Best ROI Colleges in Louisiana

Looking for value in Louisiana? Start here. We ranked these colleges by ROI - earnings premium (30%), payback period (25%), debt-to-earnings (20%), completion rate (15%), and loan repayment (10%) - all from U.S. Department of Education data, with no prestige guesswork in the mix.

10 schools ranked

Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release

#SchoolROI
1Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
Baton Rouge, LA
76
2Louisiana Tech University
Ruston, LA
64
3Tulane University of Louisiana
New Orleans, LA
64
4Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University
Baton Rouge, LA
61
5Louisiana Christian University
Pineville, LA
56
6Louisiana State University-Shreveport
Shreveport, LA
52
7Xavier University of Louisiana
New Orleans, LA
51
8University of New Orleans
New Orleans, LA
47
9University of Louisiana at Monroe
Monroe, LA
47
10University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Lafayette, LA
47

How We Rank

Rankings are based on our ROI score (0-100), which weights five quantifiable factors: Earnings Premium (30%), Payback Period (25%), Debt-to-Earnings (20%), Completion Rate (15%), and Loan Repayment (10%). All data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. No subjective criteria are used.

Full methodology →

Common Questions

What is the best best-ROI college in Louisiana?

Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College tops this list at 76/100 on our ROI scale, the highest among the 10 schools ranked here. Rankings weigh net price against median graduate earnings from U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data - no prestige guesswork.

Which school on this list has the highest graduate earnings?

Tulane University of Louisiana reports the highest median earnings here, about $63,268 ten years after enrollment. In our view higher earnings alone don't make the best value, since what you pay matters just as much - which is why the ranking weighs cost too.

What is the most affordable school on this list?

Louisiana State University-Shreveport carries the lowest net price among the ranked schools, about $7,022 a year after grants and scholarships. Net price is what students actually pay, not the published sticker price.

How are these schools ranked?

We score every school 0 to 100 on five quantifiable factors: earnings premium (30%), payback period (25%), debt-to-earnings (20%), completion rate (15%), and loan repayment (10%). All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, with no subjective reputation scoring. Of the 10 schools here, 4 earn an ROI score of 60 or higher.