College Azimuth

Research brief & institution hub

Northwestern State University of Louisiana

LAMedium public institution · Overall rank #468 nationally

Data snapshot Updated

Azimuth ranks Northwestern State University of Louisiana #468 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions.

Who it’s a good fit for

Northwestern State University of Louisiana is a public university in Natchitoches, Louisiana, where Health Professions and Business account for the largest shares of degrees. The strongest is affordability, which is above average.

Graduates out-earn what predicts for students like them, and the typical graduate earns below the median at comparable schools. The model attributes part of that advantage to the factors it measures, which adds, while the unexplained remainder subtracts, and return is around the average.

Pell students complete within a few points of the overall rate, and mobility is above average. The lowest income band averages well below the published cost, and the spread between the lowest and highest bands is modest.

The admission rate is above the median for comparable schools, and most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study. The largest program, Nursing, is also the highest-earning program.

Northwestern State University of Louisiana at a glance

Admissions and outcomes

Admission rate[1]
92.5%
Six-year completion[2]
43.2%
Four-year earnings[3]
$56,762

Cost and family borrowing

Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[6]
$12,549
Median student debt[4]
$25,000
Median Parent PLUS debt[7]
$11,900

Northwestern State University of Louisiana rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[5]

Northwestern State University of Louisiana is a public university in Natchitoches, Louisiana, with an undergraduate enrollment of 5,519. The university sits near the middle of the Azimuth composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Admission is open: the university admits 92.5% of applicants, while the median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is 85.9%. Of the full-time students who start, 70.9% return for a second year, against a peer median of 73.7%.

The six-year graduation rate for first-time, full-time students is 43.2%, below the peer median of 49.1%. An estimated 28.0% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so that graduation rate describes a minority of the student body.

The four pillars sit within a modest range. Affordability is the strongest, at the 74th percentile, and return is the weakest, at the 52nd percentile.

Mobility and access fall between them, with mobility at the 71st percentile and access at the 61st percentile.

Affordability is the strongest pillar in the Azimuth profile for Northwestern State University of Louisiana, at the 74th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Mobility is next, in the 71st percentile.

Access sits at the 61st percentile. Return is the weakest of the four, at the 52nd percentile.

The overall picture is one of manageable cost and solid mobility alongside a return pillar that does not stand out.

35.2% of undergraduates at Northwestern State University of Louisiana receive Pell Grants. Those students complete at 41.0%, 2.2 percentage points below the rate for the entering cohort as a whole.

Azimuth ranks the university #576 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks the university #427 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $3,020 more than the model expects for similar students.

How value-added outcomes are assessed · How to interpret program rankings

Northwestern State University of Louisiana rankings in context
GeographyRank
National#468

Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group.

National pillar percentiles

Economic mobility
National percentile: 71
Access & reach
National percentile: 61
Affordability
National percentile: 74
Return on investment
National percentile: 52

Top-ranked majors

  1. Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General#30
  2. Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions#46
  3. Information Science/Studies#51

This school’s three highest-ranked programs nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ.

Explore major rankings

01 / Northwestern State University of Louisiana briefing

Northwestern State University of Louisiana cost & financial aid[6][7]

The published cost of attendance at Northwestern State University of Louisiana is $25,431. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported in-state tuition of $5,180 and required fees of $4,190 for the 2026-27 academic year, with on-campus food and housing at $11,306.

Out-of-state tuition is $15,968. After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients is $13,606, which is $462 below the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Azimuth ranks the university #363 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The published cost of attendance is $25,431. Azimuth ranks Northwestern State University of Louisiana #363 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $11,693, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $12,549, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $19,077. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $7,384.

Aid covers about 46% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The across all aid recipients is $13,606, which is $462 below the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Borrowers who finish carry a median of $25,000 in federal student loans. That is $3,771 above the $21,229 peer median.

83.3% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $11,900 in Parent PLUS loans.

If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 a month. It estimates costs and payments for your own situation.

Your family income

Choose a household income range to see estimated net price.

Reported average annual net price · $48–75K$12,549

After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ.

