# Northwestern State University of Louisiana (NSU)

Public college in Natchitoches, LA. IPEDS ID 160038.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/northwestern-state-university-of-louisiana · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/northwestern-state-university-of-louisiana.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 93% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $13,606 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 43%; beats 36% of LA colleges and 30% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $47,021; beats 48% of LA colleges and 32% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $15,000

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $11,693 |
| 30-48k | $12,261 |
| 48-75k | $12,549 |
| 75-110k | $17,777 |
| 110k+ | $19,077 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, in-state. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.32 years on average (32% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $47,021 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $32,488 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in LA (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $11,693 | $50,514 | 3.5 years |
| 30-48k | $12,261 | $52,968 | 3.6 years |
| 48-75k | $12,549 | $54,212 | 3.7 years |
| 75-110k | $17,777 | $76,797 | 5.3 years |
| 110k+ | $19,077 | $82,413 | 5.7 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $25,431 in-state; about $36,219 out-of-state
- Tuition and fees: $8,864 in-state, $19,652 out-of-state
- Housing and meals: $10,617; books: $1,300

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 448–610; SAT math: 418–553; ACT: 18–24 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 3,194 applicants, 2,994 admitted, 1,033 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 93%, ACT 18–24 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 94%, ACT 18–24 (IPEDS Admissions)

## Majors (31 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $74,935 | $86,608 | $25,638 |
| Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians | $45,639 | $74,209 | $25,625 |
| Health Sciences | $59,186 | $67,765 | $42,605 |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | $58,627 | $66,559 | $26,797 |
| Information Science / Studies | not reported | $63,928 | $29,000 |
| Accounting | $48,895 | $60,861 | $29,371 |
| Biology | $25,078 | $55,452 | $26,821 |
| History | not reported | $55,115 | not reported |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $46,908 | $53,800 | $23,662 |
| Business Administration | $37,020 | $51,927 | $28,750 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $28,009 | $51,722 | $24,000 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $46,458 | $51,672 | $27,962 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $32,688 | $47,652 | $31,000 |
| Social Work | $33,596 | $47,296 | $28,875 |
| Psychology | $32,765 | $44,492 | $26,959 |
| Criminal Justice | $30,559 | $44,267 | $31,000 |
| Hospitality Management | $35,452 | $44,227 | $20,500 |
| Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences | $38,010 | $42,434 | $43,158 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | $24,340 | $42,065 | $27,000 |
| Music | $23,529 | $39,223 | $22,885 |
| Communications | $25,137 | $37,273 | $21,750 |
| Theatre | $16,973 | $36,229 | $22,250 |
| Electrical / Electronic Engineering Technologies / Technicians | $39,282 | not reported | $27,000 |
| Human Development and Family Studies | $27,373 | not reported | $31,000 |
| English | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $53,442 | not reported | $31,000 |
| Physical Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Dance | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Studio Art | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Nursing → Registered nurse: median wage not reported (metro), $80,230 (LA), $97,550 (U.S.)
- Business Administration → Management analyst: median wage not reported (metro), $95,540 (LA), $101,860 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).