Loyola University New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana · Private Nonprofit · 93.0% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 42/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Loyola University New Orleans scores 42 (Below Benchmark). The resulting payback period of 13.1 years and debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.722 are both concerning. Scorecard does not report SAT or ACT test score ranges for Loyola New Orleans. The 93.1% admission rate signals that selectivity is not a filter here. Among reported programs, Accounting is the outlier at $69,590 year-four earnings, though with only 8 graduates it's a small pipeline. Most other programs - Psychology (85 graduates, F-grade ROI), Arts/Entertainment/Media Management (69 graduates, F-grade), International Relations (23 graduates, F-grade) - carry debt-to-earnings ratios exceeding 1.0, meaning graduates owe more than they earn annually six years out. The Jesuit institutional identity, New Orleans location, and music/arts culture are real draws, but the Scorecard numbers warrant serious scrutiny for financially-constrained students.
How Loyola University New Orleans scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score42/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
Loyola University New Orleans
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $49,440/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $49,440/yr |
| Average net price | $23,696/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $94,784 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $52,927 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $36,000 |
| Median debt at graduation | $26,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $276 |
| Estimated payback period | 13.1 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 59.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,812 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $49,440/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $23,696/year, or roughly $94,784 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $20,131/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $29,072/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $26,000, which works out to about $276 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($36,000) and comes to 0.72, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $20,131 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $21,956 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $22,042 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $25,584 |
| $110,001+ | $29,072 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $20,131 net price per year at Loyola New Orleans - roughly $80,524 over four years. Against average 6-year earnings of $36,000, this produces severe debt exposure. The 37.3% Pell rate means a large share of students are in this situation. For low-income students, outside a specific high-earning program like accounting, that price sits against $36,000 in average earnings.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-75,000) pay $22,042; the $75,001-110,000 bracket pays $25,584. The aid taper is modest - the school is not heavily discounting for middle-income families. At $22,000-$26,000 net price per year against $36,000 average earnings, the numbers are strained for most majors.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning over $110,000 pay $29,072 net price per year, or roughly $116,000 over four years. Accounting and related professional tracks may support the investment; most other programs at Loyola New Orleans do not produce earnings data that justifies $116,000 in all-in costs.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Loyola University New Orleans with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology | $49,380 | F |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | $42,089 | F |
| Political Science and Government | $58,058 | D |
| Marketing | $53,481 | D |
| Biology | $30,181 | D |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | $53,240 | C |
| International Relations | $59,909 | F |
| Sociology | $26,581 | D |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | $46,374 | C |
| Music | $39,658 | C |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Accounting
Accounting is the only program at Loyola New Orleans with strong year-four earnings: $69,590 at year four (Scorecard does not report year-one). With only 8 graduates reported, this is a thin pipeline, but the earnings suggest accounting and finance tracks at Loyola produce competitive CPA-track graduates. Debt data is not reported for this program. Students targeting accounting here should verify class sizes and CPA pass rates, as the small graduate count limits what the Scorecard data can confirm.
Political Science and Government
Political Science is Loyola's highest-volume reported program at 50 graduates. Year-one earnings are $35,578 and year-four $58,058, with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.759 (ROI grade D) and median debt of $27,000. The four-year trajectory to $58k is plausible for graduates entering law school or government, but the near-term debt load is heavy. Students not heading to professional school face a challenging repayment window starting from $35k.
Psychology
Psychology is the largest reported program at 85 graduates and carries an F-grade ROI: $24,241 year-one, $49,380 year-four, with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.104. Median debt of $26,750 against $24,241 in starting earnings means most graduates immediately face debt-service stress. The four-year figure of $49k suggests eventual improvement, but the early career window is genuinely difficult. Students considering psychology at Loyola should factor in graduate school costs for any credential that improves earnings.
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management (69 graduates) earns $20,257 year-one and $42,089 year-four, with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.333 (ROI grade F). Median debt of $27,000 against $20,257 in starting earnings is a difficult combination in an expensive city labor market. The New Orleans arts and entertainment sector is real but not large, and the Scorecard data reflects the national pattern for this field. This program represents a significant financial risk relative to the cost of attendance.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 77.7% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 76.4% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 70.2% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 78.3% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Loyola University New Orleans’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 93.0% |
| Enrollment | 2,812 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 37.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,990 |
Scorecard does not report SAT or ACT ranges for Loyola New Orleans. The admission rate is 93.1%. Admission is not the constraint - the financial outcomes data is.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loyola University New Orleans (this school) | 42 | $23,696 | $52,927 |
| University of Mary Hardin-Baylor | 43 | $26,106 | $56,132 |
| Wingate University | 41 | $20,748 | $52,649 |
| Centenary College of Louisiana | 35 | $23,624 | $50,330 |
| Uta Mesivta of Kiryas Joel | 29 | $4,156 | $31,853 |
| Dillard University | 15 | $22,094 | $39,196 |
Who Thrives Here
Loyola New Orleans admits 93.1% of applicants. Scorecard does not report SAT or ACT ranges. With 2,812 enrolled students and a Pell grant rate of 37.3%, the campus draws a substantial share of lower-income and first-generation students who are particularly exposed to the poor completion and earnings data. The institution attracts students drawn to Jesuit values, New Orleans culture, music, journalism, and communications. Students who self-select here for program-specific or cultural reasons should run the financial numbers carefully, particularly for arts and humanities programs where the ROI data is poor.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Loyola University New Orleans scores 42/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $23,696 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $52,927 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 13.1 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.72 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a long payback period.
Median debt of $26,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $36,000 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.72. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Loyola University New Orleans: Common Questions
Is Loyola University New Orleans worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Loyola University New Orleans scores 42/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $23,696 a year after aid against $52,927 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 13.1 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Loyola University New Orleans cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $23,696 a year, or roughly $94,784 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Loyola University New Orleans graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $52,927 ten years after enrolling, roughly $11,127 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Loyola University New Orleans?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 13.1 years for Loyola University New Orleans. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Loyola University New Orleans graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $26,000, against average earnings of $36,000 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.72. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Loyola University New Orleans?
The six-year graduation rate is 59.0%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.