Louisiana State University-Alexandria (LSUA) vs Northwestern State

Louisiana State University-Alexandria (LSUA) and Northwestern State University of Louisiana (NSU) are two distinct universities in Louisiana, each offering unique educational experiences. LSUA, located in Alexandria, is a smaller institution with an acceptance rate of 100%, making it a great option for students seeking personalized attention. NSU, situated in Natchitoches, is a larger university with an acceptance rate of 86%, known for its strong academic programs and vibrant campus life. While both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate and graduate programs, LSUA excels in fields like nursing, business, and education, while NSU is renowned for its programs in engineering, nursing, and business. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about the differences in acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, graduation rates, and other key factors that can help you make an informed decision about your higher education journey.

	Louisiana State University-Alexandria	Northwestern State University of Louisiana
Overview
Location	Alexandria, Louisiana	Natchitoches, Louisiana
Campus setting	Rural: Fringe	Town: Remote
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	57.0%	64.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	58.3%	96.3%
Application fees	$20	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $25
SAT range	970 - 1210	920 - 1120
ACT range	18 - 22	16 - 22
Students submitting SAT score	10.0%	3.0%
Students submitting ACT score	90.0%	88.0%
Total number of applicants	3,174	3,738
Total number of admissions given out	1,850	3,599
Admitted students who chose to enroll	410	1,299
Yield rate	22.2%	36.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $21,095 Out of state: $28,234	In state: $25,094 Out of state: $35,882
Average net price	$7,342	$13,500
Tuition	In state: $4,895 Out of state: $4,984	In state: $5,180 Out of state: $15,968
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,250 Meal plan: $3,250	Room/dormitory: $5,964 Meal plan: $4,100
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	88.0% Average amount $6,724	93.0% Average amount $9,347
Students receiving federal student loan	37.0% Average amount $6,430	65.0% Average amount $4,878
Students taking out private loans	3.0% Average amount $6,402	4.0% Average amount $10,829

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,771 Men 29.5% Women 70.5%	9,622 Men 29.0% Women 71.0%
Graduate students	N/A	1,113 Men 19.1% Women 80.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	3.0%	1.3%
International students	1.8%	1.5%
Campus local/setting	Rural: Fringe	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	390	1,492
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Louisiana Florida Texas California Maine	Louisiana Texas California Colorado Mississippi

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Liberal Arts Business Psychology Education	Health Professions Liberal Arts Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	19:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	26.5%	44.1%
Dropout rate	37.5%	52.7%
Transferred out	24.8%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $61,740 Year 2: $44,021 Year 3: $46,159 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,218 Year 2: $42,235 Year 3: $39,780 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,644 Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: $34,788 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,112 Year 2: $30,228 Year 3: $31,471 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,239 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: N/A Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,752 Year 2: $30,228 Year 3: N/A Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $39,737 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,354 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $90,397 Year 2: $91,152 Year 3: $97,402 Information Science/Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,057 Year 2: $59,350 Year 3: $74,454 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,885 Year 2: $63,326 Year 3: $66,285 Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,023 Year 2: $45,696 Year 3: $60,510 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $63,860 Year 2: $60,226 Year 3: $58,469 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,493 Year 2: $43,957 Year 3: $53,304 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $32,570 Year 2: $44,170 Year 3: $51,224 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $45,699 Year 2: $48,432 Year 3: $49,876 English Language and Literature, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $35,535 Year 2: $45,277 Year 3: $45,495 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $41,907 Year 2: $43,277 Year 3: $44,409

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