TuitionScope
Menu
ES

Theme

Cheap Colleges in Louisiana for Out-of-State Students

Out-of-state students pay between $4,958 and $28,631 a year in tuition and fees at the 16 public colleges and universities we rank in Louisiana, a gap of $23,673 between the cheapest and the most expensive. This list ranks the non-resident price, not the in-state price.

The median public college charges nonresidents $16,786, $4,001 (31%) above the national median of $12,786 for public colleges. Residents pay a median of $8,431, so the typical out-of-state premium is only $8,355 here, a ratio of 2.0 to 1.

Southern University at Shreveport ranks first at $4,958, ahead of Louisiana State University-Shreveport ($7,518) and Nicholls State University ($9,242).

How this list is built

A college appears here only if it meets every condition below.

Colleges considered
All public colleges and universities, 4-year and 2-year (community colleges and state colleges included)
Ranked by out-of-state tuition & fees, lowest first. Ties are broken by larger undergraduate enrollment, then by name.
  • Main campuses only, with at least 60% of core data fields reported
  • Main campus located in Louisiana
  • At least 500 undergraduate students enrolled (fall 2024)
  • A reported out-of-state tuition & fees value (schools without one are not ranked)
  • Schools that report no tuition or a $0 price are not ranked
  • This page is published only when at least 15 schools qualify; Louisiana has 16
Data period
  • Out-of-state tuition and fees: academic year 2024-25. Shown for public colleges only, because private colleges charge everyone the same price.
  • In-state tuition and fees: full-time undergraduate sticker price, academic year 2024-25. Some community colleges report the in-district rate.
  • Net price: average for students receiving aid, academic year 2023-24.
  • Graduation rate: first-time, full-time students who started in fall 2018 (4-year) or fall 2021 (2-year), finishing within 150% of normal time.
  • Enrollment: undergraduate students, fall 2024.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, June 2026 release.

Read the full methodology

Showing all 16 qualifying schools. Select a column heading to re-sort the table.

Table: Cheap Colleges in Louisiana for Out-of-State Students
1 Southern University at Shreveport
Shreveport, LA
Public · 2-year
 $4,958$4,958$11,0499%1,910
2 Louisiana State University-Shreveport
Shreveport, LA
Public · 4-year
 $7,518$7,518$7,02235%2,153
3 Nicholls State University
Thibodaux, LA
Public · 4-year
 $9,242$8,149$12,94754%4,737
4 McNeese State University
Lake Charles, LA
Public · 4-year
 $9,989$8,489$12,49349%5,005
5 Louisiana State University-Eunice
Eunice, LA
Public · 2-year
 $10,094$4,730$10,42116%2,826
6 University of New Orleans
New Orleans, LA
Public · 4-year
 $14,008$9,172$12,38440%4,638
7 Louisiana State University at Alexandria
Alexandria, LA
Public · 4-year
 $14,650$7,050$7,06535%5,632
8 Grambling State University
Grambling, LA
Public · 4-year
 $16,706$7,683$19,80934%4,164
9 Louisiana Tech University
Ruston, LA
Public · 4-year
 $16,866$10,125$11,86461%8,312
10 Southern University at New Orleans
New Orleans, LA
Public · 4-year
 $16,954$8,054$14,81016%1,055
11 Southern University and A & M College
Baton Rouge, LA
Public · 4-year
 $17,272$9,922$20,07728%5,519
12 Northwestern State University of Louisiana
Natchitoches, LA
Public · 4-year
 $19,652$8,864$13,60644%5,519
13 Southeastern Louisiana University
Hammond, LA
Public · 4-year
 $20,851$8,373$13,15445%9,514
14 University of Louisiana at Monroe
Monroe, LA
Public · 4-year
 $21,290$9,190$13,46652%5,022
15 University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Lafayette, LA
Public · 4-year
 $24,146$10,418$13,53052%12,428
16 Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
Baton Rouge, LA
Public · 4-year
 $28,631$11,954$19,15170%30,594

How to compare these colleges

The ranked column is the out-of-state price. The in-state price is shown for comparison, and net price is the average for students who receive aid, measured mostly for in-state students at public colleges, so it is not a good guide to what a nonresident will pay. Many states cut the non-resident rate through regional exchange programs, reciprocity agreements or merit awards, and residency can change after a year of living in the state, so check each college's non-resident aid page before ruling a school out.

Guides worth reading first

More lists for Louisiana

Same list in nearby states

All 31 colleges in Louisiana See the national version of this ranking