The best colleges in Louisiana for 2027 are Tulane University, Louisiana State University, and LSU Shreveport. Louisiana is a great place to go to college, with public and private schools that give students a solid education at a wide range of prices.
This guide introduces the Best Colleges in Louisiana 2027, whether you want a big university or a small liberal arts college. Read the University Magazine rankings methodology and see our university rankings for context.
The Best Colleges In Louisiana 2027
1. Tulane University
Tulane University is a private research university in New Orleans. It began in 1834 as the Medical College of Louisiana and became Tulane University of Louisiana in 1884. About 14,000 students enrolled in fall 2022, and the Class of 2029 admission rate was 14.7 percent. It is an R1 institution and has been a member of the Association of American Universities since 1958.
The School of Medicine is the 15th oldest in the country, and Newcomb College, set up in 1886, was the first coeducational college for women in the U.S. The School of Public Health was ranked 10th in 2025. U.S. News ranked Tulane 59th among national universities in its 2027 edition, tying it with Tulane. The Green Wave compete in NCAA Division I FBS in the American Conference.
2. Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University (LSU) is the state’s flagship university, located in Baton Rouge. It opened on January 2, 1860, as the Louisiana State Seminary of Learning and Military Academy. Fall 2024 enrollment was 42,016, including 34,502 undergraduates. It is an R1 research university and holds land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant status.
Its colleges and schools include agriculture, engineering, the E. J. Ourso College of Business, the Manship School of Mass Communication, and the School of Veterinary Medicine. Students interested in energy fields can also explore our top colleges for petroleum engineering. The Tigers play in the SEC and have won 53 team national championships. Joe Burrow won the 2019 Heisman Trophy here.
3. Louisiana State University – Shreveport
Louisiana State University Shreveport (LSUS) opened in 1967 as a two-year commuter college and is part of the LSU System. It offers 25 undergraduate programs, 13 master’s programs, and one doctoral program, the Doctor of Education in Leadership Studies. All of its business degrees are AACSB-accredited.
Five master’s degrees can be completed fully online: nonprofit administration, an MBA, two Master of Education degrees, and health administration. For more distance options, see our guide to the best online colleges in Louisiana. The Pilots compete in the NAIA’s Red River Athletic Conference, and the baseball team won its first national championship in 2025.
4. Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University in Ruston opened in 1894 as the Industrial Institute and College of Louisiana and became Louisiana Tech in 1970. It is part of the University of Louisiana System and enrolls about 11,100 students. It also has sites in Shreveport, Bossier City, and Barksdale Air Force Base.
Five colleges cover applied and natural sciences, business, education, engineering and science, and liberal arts. The engineering college launched the country’s first cyber engineering bachelor’s degree in 2012, and the university is classified as R2. The Bulldogs compete in NCAA Division I FBS, and the Lady Techsters won basketball national titles in 1981, 1982, and 1988. Alumni include Terry Bradshaw and Karl Malone.
5. Nicholls State University
Nicholls State University in Thibodaux sits on Bayou Lafourche about 50 miles southwest of New Orleans. It opened on September 23, 1948, as Francis T. Nicholls Junior College of LSU. Enrollment is about 6,400, and the campus is small and friendly.
Colleges include sciences and technology, business administration, education and behavioural sciences, nursing, and liberal arts. The Chef John Folse Culinary Institute was one of the first in the country to offer bachelor’s degrees in culinary arts, and it is the only American member of the Institut Paul Bocuse. The Colonels compete in NCAA Division I, with football in the FCS, in the Southland Conference.
6. Northwestern State University of Louisiana
Northwestern State University of Louisiana (NSU) opened in 1884 in Natchitoches as the Louisiana State Normal School. It also has a nursing center in Shreveport and general campuses in Leesville and Alexandria. Fall 2018 brought its record enrollment of 11,081, before the pandemic cut numbers.
NSU says it was the first school in Louisiana to offer nursing degree programs. It hosts the Louisiana Scholars’ College, the state’s designated honours college in the liberal arts and sciences. It offers more than 50 degree programs. The Demons compete in NCAA Division I in the Southland Conference with 12 varsity teams, and the mascot is Vic the Demon.
