Graduate earnings are in line with similar institutions.
What graduates earn 10 years after enrollment.
Annual salary at 10 years
Lower quartile earnings
Upper quartile earnings
How graduate earnings grow in the decade after enrollment.
LSU graduates experience steady career advancement with meaningful earnings growth over time. Median earnings rise from $49,218 at six years to $54,621 at eight years and $61,251 at ten years, representing 24.4% growth between the six-year and ten-year marks.
How outcomes compare to similar institutions.
Graduate earnings align with peer institutions — outcomes are in line with similar schools.
Financial justification for the investment.
Healthy debt burden. Most graduates can manage $20,500 in debt with typical earnings.
LSU graduates carry median debt of $20,500, essentially matching the peer median of $20,000 and indicating typical borrowing levels for public research universities. Debt levels range from $5,500 at the 25th percentile to $25,059 at the 75th percentile, showing most students borrow modestly with a relatively narrow range of debt outcomes.
LSU demonstrates well above average return on investment, ranking at the 79.5th percentile nationally with strong performance relative to educational costs. While graduates earn modestly below expectations compared to student demographics ($5,885 less than predicted), the university delivers solid absolute earnings of $61,251 that exceed the peer median by $708.
Approximately 24.7% of LSU graduates continue to graduate or professional study, indicating balanced preparation for both immediate workforce entry an...
Program mix explains much of the earnings story.
Engineering programs drive much of LSU's strong return performance, with Chemical Engineering graduates earning $99,522 and ranking #6 nationally, while Mechanical Engineering produces $92,171 (#19 nationally) and Civil Engineering generates $77,833. Construction Management delivers exceptional outcomes at $83,839 with a #4 national ranking, demonstrating LSU's particular strength in technical and applied fields.
Business programs provide solid middle-class outcomes, with Accounting Technology earning $71,624 and Business Administration producing $60,921 from large cohorts. These high-performing programs elevate LSU's overall return metrics, while more modest outcomes in fields like Biology ($42,375) and Psychology ($46,979) reflect typical liberal arts earnings patterns.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
Earnings distribution shows meaningful variation reflecting LSU's comprehensive program portfolio. The spread between 25th percentile ($39,003) and 75th percentile ($90,619) creates a 2.3:1 ratio, indicating significant career outcome differences based primarily on program selection.
