by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the graduate school options in Louisiana, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. This list ranks **24** graduate schools by overall quality and student outcomes, using our 2027 methodology.
To help you make your decision, College Factual evaluated 24 graduate schools across over 20 objective factors such as graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, and per-student spending, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard). Learn more about our ranking methodology.
This is how starting salaries are distributed among the top-ranked graduate schools:
Here are the top-ranked graduate schools:
No school ranked higher than Tulane University Of Louisiana this year in Louisiana. Based in New Orleans, LA, Tulane University Of Louisiana is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 86% of students complete a degree within six years here. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,678. Graduates go on to earn a median of $53,507 early in their careers. The median student debt is $22,077.
Out of the 24 graduate schools in Louisiana in this year's ranking, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans landed the #2 spot. Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans is a public school based in New Orleans, LA. In-state tuition and fees run about $10,356, with out-of-state students paying around $18,851. Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans graduates report median early-career earnings of $93,560. Students borrow a median of $31,146 to complete a degree here.
A rank of #3 makes Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College one of the top graduate schools in Louisiana. This public school is set in Baton Rouge, LA. About 66% of students finish within six years. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,954, with out-of-state students paying around $28,631. Early-career graduates earn a median of $49,718. Students borrow a median of $21,348 to complete a degree here.
A rank of #4 makes Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport one of the top graduate schools in Louisiana. Based in Shreveport, LA, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees run about $10,474, with out-of-state students paying around $21,345. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $76,528. Students borrow a median of $40,400 to complete a degree here.
Louisiana Tech University came in at #5 on this year's Best Graduate Schools ranking in Louisiana. Located in Ruston, LA, Louisiana Tech University is a public institution. Roughly 62% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees run about $10,125, while out-of-state students pay about $16,866. Louisiana Tech University graduates report median early-career earnings of $49,261. Students borrow a median of $23,846 to complete a degree here.
University Of Louisiana Lafayette ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best graduate schools. Based in Lafayette, LA, University Of Louisiana Lafayette is a public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 53%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,418, with out-of-state students paying around $24,146. Graduates go on to earn a median of $42,873 early in their careers. Graduates carry a median of $24,373 in student loans.
New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary placed #7 among the best graduate schools in Louisiana. Based in New Orleans, LA, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary is a private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 70%. Students from in state pay about $12,368 in tuition and fees.
Loyola University New Orleans did well this year, earning the #8 position. Based in New Orleans, LA, Loyola University New Orleans is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 59% of students complete a degree within six years here. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $49,440. Median early-career earnings reach $48,040. Students borrow a median of $26,606 to complete a degree here.
Louisiana State University Shreveport ranked #9 on our 2027 list of the best graduate schools. Set in Shreveport, LA, Louisiana State University Shreveport is a public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 38%. Students from in state pay about $7,327 in tuition and fees. Graduates go on to earn a median of $45,300 early in their careers. Graduates carry a median of $28,907 in student loans.
University Of Louisiana Monroe did well this year, earning the #10 position. University Of Louisiana Monroe is a public school based in Monroe, LA. University Of Louisiana Monroe graduates 53% of students within six years. Students from in state pay about $9,190 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $21,290. Graduates go on to earn a median of $47,162 early in their careers. University Of Louisiana Monroe students take on a median of $22,465 in debt.
Xavier University Of Louisiana ranked #11 on our 2027 list of the best graduate schools. Based in New Orleans, LA, Xavier University Of Louisiana is a private not-for-profit institution. About 48% of students finish within six years. Students from in state pay about $28,979 in tuition and fees. Median early-career earnings reach $46,854. Typical student debt is $26,777.
Our Lady Of The Lake College did well this year, earning the #12 position. Our Lady Of The Lake College is a private not-for-profit school based in Baton Rouge, LA. Roughly 44% of students complete a degree within six years here. Students from in state pay about $17,959 in tuition and fees. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $90,515. Graduates carry a median of $28,298 in student loans.
Nicholls State University came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Located in Thibodaux, LA, Nicholls State University is a public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 54%. In-state tuition and fees average $8,149, with out-of-state students paying around $9,242. Early-career graduates earn a median of $43,888. Students borrow a median of $24,513 to complete a degree here.
Mcneese State University placed #14 among the best graduate schools in Louisiana. Located in Lake Charles, LA, Mcneese State University is a public institution. About 46% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees run about $8,489, compared with $9,989 for out-of-state students. Graduates go on to earn a median of $46,529 early in their careers. Typical student debt is $24,433.
Southeastern Louisiana University ranked #15 on our 2027 list of the best graduate schools. This public school is set in Hammond, LA. The six-year graduation rate is 45%. In-state tuition and fees run about $8,373, while out-of-state students pay about $20,851. Southeastern Louisiana University graduates report median early-career earnings of $42,682. Graduates carry a median of $24,323 in student loans.
Louisiana College ranked #16 on our 2027 list of the best graduate schools. Based in Pineville, LA, Louisiana College is a private not-for-profit institution. Louisiana College posts a six-year graduation rate of 45%. Students from in state pay about $20,266 in tuition and fees. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $57,294. Typical student debt is $26,997.
Northwestern State University Of Louisiana placed #17 among the best graduate schools in Louisiana. This public school is set in Natchitoches, LA. The six-year graduation rate is 45%. In-state tuition and fees run about $8,864, compared with $19,652 for out-of-state students. Graduates go on to earn a median of $42,684 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $28,061 to complete a degree here.
University Of New Orleans did well this year, earning the #18 position. Set in New Orleans, LA, University Of New Orleans is a public institution. Roughly 38% of students complete a degree within six years here. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,172, compared with $14,008 for out-of-state students. Graduates go on to earn a median of $42,720 early in their careers. The median student debt is $23,048.
Centenary College Of Louisiana ranked #19 on our 2027 list of the best graduate schools. This private not-for-profit school is set in Shreveport, LA. The six-year graduation rate is 56%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $41,200. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete a degree here.
Our Lady Of Holy Cross College came in at #20 in this year's ranking. Set in New Orleans, LA, Our Lady Of Holy Cross College is a private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 40%. In-state tuition and fees run about $16,576. Early-career graduates earn a median of $56,527. Typical student debt is $43,500.
Dillard University placed #21 among the best graduate schools in Louisiana. This private not-for-profit school is set in New Orleans, LA. About 43% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees run about $22,734. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $37,305. Dillard University students take on a median of $33,177 in debt.
Southern University And A And M College did well this year, earning the #22 position. This public school is set in Baton Rouge, LA. Southern University And A And M College posts a six-year graduation rate of 27%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,922, while out-of-state students pay about $17,272. Southern University And A And M College graduates report median early-career earnings of $45,304. Typical student debt is $33,288.
Grambling State University did well this year, earning the #23 position. Located in Grambling, LA, Grambling State University is a public institution. Grambling State University graduates 36% of students within six years. In-state tuition and fees run about $7,683, while out-of-state students pay about $16,706. Median early-career earnings reach $34,580. The median student debt is $40,941.
Southern University At New Orleans came in at #24 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in New Orleans, LA. Southern University At New Orleans graduates 13% of students within six years. Students from in state pay about $8,054 in tuition and fees, compared with $16,954 for out-of-state students. Median early-career earnings reach $37,296. Typical student debt is $48,451.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked graduate schools only.
These rankings are produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Rankings consider a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and per-student spending drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
References
See our data sources and methodologies.
