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Northwestern State University of Louisiana

Northwestern State University of Louisiana is based in the town of Natchitoches, LA — a public campus in a small-town setting.

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What could it cost?

Start with net price after grants, then read the published costs. Each chart names its academic year and the students it covers.

Net price by family income

key chart

Average annual cost after grants for each family-income band. These group averages are not personal price quotes.

IPEDS Income brackets, 2022–23

family-income band

$12,129

family income
under $30k

$12,307

$30–48k

$14,216

$48–75k

$17,311

$75–110k

$18,107

over $110k

Average net price

$13,6062023–24Skip to data table

Average annual attendance cost after grants for the reported student group. Your own aid offer and costs may differ.

Average net price at Northwestern State University of Louisiana rose from $7,887 (2008) to $13,606 (2023).

Average net price — data
Year	Net price
2008	$7,887
2009	$7,403
2010	$8,108
2011	$8,768
2012	$8,224
2013	$11,446
2014	$9,966
2015	$12,182
2016	$11,295
2017	$11,049
2018	$12,866
2019	$13,483
2020	$14,657
2021	$15,540
2022	$13,809
2023	$13,606

IPEDS 16 federal reports, 2008–2023

Total cost of attendance

$25,4312024–25Skip to data table

Estimated annual attendance budget before grants, including tuition, fees, housing, food and books. Not every expense is billed by the school.

Total cost at Northwestern State University of Louisiana rose from $13,881 (2009) to $25,431 (2024).

Total cost of attendance — data
Year	Cost
2009	$13,881
2010	$13,717
2011	$14,981
2012	$15,616
2013	$16,605
2014	$17,659
2015	$18,749
2016	$20,263
2017	$20,172
2018	$20,612
2019	$22,342
2020	$22,940
2021	$23,156
2022	$23,950
2023	$24,496
2024	$25,431

IPEDS Academic-year cost 2009–2024

Tuition (in-state vs out-of-state)

Skip to data table

Published tuition and fees before grants. Housing, food, books and other attendance costs are separate.

In-stateOut-of-state

Tuition — data
Year	In-state	Out-of-state
2001	$2,613	$8,283
2002	$2,645	$8,519
2003	$3,066	$9,144
2004	$3,301	$9,379
2005	$3,433	$9,511
2006	$3,587	$9,665
2007	$3,713	$9,791
2008	$3,675	$9,753
2013	$6,207	$16,327
2014	$6,863	$17,651
2015	$7,006	$17,794
2016	$7,620	$18,408
2017	$7,922	$18,710
2018	$7,922	$18,710
2019	$8,768	$19,556
2020	$8,672	$19,460
2021	$8,672	$19,460
2022	$8,672	$19,460
2023	$8,864	$19,652

IPEDS Published price 2001–02 to 2023–24 (not adjusted for inflation)

Cost, size & completion summary

Cost, size & completion

Northwestern State University of Louisiana reports published tuition by residency: $8,864 in-state versus $19,652 out-of-state — a $10,788 gap that makes state lines part of the decision. Scorecard snapshot: 2026-06-10; historical charts show their own years.

Northwestern State University of Louisiana reports 5,519 undergraduate students. Enrollment is a headcount, not a measure of teaching access.

43.2% of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants completed at Northwestern State University of Louisiana within six years (2026-06-10 release). This measure excludes other student groups.

Do students finish — and what comes after?

Graduation, debt and earnings cover different groups. Read each chart's entering class or fiscal period; they are not one group's journey.

Six-year graduation rate

key chart

43.2%entered Fall 2018Skip to data table

The share of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants who completed at this institution within six years. Other students are not included.

The six-year graduation rate at Northwestern State University of Louisiana rose from 26.2% (entered 1991) to 43.2% (entered 2018).

A six-year rate can only describe a class that entered six or more years ago — by definition the last point on the line is that old.

Six-year graduation rate — data
Year	Graduated within 6 yrs
1991 cohort	26.2%
1992 cohort	25.4%
1993 cohort	24.6%
1994 cohort	29.6%
1995 cohort	28.7%
1996 cohort	28.6%
1997 cohort	26.5%
1998 cohort	30.3%
1999 cohort	30.2%
2000 cohort	32.3%
2001 cohort	31.8%
2002 cohort	28.1%
2003 cohort	29.5%
2004 cohort	27.1%
2005 cohort	33.8%
2006 cohort	34.9%
2007 cohort	37.4%
2008 cohort	37.8%
2009 cohort	38.1%
2010 cohort	35.3%
2011 cohort	39.4%
2012 cohort	44.6%
2013 cohort	44.2%
2014 cohort	47.5%
2015 cohort	44.1%
2016 cohort	46.4%
2017 cohort	44.6%
2018 cohort	43.2%

IPEDS Entering cohorts 1991–2018

Median debt at exit (completers vs non-completers)

Historical student groups

key chart

Skip to data table

Median federal student loan debt when students left school, shown separately for those who completed and those who did not.

