The cost of college in Louisiana — and what it pays back
Across the 52 Louisiana institutions we profile, the median net price — what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — is $13,895/yr, $3,007 below the $16,902 national median. Graduates earn a median $36,704 ten years after entry (below the $43,549 national median), and 11 of the 52 schools clear their full cost on institution-wide earnings. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
How Louisiana's 52 colleges split by ROI verdict
Verdicts: payback under 5 / 10 / 20 / over 20 years (or none).
| College | Net price/yr | Earnings 10y | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| ITI Technical College | $20,850 | $68,342 | 2.1 yrs |
| Chamberlain University-Louisiana | $30,791 | $92,405 | 2.8 yrs |
| Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | $19,151 | $61,251 | 5.9 yrs |
| Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University | $18,552 | $59,419 | 6.7 yrs |
| Tulane University of Louisiana | $39,949 | $63,268 | 10.7 yrs |
| College | Net price/yr | Earnings 10y | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Louisiana Technical Community College | $5,702 | $29,558 | no payback |
| Louisiana State University-Shreveport | $7,022 | $47,477 | no payback |
| Louisiana State University at Alexandria | $7,065 | $42,205 | no payback |
| SOWELA Technical Community College | $7,525 | $32,303 | no payback |
| Louisiana Delta Community College | $7,702 | $30,438 | no payback |
How many Louisiana colleges actually pay for themselves?
11 of 52 — 21% of the Louisiana institutions we profile clear their full net cost on institution-wide earnings above the $48,360 high-school baseline. The rest need a high-paying major to pay off; the school average alone does not do it.
Do Louisiana graduates out-earn the national median?
Louisiana graduates report a median $36,704 ten years after entry, $6,845 below the $43,549 national median. Earnings track the local labour market and the mix of fields the state's colleges graduate, not the state border itself.