Best colleges for nursing in Louisiana
University of Louisiana at Lafayette ranks first in Louisiana for nursing value (#133 nationally, value score 65.7): graduates earn $91,270 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $14,924 a year.
Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition · Source: College Scorecard field of study, reporting year 2025 · 12 Louisiana colleges ranked · Updated November 4, 2026
Best nursing colleges in Louisiana
University of Louisiana at Lafayette ranks first in Louisiana for nursing value (#133 nationally, value score 65.7): graduates earn $91,270 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $14,924 a year. 12 Louisiana colleges qualify. At the median one, nursing graduates earn $86,268 and the average net price is $12,825 a year.
Source: U.S. College Scorecard field of study, 2025
What the data shows
Key findings
- 12 Louisiana colleges qualify. At the median one, nursing graduates earn $86,268 and the average net price is $12,825 a year.
- The lowest average net price among them is at University of Holy Cross: $8,705 a year.
- Median earnings
- $86,268
- National: $85,171
- Median net price
- $12,825
- National: $18,014
- Median federal debt
- $22,841
- nursing graduates
- Public colleges
- 8 of 12
- in this list
12 colleges
The Louisiana ranking
Ordered by the national value score; the national rank is shown with each college. Earnings are medians 4 years after the bachelor's degree.
- Rank in Louisiana 1
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Lafayette, LA · Public · #133 nationally
65.7Value- Earnings
- $91,270
- Net price
- $14,924
- Federal debt
- $18,483
- Graduation rate
- 52%
- Earnings
- $85,928
- Net price
- $11,228
- Federal debt
- $17,750
- Graduation rate
- 47%
- Rank in Louisiana 3
Louisiana State University-Alexandria
Alexandria, LA · Public · #231 nationally
57.6Value- Earnings
- $87,651
- Net price
- $12,105
- Federal debt
- $18,750
- Graduation rate
- 29%
- Rank in Louisiana 4
Northwestern State University of Louisiana
Natchitoches, LA · Public · #313 nationally
52.0Value- Earnings
- $86,608
- Net price
- $12,842
- Federal debt
- $22,874
- Graduation rate
- 44%
- Rank in Louisiana 5
Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University
Baton Rouge, LA · Private nonprofit · #324 nationally
51.2Value- Earnings
- $88,618
- Net price
- $12,807
- Federal debt
- $25,620
- Graduation rate
- 41%
- Earnings
- $83,058
- Net price
- $12,218
- Federal debt
- $22,808
- Graduation rate
- 51%
- Rank in Louisiana 7
Herzing University-New Orleans
Metairie, LA · Private nonprofit · #413 nationally
44.3Value- Earnings
- $91,010
- Net price
- $21,678
- Federal debt
- $28,468
- Graduation rate
- 50%
- Rank in Louisiana 8
New Orleans, LA · Private nonprofit · #422 nationally
43.8Value- Earnings
- $83,877
- Net price
- $8,705
- Federal debt
- $31,000
- Graduation rate
- 43%
- Rank in Louisiana 9
Nicholls State University-Louisiana
Thibodaux, LA · Public · #459 nationally
41.5Value- Earnings
- $79,428
- Net price
- $13,357
- Federal debt
- $21,875
- Graduation rate
- 51%
- Rank in Louisiana 10
Southeastern Louisiana University
Hammond, LA · Public · #520 nationally
37.1Value- Earnings
- $77,367
- Net price
- $12,468
- Federal debt
- $20,441
- Graduation rate
- 46%
- Rank in Louisiana 11
Southern University and A & M College
Baton Rouge, LA · Public · #542 nationally
35.3Value- Earnings
- $86,838
- Net price
- $18,631
- Federal debt
- $31,000
- Graduation rate
- 28%
- Earnings
- $76,252
- Net price
- $20,268
- Federal debt
- $25,000
- Graduation rate
- 40%
Method: the same value score as the national nursing ranking (earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate, each a national percentile). Data: College Scorecard, reporting year 2025; 2026–27 edition, verified Nov 2026.
Questions about nursing colleges in Louisiana
What are the best colleges for nursing in Louisiana?
By CollegesRef value score, the top 3 Louisiana colleges for nursing are University of Louisiana at Lafayette (value score 65.7), McNeese State University (value score 60.2) and Louisiana State University-Alexandria (value score 57.6). The score weighs graduate earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate.
Which Louisiana college has the highest earnings for nursing graduates?
University of Louisiana at Lafayette: its nursing graduates have median earnings of $91,270 4 years after the bachelor's degree.
What is the most affordable nursing college in Louisiana on this list?
University of Holy Cross has the lowest average net price of the ranked Louisiana colleges, $8,705 a year after grants. A family's own price depends on income and aid.
How many Louisiana colleges are ranked for nursing?
12 Louisiana colleges have a nursing bachelor's program with enough graduates and reported earnings, plus a published net price and graduation rate. Ranks shown are national; the state rank is their order within Louisiana.