CompletedLeft without degree

Each point combines two years. Neighboring points share one year, so changes should be read with that overlap in mind.

These two-year windows closed before today's students borrowed — they describe past cohorts, not the current price of a degree.

Median debt at exit — data
Year	Completed	Left without degree
Left school in fiscal years 1997 and 1998 (FY1997/98)	$16,363	$3,500
Left school in fiscal years 1998 and 1999 (FY1998/99)	$15,611	$3,938
Left school in fiscal years 1999 and 2000 (FY1999/00)	$13,428	$3,913
Left school in fiscal years 2000 and 2001 (FY2000/01)	$12,746	$3,787
Left school in fiscal years 2001 and 2002 (FY2001/02)	$12,750	$4,000
Left school in fiscal years 2002 and 2003 (FY2002/03)	$11,203	$3,587
Left school in fiscal years 2003 and 2004 (FY2003/04)	$11,625	$3,312
Left school in fiscal years 2004 and 2005 (FY2004/05)	$12,411	$3,313
Left school in fiscal years 2005 and 2006 (FY2005/06)	$13,720	$3,500
Left school in fiscal years 2006 and 2007 (FY2006/07)	$14,069	$3,500
Left school in fiscal years 2007 and 2008 (FY2007/08)	$14,000	$3,750
Left school in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 (FY2008/09)	$14,500	$4,500
Left school in fiscal years 2009 and 2010 (FY2009/10)	$14,712	$5,407
Left school in fiscal years 2010 and 2011 (FY2010/11)	$15,909	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2011 and 2012 (FY2011/12)	$18,003	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2012 and 2013 (FY2012/13)	$20,277	$6,000
Left school in fiscal years 2013 and 2014 (FY2013/14)	$21,500	$6,500
Left school in fiscal years 2014 and 2015 (FY2014/15)	$21,500	$7,300
Left school in fiscal years 2015 and 2016 (FY2015/16)	$21,250	$8,816
Left school in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 (FY2016/17)	$21,500	$9,500
Left school in fiscal years 2017 and 2018 (FY2017/18)	$23,911	$9,500
Left school in fiscal years 2018 and 2019 (FY2018/19)	$24,324	$9,500
Left school in fiscal years 2019 and 2020 (FY2019/20)	$24,708	$9,500
Left school in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (FY2020/21)	$25,000	$9,713

NSLDS GRAD_DEBT_MDN / WDRAW_DEBT_MDN, merged FY periods · via College Scorecard

Earnings after entry

Historical student groups

Median annual earnings after entering college, for federally aided students who were working and not enrolled when measured.

Entered: academic years 2013–14 or 2014–15

$39,485

6 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2011–12 or 2012–13

$43,941

8 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2009–10 or 2010–11

$47,021

10 years after entry

Each figure covers a different group of students who entered college in the stated years. Earnings were measured in the same two years; these are not one group followed over time.

Measured in 2020–21, adjusted for inflation to 2022 dollars. Each figure pools two entering academic years.

Treasury Pooled entering cohorts · Scorecard 2020–21 historical file

What does the admissions record show?

Rates and score ranges describe a past admissions cycle. Submitted scores are not cutoffs or a prediction of admission.

Admissions snapshot & test policies

Northwestern State University of Louisiana admitted 2,790 of 3,015 applicants in Fall 2024. The 92.5% rate describes that application pool.

92.5%

acceptance rate · Fall 2024 admissions cycle

rate trend $8,864 in-state tuition · 2023–24 5,519 undergraduates · Fall 2024

Test-optional (considered) · Fall 2024

400SAT range (section 25th/75th sums): 866–11631600

Not sure where you stand? Estimate your GPA →

Admissions

Northwestern State University of Louisiana reported scores as considered but not required for the Fall 2024 admissions cycle. For Northwestern State University of Louisiana’s enrolled SAT submitters, Reading and Writing was 448–610 and Math was 418–553 (25th–75th percentiles). The section-percentile sums 866–1163 are not composite-score percentiles. These are not admission cutoffs.

Check current requirements with admissions.

Score	25th	50th	75th
SAT Reading & Writing	448	510	610
SAT Math	418	520	553
ACT Composite	18	21	24

25th / 75th: a quarter of enrolled submitters scored below the first number, a quarter above the second. These are not cutoffs.

Only students who submitted scores are counted — at test-optional schools, many enrolled students aren't in this table.

Percentiles are among enrolled students who submitted scores (Fall 2024 admissions cycle).

In the Fall 2024 cycle, Northwestern State University of Louisiana received 3,015 applications and admitted 2,790 (92.5%), with 1,043 enrolling.