7. University of Louisiana at Lafayette
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette) was founded on July 14, 1898, as the Southwestern Louisiana Industrial Institute. Fall 2023 enrollment was 19,056, and the university reported a record $181 million in research and development spending in 2023. It is part of the University of Louisiana System.
It offers Louisiana’s only Ph.D. in francophone studies, and it holds the world’s largest collection of Cajun and Creole folklore materials. In 2007, it launched CAPE-1, the state’s first university-built satellite. Engineering students can also visit our Topospace Engineering College. The Ragin’ Cajuns compete in the Sun Belt Conference.
8. University of Louisiana – Monroe
The University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM) opened in 1931 as Ouachita Parish Junior College and is part of the University of Louisiana System. It enrolled 8,678 students in fall 2025, 6,772 of them undergraduates.
Its four colleges are Business and Social Sciences, Pharmacy, Arts, Education and Sciences, and Health Sciences. The College of Pharmacy dates to 1956 and became a separate college in 2005. ULM’s toxicology bachelor’s degree, started in 1982, is one of six in the country. The Warhawks compete in NCAA Division I FBS in the Sun Belt Conference, and alumni include country star Tim McGraw. Before 2006, the teams were called the Indians, played in the Southland Conference, and wore maroon and gold.
9. Southeastern Louisiana University
Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond opened in 1925 as Hammond Junior College, founded by Linus A. Sims. It enrolled about 14,300 students and has five colleges, 18 academic departments, and more than 60 degree programs.
Nursing programs are offered in Hammond and Baton Rouge, and the university offers a master’s in nursing in partnership with the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The Lions and Lady Lions compete in NCAA Division I in the Southland Conference, with football in the FCS and 16 varsity teams. Alumni include broadcaster Robin Roberts, astronaut Hayley Arceneaux, and jazz pianist Bill Evans. Hammond is a manageable college town between New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
10. Louisiana Christian UniversitFoundeded on October 3, 1906, as Louisiana College by Baptist educator Edwin O. Ware S, LouisianarChristian University in Pineville, across the Red River from Alexandria,It took its current name in 2021. The Louisiana Baptist Convention, part of the Southern Baptist Convention, is its affiliate.
Fall 2024 enrollment was 936, including 763 undergraduates, so classes are small. The Wildcats compete in the NAIA, mainly in the Red River Athletic Conference, with football in the Sooner Athletic Conference. They played NCAA Division III in the American Southwest Conference from 2000 to 2001 and again from 2020 to 2021. Notable alumni include singer and governor Jimmie Davis.
11. Louisiana State University – Alexandria
Louisiana State University of Alexandria (LSUA) is a 218-acre rural campus about eight miles south of downtown Alexandria. The legislature authorized it in 1959, and the first students arrived in 1960. Fall 2025 enrollment hit a record 7,684, and the university is part of the LSU System.
It is undergraduate-only, with Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of General Studies degrees. It offers associate degrees in nursing and radiologic technology, as well as a pharmacy technology certificate. The Generals compete in the NAIA, mainly in the Red River Athletic Conference, with seven varsity sports. It was known as Louisiana State University at Alexandria from 1959 until a 2014 rebrand.
12. Xavier University of Louisiana
The Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans is the only Catholic HBCU in the country. St. Katharine Drexel founded it in 1925. Fall 2024 enrollment was 3,218, including 2,688 undergraduates.
The College of Pharmacy began in 1927 and ranks among the top three schools for graduating African American Pharm.D. recipients. A 2012 report said more of its Black alumni go on to medical school than those of any other college. The Gold Rush compete in the NAIA, mainly in the Red River Athletic Conference, and the competitive cheer team won national titles in 2022 and 2026. Its high school roots go back to 1915.
13. Loyola University New Orleans
Loyola University New Orleans is a Jesuit Catholic university that began as Loyola College in 1904 and was chartered as a university on July 10, 1912. Fall 2022 enrollment was 4,351, including 3,205 undergraduates. It is a member of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities.
Five colleges cover arts and sciences, business, music and fine arts, law, and nursing and health. The College of Music is described as the only Jesuit college of music in the United States. Alumni include Harry Connick Jr. The Wolf Pack compete in the NAIA, mainly in the Southern States Athletic Conference, with 18 varsity sports.
