Best-Value Colleges in Louisiana
8 Louisiana 4-year colleges ranked by return on investment — 10-year graduate earnings per dollar of net price — among schools that beat the state median on earnings and graduation rate.
The best-value college in Louisiana is Louisiana Tech University, Ruston — a net price of $12,209 against $52,279 in median 10-year earnings, an ROI of 4.3×, with a 58% graduation rate. Every school here turns a modest cost into outsized, above-median earnings.
| # | School | Net price /yr | 10-yr earnings | ROI (earn ÷ price) | Grad rate | In-state tuition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisiana Tech University Ruston, LA | $12,209 | $52,279 | 4.3× | 58% | $10,125 |
| 2 | Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University Baton Rouge, LA | $17,797 | $59,419 | 3.3× | 51% | $15,690 |
| 3 | University of Louisiana at Lafayette Lafayette, LA | $14,118 | $47,089 | 3.3× | 52% | $10,418 |
| 4 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA | $20,015 | $61,251 | 3.1× | 71% | $11,954 |
| 5 | Xavier University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA | $18,285 | $52,184 | 2.9× | 50% | $27,868 |
| 6 | Loyola University New Orleans New Orleans, LA | $22,762 | $52,927 | 2.3× | 67% | $47,240 |
| 7 | Centenary College of Louisiana Shreveport, LA | $25,159 | $50,330 | 2.0× | 59% | $40,000 |
| 8 | Tulane University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA | $43,939 | $63,268 | 1.4× | 89% | $65,538 |
How we ranked this
From every Louisiana four-year college that publishes net price, 10-year median earnings, and graduation rate, we keep only those that beat the state median on earnings and that graduate at least 45% of students (or the state median grad rate, whichever is higher). We then rank by ROI = 10-year median earnings ÷ average annual net price — the dollars of graduate earnings each dollar of net price buys — highest first. This rewards genuine return on investment rather than the cheapest sticker price, and the 4-year + outcome guards keep out the low-completion and 2-year outliers a pure price sort surfaces. Colleges missing any of the three figures are excluded, never estimated. Minimum 5 qualifying schools required to publish a page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best-value college in Louisiana?+
Louisiana Tech University in Ruston has the highest return on investment among Louisiana 4-year colleges that beat the state median on outcomes: a net price of $12,209 against $52,279 in 10-year median earnings — an ROI of 4.3× (dollars earned per dollar of annual net price) — with a 58% graduation rate.
What does "net price" mean?+
Net price is the average annual cost students actually pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the full cost of attendance — a far better affordability measure than sticker tuition. We use the College Scorecard average net price.
How is "best value" defined here?+
Value means return on investment, not cheapness. Among Louisiana four-year colleges that beat the state median on BOTH 10-year graduate earnings and graduation rate (and graduate at least 45% of students), we rank by the ROI ratio = 10-year median earnings ÷ average annual net price. The school that turns each tuition dollar into the most graduate earnings ranks first.
Is the cheapest college always the best value?+
No. A rock-bottom price that leads to low earnings is worse value than a moderate price that leads to high earnings. That is exactly why we rank by the earnings-to-net-price ratio rather than by lowest price, and require above-median earnings and graduation rates first. Colleges missing net price, earnings, or graduation data are excluded rather than estimated.
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Data sources: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · IPEDS. Figures are the most recent values published in each federal dataset; cells with no published value are shown as “—” and never estimated. CertiHomes Education does not sell rankings or accept placement fees.