Acceptance rate

92.5%Fall 2024Skip to data table

The share of applicants offered a spot — lower means more selective; read it alongside the score ranges below.

Acceptance rate — data
Year	Acceptance rate
Fall 2001	100%
Fall 2002	100%
Fall 2003	98.3%
Fall 2004	90.7%
Fall 2005	77.3%
Fall 2006	87%
Fall 2007	82.5%
Fall 2008	82.7%
Fall 2009	80.9%
Fall 2010	83.2%
Fall 2011	82.4%
Fall 2012	84.9%
Fall 2013	84%
Fall 2014	73%
Fall 2015	84%
Fall 2016	61.8%
Fall 2017	80.3%
Fall 2018	82%
Fall 2019	82%
Fall 2020	94.8%
Fall 2021	96.3%
Fall 2022	97.9%
Fall 2023	93.7%
Fall 2024	92.5%

IPEDS Fall cycles 2001–2024

SAT range (section sums, 25th–75th)

866–1163Fall 2024 · submittersSkip to data table

Sums of the reading/writing and math percentiles among enrolled submitters — not percentiles of total SAT scores or admission cutoffs.

SAT range (section sums) — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2004	860	1160
Fall 2005	898	1143
Fall 2006	840	1110
Fall 2007	870	1105
Fall 2008	860	1083
Fall 2009	850	1098
Fall 2010	880	1120
Fall 2011	905	1130
Fall 2012	870	1096
Fall 2013	873	1068
Fall 2014	880	1100
Fall 2015	870	1100
Fall 2016	880	1100
Fall 2017	900	1110
Fall 2018	920	1160
Fall 2019	1010	1210
Fall 2020	978	1130
Fall 2021	920	1120
Fall 2022	955	1135
Fall 2023	925	1243
Fall 2024	866	1163

IPEDS Fall 2004–2024, submitters only

ACT middle 50%

18–24Fall 2024 · submittersSkip to data table

The middle half of enrolled ACT submitters, using published composite-score percentiles — not admission cutoffs.

ACT middle 50% — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2001	16	22
Fall 2002	16	22
Fall 2003	17	22
Fall 2004	16	21
Fall 2005	17	22
Fall 2006	18	23
Fall 2007	18	23
Fall 2008	18	23
Fall 2009	18	23
Fall 2010	19	23
Fall 2011	19	24
Fall 2012	19	24
Fall 2013	19	24
Fall 2014	20	24
Fall 2015	19	24
Fall 2016	19	24
Fall 2017	19	24
Fall 2018	19	24
Fall 2019	19	24
Fall 2020	17	23
Fall 2021	16	22
Fall 2022	18	23
Fall 2023	18	24
Fall 2024	18	24

IPEDS Fall 2001–2024, submitters only

What is the campus like?

Enrollment counts a campus population; retention follows first-years returning. Their dates and populations are shown separately.

Undergraduate enrollment

5,519Fall 2024Skip to data table

Reported undergraduate enrollment. This count does not measure class size or teaching access.

Undergraduate enrollment at Northwestern State University of Louisiana fell from 9,087 (Fall 2002) to 5,519 (Fall 2024).

Undergraduate enrollment — data
Year	Undergraduates
Fall 2002	9,087
Fall 2003	9,200
Fall 2004	9,241
Fall 2005	8,559
Fall 2006	8,034
Fall 2007	7,677
Fall 2008	7,440
Fall 2009	7,443
Fall 2010	7,333
Fall 2011	7,410
Fall 2012	7,583
Fall 2013	7,026
Fall 2014	6,828
Fall 2015	6,836
Fall 2016	7,498
Fall 2017	7,994
Fall 2018	8,265
Fall 2019	8,191
Fall 2020	8,199
Fall 2021	7,513
Fall 2022	6,243
Fall 2023	5,840
Fall 2024	5,519

IPEDS Fall headcounts 2002–2024

First-year retention (full-time)

71%Fall 2023 cohortSkip to data table

The share of the reported first-time student group who returned the following year. This rate does not explain why others left.

First-year retention at Northwestern State University of Louisiana has wandered from Fall 2002 to Fall 2023 — up to 76% at the peak — but ends near where it began, at 71%.

First-year retention — data
Year	Retention
Fall 2002 cohort	70%
Fall 2003 cohort	68%
Fall 2004 cohort	66%
Fall 2005 cohort	63%
Fall 2006 cohort	66%
Fall 2007 cohort	69%
Fall 2008 cohort	69%
Fall 2009 cohort	71%
Fall 2010 cohort	69%
Fall 2011 cohort	68%
Fall 2012 cohort	72%
Fall 2013 cohort	68%
Fall 2014 cohort	72%
Fall 2015 cohort	70%
Fall 2016 cohort	76%
Fall 2017 cohort	71%
Fall 2018 cohort	70%
Fall 2019 cohort	76%
Fall 2020 cohort	64%
Fall 2021 cohort	61%
Fall 2022 cohort	70%
Fall 2023 cohort	71%

IPEDS Full-time cohorts 2002–2023

More about Northwestern State University of Louisiana

Faculty pay at Northwestern State University of Louisiana averages $85,548 a year, annualized from reported monthly pay. Carnegie classes Northwestern State University of Louisiana as a primarily nonresidential campus — most of its 5,519 undergraduates live off campus, and 70.9% of the reported first-time, full-time student group returned for a second year.

