by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is the data on what it actually costs to attend Northwestern State University of Louisiana, spanning what it costs to attend, projected costs over a degree, net price, debt outcomes, and aid equity.
Use the section links below to navigate this overview:
The total cost of attendance at Northwestern State U of Louisiana came in between $24,496.00 and $35,284.00 depending on residency and living arrangement.
In-state residents qualified for the lower cost, with out-of-state students paying more: about $24,496.00 in-state compared with $35,284.00 for non-residents.
The three scenarios below move from the full sticker price, to the net price after average aid, to the net price low-income students typically pay.
| Tuition and fees | $8,864.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $15,632.00 |
| Total cost | $24,496.00 |
| That is 27% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $24,496.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$11,825.00 |
| Net price | $12,671.00 |
| That is 34% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $24,496.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$13,738.00 |
| Net price | $10,758.00 |
| That is 44% below the national average net price. |
| Tuition and fees | $19,652.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $15,632.00 |
| Total cost | $35,284.00 |
| That is 83% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $35,284.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$11,825.00 |
| Net price | $23,459.00 |
| That is 22% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $35,284.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$13,738.00 |
| Net price | $21,546.00 |
| That is 12% above the national average net price. | |
| Go deeper on the components with tuition and fees plus living costs. |
Cost of attendance here has been rising by around 0.3% a year, so a full degree will cost more than a single year — the tables below carry that forward. Below, the cost is projected across a degree for three students at once — low-income with aid, average aid, and no aid. Loan totals assume a ten-year repayment at 6.8%.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Freshman year | $10,793.00 | $12,713.00 | $24,577.00 |
| Senior year | $10,900.00 | $12,839.00 | $24,820.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $43,387.00 | $51,102.00 | $98,792.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $16,529.00 | $19,468.00 | $37,636.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $499.00 | $588.00 | $1,137.00 |
| Total amount paid | $59,916.00 | $70,570.00 | $136,429.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Freshman year | $10,793.00 | $12,713.00 | $24,577.00 |
| Senior year | $10,829.00 | $12,754.00 | $24,657.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $21,622.00 | $25,467.00 | $49,234.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $8,237.00 | $9,702.00 | $18,756.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $249.00 | $293.00 | $567.00 |
| Total amount paid | $29,860.00 | $35,169.00 | $67,990.00 |
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Freshman year | $21,617.00 | $23,536.00 | $35,400.00 |
| Senior year | $21,831.00 | $23,769.00 | $35,750.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $86,895.00 | $94,610.00 | $142,300.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $33,104.00 | $36,043.00 | $54,211.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $1,000.00 | $1,089.00 | $1,638.00 |
| Total amount paid | $119,999.00 | $130,653.00 | $196,512.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Freshman year | $21,617.00 | $23,536.00 | $35,400.00 |
| Senior year | $21,688.00 | $23,614.00 | $35,516.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $43,305.00 | $47,150.00 | $70,917.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $16,498.00 | $17,962.00 | $27,017.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $498.00 | $543.00 | $816.00 |
| Total amount paid | $59,802.00 | $65,112.00 | $97,933.00 |
See the full net-price breakdown in the Net Price section.
Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the published sticker price. For most prospective students, net price gives a more realistic estimate than sticker tuition.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $13,606.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $13,809.00 |
Net price varies sharply by family income, dropping as need-based aid grows. Below, average net price is broken out by family income:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $12,129.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $12,307.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $14,216.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $17,311.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $18,107.00 |
Get a tailored estimate from the Northwestern State University of Louisiana Net Price Calculator, or check with the financial aid office.
Want to know how that aid is awarded? See the financial aid breakdown.
Median graduate debt at Northwestern State U of Louisiana stands at $15,000.00, landing it in the Low ($10-20k) debt-load classification.
Here’s how debt at graduation distributes across borrowers:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $3,000.00 |
| 25th | $5,500.00 |
| Median (50th) | $15,000.00 |
| 75th | $25,000.00 |
| 90th | $36,250.00 |
The 10th-to-90th-percentile spread is one signal of how variable debt outcomes are across the student body.
Dig deeper into debt on the student loan debt detail.
Median debt at graduation differs meaningfully across income brackets. Below the data splits borrowers across three income groups:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $14,750.00 |
| Middle income | $15,750.00 |
| High income | $14,000.00 |
On average, low-income graduates leave with $750.00 more than graduates from high-income families.
Debt at graduation often differs for first-generation students.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $15,250.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $13,486.00 |
First-gen students at Northwestern State U of Louisiana graduate with $1,764.00 in extra median debt compared with continuing-generation peers.
Pell Grants are the federal government’s primary need-based undergraduate aid program. Comparing Pell recipients vs non-recipients shows how debt is distributed by need.
The Pell-versus-non-Pell median debt difference at Northwestern State U of Louisiana amounts to $3,340.00. This institution is flagged by federal data for Pell-debt inequity.
The Department of Education default-rate tier for Northwestern State U of Louisiana is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 9.5% |
To give some context for these rates, Stafford loans disbursed at Northwestern State U of Louisiana total $936,986,917.00 spread across 40,701 loan recipients.
Veterans and active-duty students can access dedicated federal education aid including the GI Bill and Tuition Assistance from the Department of Defense.
| GI Bill recipients | 157 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $3,404.00 |
| DoD Tuition Assistance recipients | 152 |
| Avg DoD Tuition Assistance | $1,515.00 |
Explore GI Bill and military aid in detail on the veteran aid breakdown.
Numbers only tell part of the story. As you weigh Northwestern State U of Louisiana, keep these questions in mind:
For a closer look at any of these topics, follow the links below:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.