Best Colleges in Louisiana by Salary Potential
Find out what kind of salary your bachelor’s degree can earn for you. These are Louisiana’s best four-year colleges by earning potential.
| Rank | School Name | School Type | Early Career Pay | Mid-Career Pay | % High Meaning | % STEM Degrees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank:1 | School Name: Tulane University of Louisiana | School Type:Party School, Private School, Research University, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$69,600 | Mid-Career Pay:$133,200 | % High Meaning:46% | % STEM Degrees:22% |
| Rank:2 | School Name:_50px.png) Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$65,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$119,500 | % High Meaning:53% | % STEM Degrees:22% |
| Rank:3 | School Name: Louisiana Tech University | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$64,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$112,800 | % High Meaning:55% | % STEM Degrees:26% |
| Rank:4 | School Name: Centenary College of Louisiana | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$58,400 | Mid-Career Pay:$111,300 | % High Meaning:38% | % STEM Degrees:36% |
| Rank:5 | School Name: University of Louisiana at Monroe | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$59,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$108,700 | % High Meaning:65% | % STEM Degrees:8% |
| Rank:6 | School Name:Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$64,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$108,400 | % High Meaning:- | % STEM Degrees:5% |
| Rank:7 | School Name:_50px.png) University of New Orleans | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$59,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$107,400 | % High Meaning:54% | % STEM Degrees:28% |
| Rank:8 | School Name: at Lafayette_50px.png) University of Louisiana at Lafayette | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$58,600 | Mid-Career Pay:$106,700 | % High Meaning:53% | % STEM Degrees:19% |
| Rank:9 | School Name: Loyola University New Orleans | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$57,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$106,000 | % High Meaning:45% | % STEM Degrees:7% |
| Rank:10 | School Name:Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-New Orleans | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$62,600 | Mid-Career Pay:$104,100 | % High Meaning:88% | % STEM Degrees:2% |
| Rank:11 | School Name: McNeese State University | School Type:For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$61,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$103,200 | % High Meaning:63% | % STEM Degrees:15% |
| Rank:12 | School Name: Xavier University of Louisiana | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$54,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$102,200 | % High Meaning:63% | % STEM Degrees:33% |
| Rank:13 | School Name: Southeastern Louisiana University | School Type:For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$56,400 | Mid-Career Pay:$100,200 | % High Meaning:53% | % STEM Degrees:8% |
| Rank:14 | School Name: Southern University and A & M College | School Type:For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$61,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$99,400 | % High Meaning:68% | % STEM Degrees:13% |
| Rank:15 | School Name: Nicholls State University | School Type:For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$53,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$98,700 | % High Meaning:50% | % STEM Degrees:5% |
| Rank:16 | School Name:Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$60,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$98,400 | % High Meaning:- | % STEM Degrees:0% |
| Rank:17 | School Name:University of Holy Cross | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$56,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$97,100 | % High Meaning:57% | % STEM Degrees:10% |
| Rank:18 | School Name: Northwestern State University of Louisiana | School Type:For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$54,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$90,600 | % High Meaning:62% | % STEM Degrees:6% |
| Rank:19 | School Name:Dillard University | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$53,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$88,700 | % High Meaning:79% | % STEM Degrees:23% |
| Rank:20 | School Name:Louisiana State University-Shreveport | School Type:Business, State School | Early Career Pay:$55,400 | Mid-Career Pay:$87,600 | % High Meaning:67% | % STEM Degrees:3% |
| Rank:21 | School Name:Louisiana College | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$53,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$87,500 | % High Meaning:67% | % STEM Degrees:7% |
| Rank:22 | School Name:New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$49,400 | Mid-Career Pay:$84,000 | % High Meaning:- | % STEM Degrees:0% |
| Rank:23 | School Name: Grambling State University | School Type:For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$53,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$79,300 | % High Meaning:68% | % STEM Degrees:11% |
| Rank:24 | School Name:Louisiana State University-Alexandria | School Type:Liberal Arts School, State School | Early Career Pay:$45,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$75,100 | % High Meaning:59% | % STEM Degrees:4% |
| Rank:25 | School Name:Southern University at New Orleans | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$49,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$69,500 | % High Meaning:67% | % STEM Degrees:14% |
Whether it’s your affinity for jazz, beignets or being close to home that draws you to a career college in the Pelican State, earning a college degree in Louisiana can be a step on a smart path to financial success.
With 41 percent of the nation’s wetlands and the most coastline of any state, Louisiana is uniquely beautiful. But the Gulf Coast does more than just give Louisiana a peculiar nickname; it also means that industries like petroleum and refining, offshore and oil production, natural gas, agriculture, space, and commercial fishing dominate the Louisiana economy and contribute to high earnings and lots of employment opportunities for students who attend colleges in Louisiana.
Some of the top universities by graduate salary for early career salary (zero to five years of experience) are public colleges: Louisiana State University, Louisiana Tech University, and McNeese State University.
But ranked by mid-career salary (10 or more years of experience), Louisiana Tech University in Ruston often takes the lead as the college with some of the highest paid graduates. Other colleges with high earning potential for alumni with ten or more years of experience are Louisiana State University (LSU) and Southern University A&M College. Three of the top schools are public colleges; Tulane University in New Orleans, for example, is often highly ranked on our list.