Northwestern State University of Louisiana's SAT section-percentile sums are 866–1163 — their midpoint is below the LA four-year benchmark. These are not total-score percentiles. Put your own practice estimate on Northwestern State University of Louisiana's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.

Why some charts are marked “key chart”

key chart

Start with three useful questions: what costs were reported for families in your income band, how many first-time full-time students finished, and what federal debt borrowers held when leaving.

How Northwestern State University of Louisiana compares

State and national medians cover active bachelor-primary institutions, mixing public and private schools. Tuition uses in-state rates at public schools. These are broad reference points, not a ranking of similar schools or your likely bill.

Scorecard dates identify the release snapshot, not a shared measurement year. Earnings describe federally aided students who were working and not enrolled ten years after entry; cohorts and populations differ from the admissions and tuition figures.

Acceptance rate

Fall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS

Northwestern State University of Louisiana92.5%

Louisiana median77.7%

National median76.8%

Tuition (in-state)

Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid

Northwestern State University of Louisiana$8,864

Louisiana median$10,272

National median$19,591

Median earnings (10 yr)

Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot

Northwestern State University of Louisiana's snapshot: calendar years and dollar basis unverified.

Northwestern State University of Louisiana$47,021

Louisiana median$47,477

National median$53,781

View comparison data & dates

Northwestern State University of Louisiana, Louisiana and national reference values
Metric & basis	Northwestern State University of Louisiana	Louisiana median	National median
Acceptance rateFall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS	92.5%	77.7%	76.8%
Tuition (in-state)Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid	$8,864	$10,272	$19,591
Median earnings (10 yr)Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot	$47,021	$47,477	$53,781

Published earnings by bachelor's field of study

For Northwestern State University of Louisiana, these are federal subject groups (CIP), not departments. Median is the middle annual income.

Northwestern State University of Louisiana federal-aid recipients · graduated 2017–18 or 2018–19 · income measured 2022 or 2023 · inflation-adjusted to 2024 dollars. Definitions and limits.

View 22 fields & earnings

Bachelor's field of study (CIP category)	Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing	$86,608
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians	$74,209
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General	$67,765
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions	$66,559
Information Science/Studies	$63,928
Accounting and Related Services	$60,861
Biology, General	$55,452
History	$55,115
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods	$53,800
Business Administration, Management and Operations	$51,927
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness	$51,722
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas	$51,672
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities	$47,652
Social Work	$47,296
Psychology, General	$44,492
Criminal Justice and Corrections	$44,267
Hospitality Administration/Management	$44,227
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General	$42,434
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions	$42,065
Music	$39,223
Communication and Media Studies	$37,273
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft	$36,229

These 22 fields listed for Northwestern State University of Louisiana measure earnings after completion. The $47,021 institution-level snapshot above measures earnings after entry; it is not the same cohort or a total for these fields. 9 additional Northwestern State University of Louisiana fields have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.

Frequently asked questions

What test-score data does Northwestern State University of Louisiana report?

Northwestern State University of Louisiana's enrolled submitters had SAT section-percentile sums of 866–1163 in Fall 2024. These are not total-score percentiles or a GPA requirement.

What is Northwestern State University of Louisiana's acceptance rate?

92.5% in the Fall 2024 cycle — 2,790 admitted from 3,015 applicants.

How much does Northwestern State University of Louisiana cost?

In-state tuition is $8,864; out-of-state students pay $19,652. Fees, housing and aid move the real total in both directions.

What earnings data does Northwestern State University of Louisiana report?

Median earnings ten years after entry: $47,021. Major figures measure four years after completion. Source and date limits.

Similar colleges in Louisiana

Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University — 98.7% admitted
Nicholls State University — 90.8% admitted
Loyola University New Orleans — 93.1% admitted
Louisiana Tech University — 86.4% admitted

Run your own numbers

Data: IPEDS ADM2024 (Fall 2024 admissions, provisional) · IPEDS HD2024/IC2024 directory · College Scorecard 2026-06-10 release (institution and field-of-study files; earnings from Treasury records). Retrieved 2026-09-01. Chart dates follow this institution's available observations; the release date is not an academic year or an earnings year. Some records end earlier than others. Field-of-study cohort dates are shown with the table. Read the date and population definitions.