14. Centenary College of Louisiana
Centenary College of Louisiana in Shreveport is a United Methodist college chartered in 1825 as the College of Louisiana at Jackson. It adopted the name Centenary in 1846. Enrollment is small, about 705 undergraduates and 33 graduate students.
Its teams are the Gentlemen and Ladies, competing in NCAA Division III in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference with 20 teams. Football returned in the 2024 season, and early alumni include Louisiana governor Oramel H. Simpson (Class of 1890). Notable alumni include NBA Hall of Famer Robert Parish and golfer Hal Sutton. For students who want a small liberal arts college, it is one of the few options in the state.
15. Southern University & A&M College
Southern University and A&M College is a public land-grant HBCU in Baton Rouge, chartered in 1880 as Southern University for Colored Students. Classes opened in March 1881. It is the flagship of the Southern University System, and fall 2024 enrollment was 7,483.
It is the largest HBCU in Louisiana, and it reached R2 status in 2021, the first HBCU in the state to do so. The university offers education, business, sciences and engineering, social and behavioural sciences, agriculture, and nursing and allied health, and the Law Center is on campus. The Human Jukebox marching band has played in six Super Bowl halftime shows. The Jaguars compete in the SWAC.
16. LSU New Orleans
LSU New Orleans, long known as the University of New Orleans, opened in 1958 as Louisiana State University in New Orleans. Lawmakers voted in 2025 to return it to the LSU System in July 2026 under the new name. Enrollment is about 5,200.
Degrees run through five colleges: business administration, liberal arts, education and human development, engineering, and sciences. It reopened after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, first online and then on campus. The Privateers compete in NCAA Division I in the Southland Conference with 14 varsity teams. Budget cuts in 2024 and furloughs in 2025 followed a drop in enrollment.
17. McNeese State University
McNeese State University in Lake Charles opened in 1939 as Lake Charles Junior College and took its present name in 1970. It sits on a 121-acre urban campus and enrolled 6,556 students in fall 2025.
It has colleges of business, education, engineering and sciences, liberal arts, and nursing and health professions, plus a graduate school. Engineering has close ties to the nearby petrochemical industry. In 2021, McNeese began offering the state’s first Doctor of Nursing Practice in advanced psychiatric mental health nursing. The Cowboys and Cowgirls compete in NCAA Division I in the Southland Conference. Alumni include Basketball Hall of Famer Joe Dumars and Pulitzer-winning novelist Adam Johnson.
18. Grambling State University
Grambling State University is a public HBCU in the University of Louisiana System, in the small north Louisiana town of Grambling. It opened in 1901 as the Colored Industrial and Agricultural School. The rural campus covers 384 acres, and enrollment is about 5,200.
Four colleges offer two doctoral programs: developmental education and criminology and justice administration. In 2020, it became the first Louisiana college to offer bachelor’s degrees in cybersecurity and cloud computing. The World Famed Tiger Marching Band dates to 1926, and Eddie Robinson’s name is on both the stadium and the museum. The Tigers compete in the SWAC.
19. Dillard University
Dillard University is a private HBCU in New Orleans. Straight College and New Orleans University jointly chartered it in 1930, with roots dating back to 1868 and 1869. About 1,300 students enroll.
It offers B.A. and B.S. degrees in more than 35 majors across four academic colleges, along with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Alumni include former Brown University president Ruth Simmons and jazz pianist Ellis Marsalis Jr. The Bleu Devils compete in the NAIA, mainly in the HBCU Athletic Conference, with 12 varsity sports. Other alumni include writer Alice Dunbar Nelson and P.B.S. Pinchback, the country’s first African American governor.
20. Southern University at New Orleans
Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO) is a public HBCU authorized by a 1956 legislative act, and it opened to students on September 21, 1959. It is part of the Southern University System, and it enrolls about 2,700 students.
Five colleges and schools offer degrees: arts and sciences, business and public administration, education and human development, social work, and graduate studies. It is the only institution in Louisiana offering an advanced degree in museum studies. Hurricane Katrina damaged all 11 buildings on its original campus in 2005. The Knights compete in the NAIA in the HBCU Athletic Conference.
21. Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University
Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University is a Catholic university in Baton Rouge, founded in 1923 and sponsored by the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady. It was Our Lady of the Lake College until 2016. About 1,200 to 1,300 students enroll.
