by our College Data Analytics TeamWith all of the graduate school options in Louisiana, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. Our ranking highlights 96 programs by overall quality and student outcomes, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you make your decision, College Factual evaluated 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.
Not every student is looking for the same thing. Refine the list by location and field of study, or explore other rankings below. You can also browse by degree level:
Want to compare schools head to head? We built a tool called College Combat to build custom comparisons using the factors most important to you.
Explore the leading graduate schools below:
Our analysis found Tulane University Of Louisiana to be the best graduate school 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. In-state tuition and fees average $68,678. Median early-career earnings reach $54,082. Typical student debt is $22,077.
A rank of #2 makes Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans one of the top graduate schools in Louisiana. Located in New Orleans, LA, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans is a public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,356, compared with $18,851 for out-of-state students. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $93,560. Typical student debt is $31,146.
The strong outcomes at Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College earned it the #3 place in Louisiana. This public school is set in Baton Rouge, LA. Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College posts a six-year graduation rate of 66%. In-state tuition and fees average $11,954, compared with $28,631 for out-of-state students. Graduates go on to earn a median of $49,718 early in their careers. Graduates carry a median of $21,348 in student loans.
A rank of #4 makes Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport one of the top graduate schools in Louisiana. Set in Shreveport, LA, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees run about $10,474, compared with $21,345 for out-of-state students. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $76,528. Students borrow a median of $40,400 to complete a degree here.
A rank of #5 makes Louisiana Tech University one of the top graduate schools in Louisiana. This public school is set in Ruston, LA. The six-year graduation rate is 62%. Students from in state pay about $10,125 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $16,866. Louisiana Tech University graduates report median early-career earnings of $49,261. The median student debt is $23,846.
University Of Louisiana Lafayette landed the #6 spot in Louisiana this year. University Of Louisiana Lafayette is a public school based in Lafayette, LA. About 53% of students finish within six years. Students from in state pay about $10,418 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $24,146. University Of Louisiana Lafayette graduates report median early-career earnings of $42,873. The median student debt is $24,373.
Loyola University New Orleans did well this year, earning the #7 position. Loyola University New Orleans is a private not-for-profit school based in New Orleans, LA. Loyola University New Orleans posts a six-year graduation rate of 59%. In-state tuition and fees run about $49,440. Median early-career earnings reach $48,040. Loyola University New Orleans students take on a median of $26,606 in debt.
New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best graduate schools. New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary is a private not-for-profit school based in New Orleans, LA. Roughly 70% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees run about $12,368.
Chamberlain University Louisiana ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best graduate schools. Based in Jefferson, LA, Chamberlain University Louisiana is a private for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $20,680. Early-career graduates earn a median of $83,188. Chamberlain University Louisiana students take on a median of $39,146 in debt.
University Of Louisiana Monroe landed the #10 spot in Louisiana this year. Set in Monroe, LA, University Of Louisiana Monroe is a public institution. University Of Louisiana Monroe posts a six-year graduation rate of 53%. In-state tuition and fees run about $9,190, compared with $21,290 for out-of-state students. Graduates go on to earn a median of $47,162 early in their careers. Typical student debt is $22,465.
Louisiana State University Shreveport placed #11 among the best graduate schools in Louisiana. Set in Shreveport, LA, Louisiana State University Shreveport is a public institution. Roughly 38% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees run about $7,327. Early-career graduates earn a median of $45,300. The median student debt is $28,907.
Our Lady Of The Lake College placed #12 among the best graduate schools in Louisiana. Our Lady Of The Lake College is a private not-for-profit school based in Baton Rouge, LA. Our Lady Of The Lake College posts a six-year graduation rate of 44%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $17,959. Median early-career earnings reach $90,515. Graduates carry a median of $28,298 in student loans.
Sowela Technical Community College came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Sowela Technical Community College is a public school based in Lake Charles, LA. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,305. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $45,827. Typical student debt is $7,391.
Mcneese State University ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the best graduate schools. Based in Lake Charles, LA, Mcneese State University is a public institution. Mcneese State University graduates 46% of students within six years. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,489, while out-of-state students pay about $9,989. Early-career graduates earn a median of $46,529. Mcneese State University students take on a median of $24,433 in debt.
Southeastern Louisiana University placed #15 among the best graduate schools in Louisiana. Set in Hammond, LA, Southeastern Louisiana University is a public institution. About 45% of students finish within six years. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,373, while out-of-state students pay about $20,851. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $42,682. Graduates carry a median of $24,323 in student loans.
Nicholls State University came in at #16 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Thibodaux, LA. The six-year graduation rate is 54%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,149, with out-of-state students paying around $9,242. Graduates go on to earn a median of $43,888 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $24,513 to complete a degree here.
Central Louisiana Technical Community College did well this year, earning the #17 position. Based in Alexandria, LA, Central Louisiana Technical Community College is a public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,098, with out-of-state students paying around $4,363. Central Louisiana Technical Community College graduates report median early-career earnings of $18,707. Graduates carry a median of $8,625 in student loans.
River Parishes Community College ranked #18 on our 2026 list of the best graduate schools. Based in Gonzales, LA, River Parishes Community College is a public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,079. Median early-career earnings reach $49,694. Typical student debt is $20,608.
Xavier University Of Louisiana ranked #19 on our 2026 list of the best graduate schools. Xavier University Of Louisiana is a private not-for-profit school based in New Orleans, LA. The six-year graduation rate is 48%. In-state tuition and fees average $28,979. Xavier University Of Louisiana graduates report median early-career earnings of $46,854. The median student debt is $26,777.
Saint Joseph Seminary College landed the #20 spot in Louisiana this year. Set in St. Benedict, LA, Saint Joseph Seminary College is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 48% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees run about $27,750.
Centenary College Of Louisiana did well this year, earning the #21 position. Set in Shreveport, LA, Centenary College Of Louisiana is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 56% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees run about $41,200. Centenary College Of Louisiana students take on a median of $27,000 in debt.
Northwestern State University Of Louisiana did well this year, earning the #22 position. Northwestern State University Of Louisiana is a public school based in Natchitoches, LA. Roughly 45% of students complete a degree within six years here. Students from in state pay about $8,864 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $19,652. Median early-career earnings reach $42,684. Students borrow a median of $28,061 to complete a degree here.
University Of New Orleans ranked #23 on our 2026 list of the best graduate schools. This public school is set in New Orleans, LA. The six-year graduation rate is 38%. Students from in state pay about $9,172 in tuition and fees, compared with $14,008 for out-of-state students. Median early-career earnings reach $42,720. Typical student debt is $23,048.
Nunez Community College came in at #24 in this year's ranking. Set in Chalmette, LA, Nunez Community College is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees run about $4,255. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $40,200. Typical student debt is $21,296.
South Louisiana Community College ranked #25 on our 2026 list of the best graduate schools. Set in Lafayette, LA, South Louisiana Community College is a public institution. Students from in state pay about $4,210 in tuition and fees. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $38,854. Graduates carry a median of $12,435 in student loans.
Not far behind, these graduate schools also landed in the top of this year’s ranking:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked graduate schools only.
These rankings are produced by College Factual, 2026 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.
