by our College Data Analytics TeamNorthwestern State University of Louisiana is a public institution in Natchitoches, Louisiana enrolling 5,519 undergraduates. It accepts 92% of applicants and has an on-time graduation rate of 43%, above the national average of 33%. College Factual ranks it #1,966 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in its 2027 Best Colleges ranking (top 38%), and its Value for Your Money analysis rates it a Fair Price.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
Northwestern State University of Louisiana ranks #1,966 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in College Factual’s 2027 Best Colleges ranking, placing it in the top 38%.
In its yearly rankings, College Factual analyzes over 2,000 colleges and universities to determine which ones are the best in a variety of categories, such as overall value, quality, diversity, which schools are the best for each major, and much more.
Northwestern State University of Louisiana was awarded 4 badges in the 2027 rankings.
College Factual ranked Northwestern State University of Louisiana as #1,966 out of 5,159 colleges and universities in the country on its 2027 Best Colleges list.
Northwestern State University of Louisiana also holds the #19 spot on the Best Colleges in Louisiana ranking.
See all of the rankings for Northwestern State University of Louisiana.
With an acceptance rate of 92%, Northwestern State University of Louisiana is easier to get into than many other schools. But that doesn’t mean you can slack off on your application. Make sure to treat this school like any other when submitting requested materials and documents.
About 3% of students accepted to Northwestern State University of Louisiana submitted their SAT scores. When looking at the 25th through the 75th percentile, SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing scores ranged between 448 and 610. Math scores were between 418 and 553.
Northwestern State University of Louisiana received ACT scores from 85% of accepted students. When looking at the 25th through the 75th percentile, ACT Composite scores ranged between 18 and 24.
Learn more about Northwestern State University of Louisiana admissions.
The student to faculty ratio at Northwestern State University of Louisiana is about average at 16 to 1. This ratio is often used to gauge how many students might be in an average class and how much time professors will have to spend with their students on an individual level. The national average for this metric is 15 to 1.
When estimating how much access students will have to their teachers, some people like to look at what percentage of faculty members are full time. This is because part-time teachers may not have as much time to spend on campus as their full-time counterparts.
The full-time faculty percentage at Northwestern State University of Louisiana is 66%. This is higher than the national average of 47%.
The freshmen retention rate tells us what percentage of first-year, full-time students choose to continue on to their sophomore year at a particular school. The rate at Northwestern State University of Louisiana is 71%, which is about average when compared to the national rate of 68%.
The on-time graduation rate for someone pursuing a bachelor’s degree is typically four years. This rate at Northwestern State University of Louisiana for first-time, full-time students is 43%, which is better than the national average of 33.3%.
During the most recent academic year, there were 5,519 undergraduates at Northwestern State University of Louisiana.
Get more detailed information on the diversity at Northwestern State University of Louisiana.
The overall average net price of Northwestern State University of Louisiana is $17,140. The affordability of the school largely depends on your financial need since net price varies by income group. See the table below for the net price for different income groups.
| $0-30 K | $30K-48K | $48-75 | $75-110K | $110K + |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $11,693 | $12,261 | $12,549 | $17,777 | $19,077 |
The net price is calculated by adding tuition, room, board and other costs and subtracting financial aid. Note that the net price is typically less than the published price for a school. For more information on the sticker price of Northwestern State University of Louisiana, see our tuition and fees and room and board pages.
While almost two-thirds of students nationwide take out loans to pay for college, the percentage may be quite different for the school you plan on attending. At Northwestern State University of Louisiana, approximately 35% of students took out student loans averaging $6,972 a year. That adds up to $27,888 over four years for those students. The student loan default rate is 9.5%. This is about the same as the national default rate of 10.1%. Get more details about paying for Northwestern State University of Louisiana.
Yearly salaries vary depending on what you major in, but on average, bachelor’s degree recipients from Northwestern State U of Louisiana make around $47,021 per year during the early years of their employment. This is right on par with the average college graduate’s salary of $49,219 per year. Also, graduates in your major field may make more.
See which majors at Northwestern State University of Louisiana make the most money.
Northwestern State University of Louisiana is an public institution found in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Natchitoches is a good match for students who enjoy small-town life. Get more details about the location of Northwestern State University of Louisiana.
Contact information for Northwestern State U of Louisiana are listed below.
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Address: | 175 Sam Sibley Drive, Natchitoches, LA 71497-0002 |
| Phone: | 3183576011 |
| Website: | www.nsula.edu/ |
| Wikipedia: | en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwestern_State_University |
| Facebook: | www.facebook.com/NorthwesternState |
| Twitter: | twitter.com/nsula |
In the latest year of available data, students from 20 majors graduated from Northwestern State University of Louisiana. The following table lists the most popular undergraduate majors along with the average salary graduates from those majors make.
| Most Popular Majors | Completions | Average Salary of Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-Disciplinary Studies | 1,989 | NA |
| Nursing | 541 | $68,858 |
| Liberal Arts General Studies | 451 | $31,343 |
| Allied Health Professions | 101 | $52,493 |
| Business Administration & Management | 94 | $33,378 |
| General Psychology | 75 | $26,391 |
| Teacher Education Grade Specific | 74 | $40,982 |
| Health & Physical Education | 56 | $26,018 |
| General Biology | 54 | $21,223 |
| Child Development & Family Studies | 48 | NA |
6,079 students took at least one online class at Northwestern State University of Louisiana.
Online courses are a great option for busy, working students as well as for those who have scheduling conflicts and want to study on their own time. As time goes by, expect to see more and more online learning options become available.
Learn more about online learning at Northwestern State University of Louisiana.
Curious how schools stack up against Northwestern State University of Louisiana? Pit them head to head with College Combat, our free interactive tool that lets you compare colleges on the features that matter most to you.
Footnotes
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
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