The School of Nursing and the School of Arts, Sciences and Health Professions were created in a 2007 reorganization that reflects its focus on health care. Undergraduate and graduate degrees are available. Tina Holland has led the university since April 2014. For a small Catholic school with a clear career focus, it makes sense for students aiming at health professions.
22. University of Holy Cross
The University of Holy Cross is a Catholic university in New Orleans’ Algiers neighbourhood, on the west bank of the Mississippi River. The Marianites of Holy Cross founded it in 1916 as a two-year women’s normal school in Bywater. It was renamed the University of Holy Cross in January 2016.
About 1,100 students enroll: 774 undergraduates and 346 graduate students. The school offers more than 50 undergraduate and graduate programs. Its colours are maroon and grey. Students looking for a small Catholic university in the New Orleans area, with close ties to the city, often start here.
23. New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS) is a Southern Baptist school. It began in 1917 as the Baptist Bible Institute and adopted its current name in 1946. The main campus in New Orleans covers more than 70 acres and includes more than 70 buildings.
Enrollment was 2,004 in 2021 to 2022, with 792 undergraduates and 1,212 postgraduates. It offers associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, and has 13 graduate and 11 undergraduate centers in five states. SACSCOC accredits it, and the Association of Theological Schools accredits its graduate programs. Alumni include Adrian Rogers and David Platt. It also runs six prison campuses, the first at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in 1995, and its archaeology teams have worked at Timnah and Tel Gezer.
24. LSU Health New Orleans
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center – New Orleans (LSUHSC) is a health sciences university in the LSU System. Its School of Medicine opened in 1931. Other schools include Graduate Studies (1965), Dentistry (1966), Nursing (1968), Allied Health Professions (1970), and Public Health (2003).
Teaching hospitals play a major role, and University Medical Center New Orleans opened on August 1, 2015, after Hurricane Katrina damaged the former Charity Hospital system. LSUHSC is one of two LSU medical schools, and Huey P. Long commissioned the original School of Medicine. If you are comparing health-related programs, see our best colleges for physiotherapy.
25. Chamberlain University – New Orleans
Chamberlain University is a nursing and health care-focused university with a New Orleans location. Its roots trace to Deaconess Central Hospital in St. Louis, founded in 1889, and the Deaconess School of Nursing, which followed in 1943. Adtalem Global Education owns it.
It offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, a Master of Science in Nursing, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice, plus a Master of Public Health and a Master of Social Work. The Higher Learning Commission accredits it, and some specific programs carry additional accreditation. Online programs are available too, which helps working adults. Campuses span about two dozen U.S. cities, including New Orleans.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best colleges in Louisiana in 2027?
Tulane University, Louisiana State University, LSU Shreveport, Louisiana Tech University, and Nicholls State University lead this University Magazine list for 2027.
What is the largest university in Louisiana?
Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge is the largest, with 42,016 students in fall 2024. The University of Louisiana at Lafayette had 19,056 in fall 2023.
Which Louisiana colleges are HBCUs?Historically Black institutions on this list include
Xavier University of Louisiana, Southern University and A&M College, Grambling State University, Dillard University, and Southern University at New Orleans.
Which Louisiana colleges are Catholic?
Xavier University of Louisiana, Loyola University New Orleans, Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University, and the University of Holy Cross are Catholic institutions on this list.
Which Louisiana college is the most selective?
Tulane admitted 14.7 percent of applicants for the Class of 2029, which is the lowest rate among the schools here with a published figure.
Top 25 Best Colleges in Louisiana 2027: Ranked List
- Tulane University
- Louisiana State University
- Louisiana State University – Shreveport
- Louisiana Tech University
- Nicholls State University
- Northwestern State University of Louisiana
- University of Louisiana at Lafayette
- University of Louisiana – Monroe
- Southeastern Louisiana University
- Louisiana Christian University
- Louisiana State University – Alexandria
- Xavier University of Louisiana
- Loyola University New Orleans
- Centenary College of Louisiana
- Southern University & A&M College
- LSU New Orleans
- McNeese State University
- Grambling State University
- Dillard University
- Southern University at New Orleans
- Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University
- University of Holy Cross
- New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
- Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center – New Orleans
- Chamberlain University – New Orleans
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