More selective than 45% 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 $23,905. College Scorecard.
Higher than 4% of Louisiana colleges we cover and 2% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 4% of Louisiana colleges we cover and 4% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
SUNO acceptance rate & admissions
Of 2,920 applicants, Southern University at New Orleans admitted 1,758 and 154 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 820–1050 on the SAT or 15–20 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
SUNO 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 SUNO costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Southern University at New Orleans took 4.7 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 | $14,771 | $69,276 | more than 20 years |
| $30–48k | n/a | — | not available |
| $48–75k | n/a | — | not available |
| $75–110k | $19,360 | $90,798 | more than 20 years |
| $110k+ | n/a | — | not available |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.7 years, the average time graduates took (8% 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 ($34,042) minus $32,488 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in LA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $1,554 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.
SUNO majors, earnings & careers
Southern University at New Orleans offers 20 bachelor's majors across 7 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 6
- Humanities & Languages · 4
- Health & Medicine · 3
- Education · 2
- Science & Math · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Business & Finance · 1
Highest-earning majors at SUNO
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Social Work | $49,709 | $42,000 |
| Human Development and Family Studies | $47,390 | $56,000 |
| Health Administration | $44,788 | — |
| Criminal Justice | $44,723 | $45,149 |
| Biology | $44,350 | — |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $44,226 | $55,541 |
| Business Administration | $42,068 | $38,319 |
| Psychology | $39,139 | $47,500 |
Quick list of all 20 majors
- Biology$44,350
- Business Administration$42,068
- Criminal Justice$44,723
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- English—
- Health Administration$44,788
- History—
- Human Development and Family Studies$47,390
- Information Science / Studies—
- Information Technology—
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$44,226
- Mathematics—
- Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions—
- Nursing—
- Psychology$39,139
- Public Administration—
- Security / Homeland Security—
- Social Work$49,709
— 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 →Criminal Justice → Police officer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Social Work → Social worker
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 4.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in New Orleans
Overall prices in the New Orleans-Metairie, LA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,480. Housing costs 14% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 60 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: hurricane (very high); river flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Orleans Parish
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Orleans Parish at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare SUNO 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern University at New Orleans | 79% | $14,810 | 13% | $34,042 | This school |
| Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-New Orleans | — | — | — | $78,495 | |
| University of New Orleans | 74% | $12,384 | 38% | $47,872 | |
| Southern University Law Center | — | — | — | $43,371 | |
| McNeese State University | 78% | $12,493 | 47% | $46,453 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Common questions about SUNO
What is the SUNO acceptance rate?
Southern University at New Orleans accepts 79% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,758 of 2,920 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 820–1050 on the SAT or 15–20 on the ACT.
How much does Southern University at New Orleans cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $23,905 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $14,810 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $14,771 and families earning $110k+ pay —.
How much do SUNO graduates earn?
Former Southern University at New Orleans students earn a median $34,042 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the SUNO graduation rate?
13% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 52% return for their second year.
Is SUNO the right fit for your family?
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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: “Southern University at New Orleans: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/southern-university-at-new-orleans (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).