Northwestern State University of Louisiana
Natchitoches, LA, United States
Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
Photo: Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Northwestern State University of Louisiana has 34 programs with reported graduate earnings. The highest is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (master's), where graduates earn a median $111,536 four years after finishing, against $120,338 for the same field nationally.
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
First-year retention
Students who return for a second year
Median earnings
$51,238
Former students who received federal aid
Source: U.S. College Scorecard, field of study, 2025
Median earnings of graduates who received federal aid, one and four years after finishing, and the median federal loan debt they borrowed at Northwestern State University of Louisiana. The field median is the middle value for the same field and credential across every college that reports it. 34 more programs have too few graduates for earnings to be published.
Highest-earning programs
| Program | Graduates | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | Field median | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 323 | $83,575 | $86,608 | $86,0201% above | $22,874 |
| Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians | 7 | $60,160 | $74,209 | $81,5629% below | N/A |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | 20 | $80,862 | $67,765 | $59,88113% above | $17,118 |
| Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians | 8 | $67,253 | N/A | $70,3674% below | N/A |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | 81 | $62,421 | $66,559 | $67,6762% below | $25,138 |
| Information Science/Studies | 22 | $59,340 | $63,928 | $81,11721% below | $20,849 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 37 | $52,462 | $60,861 | $73,05417% below | $28,000 |
| Biology, General | 60 | $33,667 | $55,452 | $57,5584% below | $23,785 |
| History | 9 | $32,981 | $55,115 | $50,3879% above | N/A |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 18 | $50,308 | $53,800 | $47,73013% above | $19,919 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 92 | $43,904 | $51,927 | $64,59020% below | $24,313 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 25 | $29,238 | $51,722 | $53,0242% below | $25,750 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 17 | N/A | $51,672 | $50,8272% above | $28,000 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 116 | $37,721 | $47,652 | $52,0208% below | $25,000 |
| Social Work | 43 | $37,669 | $47,296 | $51,8599% below | $27,000 |
| Psychology, General | 120 | $30,031 | $44,492 | $50,06611% below | $27,000 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 56 | $35,717 | $44,267 | $54,46919% below | $26,975 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | 19 | $33,565 | $44,227 | $55,85621% below | $22,370 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | 11 | $30,611 | $42,065 | $52,22719% below | N/A |
| Music | 16 | N/A | $39,223 | $43,38710% below | N/A |
| Communication and Media Studies | 27 | $32,935 | $37,273 | $53,82531% below | $22,045 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 19 | $27,678 | $36,229 | $40,05310% below | $25,437 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | 46 | $35,973 | N/A | $38,9388% below | $23,250 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 14 | $15,645 | N/A | $31,16150% below | $28,982 |
| Program | Graduates | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | Field median | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 96 | $76,774 | $76,710 | $79,9434% below | $21,250 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 230 | $41,844 | $43,417 | $42,7742% above | $21,375 |
| Program | Graduates | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | Field median | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 82 | $115,505 | $111,536 | $120,3387% below | $45,810 |
| Homeland Security | 13 | $50,407 | $81,715 | $93,52113% below | N/A |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | 14 | $72,151 | N/A | $112,52436% below | $36,724 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | 14 | $56,457 | $62,268 | $69,94411% below | N/A |
| Special Education and Teaching | 10 | $56,444 | $58,603 | $63,0587% below | N/A |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 15 | $45,639 | $53,469 | $60,55312% below | N/A |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 42 | $52,067 | $52,689 | $58,84510% below | $25,412 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | 12 | $49,401 | $50,650 | $58,99814% below | $43,489 |
Careers linked to the programs Northwestern State University of Louisiana reports, highest national median pay first. Pay and outlook are BLS figures for the whole occupation, not for this college's graduates.
Healthcare practitioners
Master's degree
Via Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Management
Bachelor's degree
Via Business Administration, Management and Operations
Management
Bachelor's degree
Via Business Administration, Management and Operations
Science
Master's degree
Via Psychology, General, Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
Management
Bachelor's degree
Via Information Science/Studies, Business Administration, Management and Operations
Management
Bachelor's degree
Via Business Administration, Management and Operations
Verified facts
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