicians—
- Sociology$47,361
- Special Education$47,646
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders—
- Studio Art$39,637
- Surveying Engineering—
— 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 →Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Houma
Overall prices in the Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,098. Housing costs 49% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 71 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: hurricane (relatively high); tornado (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Lafourche Parish
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Lafourche Parish at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Nicholls State University 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicholls State University | 91% | $12,947 | 54% | $45,454 | This school |
| University of Louisiana at Monroe | 85% | $13,466 | 54% | $46,769 | |
| Northwestern State University of Louisiana | 93% | $13,606 | 43% | $47,021 | |
| McNeese State University | 78% | $12,493 | 47% | $46,453 | |
| Louisiana State University-Alexandria | 92% | $7,065 | 34% | $42,205 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Nicholls State University would cost you $519 less per year than University of Louisiana at Monroe, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Nicholls State University, mostly from more Nicholls State University students living at home, which lowers its average (−$1,186).
- University of Louisiana at Monroe gives aided families $932 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Louisiana resident | Nicholls State University | University of Louisiana at Monroe | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $8,149 | $9,190 | −$1,041 |
| Books & supplies | $1,300 | $1,300 | $0 |
| Housing & meals | $10,938 | $10,182 | +$756 |
| Personal & travel | $5,996 | $5,976 | +$20 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,902 | −$1,716 | −$1,186 |
| Sticker price | $23,481 | $24,932 | −$1,451 |
| Average grants | −$10,534 | −$11,466 | +$932 |
| You pay | $12,947 | $13,466 | −$519 |
“+” means Nicholls State University 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 Nicholls State University
What is the Nicholls State University acceptance rate?
Nicholls State University accepts 91% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 3,188 of 3,320 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 934–1196 on the SAT or 19–24 on the ACT.
How much does Nicholls State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $23,481 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $12,947 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $10,714 and families earning $110k+ pay $17,954.
How much do Nicholls State University graduates earn?
Former Nicholls State University students earn a median $45,454 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Nicholls State University graduation rate?
54% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 77% return for their second year.
How long does a Nicholls State University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Nicholls State University costs about $54,868 after grants ($12,139 a year for 4.5 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $45,454 ten years after starting, $12,966 more than high school graduates in Louisiana ($32,488), so the cost is repaid in 4.2 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: “Nicholls State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/nicholls-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).