Southern University and A & M College
Baton Rouge, Louisiana · Public · 35.1% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 16/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Southern University and A&M College, a flagship HBCU public in Baton Rouge, LA, scores 16 on the ROI index in Below Benchmark tier. Sticker tuition is $9,922 in-state, $17,272 out-of-state, with a net price of $20,077 - the net price substantially exceeds in-state tuition, indicating heavy fees and living-cost estimates. Average earnings at six years are $30,800, rising to a median $43,371 at 10 years. The damaging numbers: $29,251 median debt, 0.95 debt-to-earnings ratio, and a 27.1% completion rate. Payback period is 26.3 years, three-year repayment rate is 65%, earnings premium 10.4%. With enrollment of 5,519 and a 68% Pell rate, Southern is a major HBCU serving heavily low-income Louisiana students - the same structural-underfunding pattern that affects all HBCUs is at play here. The engineering programs are genuinely strong: mechanical engineering produces $75K first-year earnings with a B grade; civil engineering and computer science both clear C+. The breadth of program data shows the typical HBCU bifurcation between strong STEM/health pathways and weaker humanities/social-science outcomes.
How Southern University and A & M College 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 Score16/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate27.1% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
- Payback period26.3 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Southern University and A & M College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $9,922/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $17,272/yr |
| Average net price | $20,077/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $80,308 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $43,371 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $30,800 |
| Median debt at graduation | $29,251 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $310 |
| Estimated payback period | 26.3 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 27.1% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 5,519 |
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: $9,922/year ($17,272/year out-of-state), which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $20,077/year, or roughly $80,308 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 $19,047/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $26,069/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $29,251, which works out to about $310 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($30,800) and comes to 0.95, 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 | $19,047 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $19,395 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $22,288 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $25,292 |
| $110,001+ | $26,069 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Households at $0-$30,000 pay $19,047 net, $30,001-$48,000 pays $19,395. Both prices are substantial against $30,800 six-year earnings - the four-year cost is roughly 2.5x annual graduate income, a difficult ratio. Engineering-track students see the math work; humanities-track students do not.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
$48,001-$75,000 pays $22,288, $75,001-$110,000 pays $25,292 - a steeply progressive aid curve. Middle-income Louisiana families face a $90K-plus four-year cost.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay $26,069. Total 4-year cost about $104,000. The HBCU mission has real value, but on conventional ROI math against $43,371 ten-year earnings, the price doesn't clear outside engineering and nursing pathways.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Southern University and A & M College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $86,838 | C+ |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $49,609 | D |
| Communication and Media Studies | $48,264 | C |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $50,616 | F |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | $41,311 | F |
| Psychology | $41,901 | F |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $48,716 | D |
| Agriculture, General | $30,865 | D |
| Mechanical Engineering | $92,969 | B |
| Biology | $44,880 | D |
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.
Registered Nursing
Registered Nursing has 80 graduates, $79,871 first-year earnings, $86,838 at four years, $39,678 median debt, 0.497 debt-to-earnings, and a C+ ROI grade. Strong nursing wages typical of Louisiana hospital markets, but the $40K debt load pulls the grade to C+. Career paths run through Baton Rouge and New Orleans hospital systems. A defensible flagship program.
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering has 19 graduates, $75,001 first-year earnings, $92,969 at four years, $29,500 median debt, 0.393 debt-to-earnings, and a B ROI grade. Strong wages, manageable debt, solid wage progression. Career paths run through Louisiana petrochemical, manufacturing, and offshore engineering employers.
Civil Engineering
Civil Engineering has 12 graduates, $60,219 first-year earnings, $68,016 at four years, $32,162 median debt, 0.534 debt-to-earnings, and a C+ ROI grade. Moderate wage growth and manageable debt produce a defensible C+. Career paths run through Louisiana DOT, regional engineering firms, and infrastructure construction.
Computer Science
Computer Science has 16 graduates, $45,907 first-year earnings, $58,951 at four years, $30,250 median debt, 0.659 debt-to-earnings, and a C ROI grade. Students willing to relocate for tech employment can substantially improve their individual outcomes.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice has 75 graduates - a large cohort - with $32,499 first-year earnings, $49,609 at four years, $31,000 median debt, 0.954 debt-to-earnings, and a D ROI grade. Louisiana criminal-justice salaries (state corrections, parish sheriffs, probation) cap below the debt these students carry. The D grade is honest and signals that this program path sets graduates up for difficult repayment outcomes.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 69.0% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 65.2% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 53.0% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 55.1% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Southern University and A & M College’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 | 35.1% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 380-490 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 410-530 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 15-19 |
| Enrollment | 5,519 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 68.1% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,735 |
Admission rate is 35.1%, with SAT mid-range 380-490 math, 410-530 reading, and ACT mid-range 15-19. The 27.1% completion rate, well below what the admit profile would predict, reflects the standard HBCU pattern where economic precarity drives non-completion despite academic eligibility.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern University and A & M College (this school) | 16 | $20,077 | $43,371 |
| North Carolina Central University | 17 | $15,359 | $42,968 |
| West Virginia State University | 17 | $11,139 | $40,492 |
| Dillard University | 15 | $22,094 | $39,196 |
| Claflin University | 15 | $17,800 | $40,304 |
| Clark Atlanta University | 14 | $37,702 | $42,712 |
Who Thrives Here
Fits Louisiana-region Black students seeking HBCU experience and engineering or health-sciences access. Enrollment is 5,519, and the Pell rate is 68%, confirming the heavy low-income mission. Outcomes are sharply bifurcated: engineering, nursing, computer science produce defensible C+/B grades; criminal justice, sociology, family-and-consumer sciences face F grades. Major selection is the single biggest determinant of individual ROI here.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Southern University and A & M College scores 16/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $20,077 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $43,371 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 26.3 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, its 27.1% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.95 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 65.2% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $29,251 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $30,800 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.95. 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.
Southern University and A & M College: Common Questions
Is Southern University and A & M College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Southern University and A & M College scores 16/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $20,077 a year after aid against $43,371 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 26.3 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Southern University and A & M College 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 $20,077 a year, or roughly $80,308 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 Southern University and A & M College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $43,371 ten years after enrolling, roughly $1,571 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 Southern University and A & M College?
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 26.3 years for Southern University and A & M College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Southern University and A & M College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $29,251, against average earnings of $30,800 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.95. 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 Southern University and A & M College?
The six-year graduation rate is 27.1%. 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.