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Borrowing and repayment at Northwestern State University of Louisiana

Federal borrowing is widespread at Northwestern State University of Louisiana: 83.3% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Among federal-loan borrowers who complete, the median debt is $25,000.

That median is $3,771 above the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Parents who borrow through the separate Parent PLUS program hold a median of $11,900.

In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 35% of bachelor's graduates borrowed from any source, with an average cumulative debt of $27,455 per borrower. Of those graduates, 27% held federal loans averaging $25,508.

Graduates of Northwestern State University of Louisiana earn about $3,020 more than the model expects for similar students. That result sits at the 66th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The median for federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled four years after completion is $56,762. The peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $57,301; the university sits $539 below that level.

That places the median at the 38th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The program mix supports earnings scenarios of $56,762 in a typical case, $42,696 on the downside, and $85,507 on the upside.

Borrowers who finish hold a median of $25,000 in federal loans, $3,771 above the peer median. If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 a month.

Graduates out-earn what the model predicts, yet the median trails the peer level and debt sits above it.

For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $11,900. For student borrowers, the median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 a month if repaid over ten years.

How Financial GPS measures payment burden · The four risk-and-reward zones

Financial GPS

What does repayment look like?

Institution median student debt
$25,000
Institution Parent PLUS debt
$11,900

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

Estimated student payment · monthly
$284/mo
Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
$151/mo

Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.

Payment assumptions

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.

Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS
Read the full cost & aid brief

02 / Northwestern State University of Louisiana briefing

Northwestern State University of Louisiana career outcomes & earnings[3][8][9]

Azimuth places the return pillar for Northwestern State University of Louisiana at the 52nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $56,762, which is in the 38th percentile nationally.

That median is $539 below the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $3,020 more than the model expects for similar students, a gap that sits at the 66th percentile.

The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $6,748. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $3,728. Within the measured factors, the STEM component subtracts $451.

The earnings picture at Northwestern State University of Louisiana is mixed: graduates out-earn what the model predicts, but the raw median sits below the peer mark. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $56,762.

That is below the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth places it in the 38th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, based on an earnings cohort of 1,635 completers.

Graduates earn about $3,020 more than the model expects for similar students. The gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students sits at the 66th percentile.

Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix put the typical scenario at $56,762, with a downside scenario of $42,696 and an upside scenario of $85,507. An estimated 27.7% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix.

The median earnings figure for federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled is $56,762 four years after completion, placing the university at the 38th percentile. Comparable institutions (same type and size) show a median of $57,301, which leaves Northwestern State University of Louisiana sitting $539 below that peer benchmark for four-year earnings.

Azimuth ranks the university #707 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $3,020 more than the model expects for similar students.

That result sits at the 66th percentile for how much graduates earn above the model’s expectation. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures, which include field of study, enrollment and the local labor market, adds $6,748.

The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain, and therefore cannot account for, subtracts $3,728. Within the measured factors, the STEM component by itself subtracts $451.

The largest shares of bachelor's degrees awarded are in health professions and business, while STEM fields account for 7.3% of degrees awarded. Estimated earnings scenarios from the program mix span $42,696 on the downside and $85,507 on the upside for graduates.

An estimated 27.7% of graduates continue on to graduate study, based on the program mix.

The earnings scenarios show a range from $42,696 on the downside to $85,507 on the upside. These are scenarios estimated from the program mix, not observed groups of graduates.

At the upper end, Nursing graduates earn a median of $86,608 four years after completion, from 318 degrees awarded a year. Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians follows at $74,209, though the program is much smaller at 17 degrees awarded.

Affordability is the strongest pillar at Northwestern State University of Louisiana, and the net price figures bear that out. The average net price for aid recipients is $13,606, which sits below the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

For families earning under $30,000, the average net price is $11,693; for those earning over $110,000, it is $19,077. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $7,384, and aid covers about 46% of the published cost for the average aid recipient.

Borrowers who finish leave with a median of $25,000 in federal student loans, and they earn about $3,020 more than the model expects for similar students. That is above the $21,229 peer median, and it corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 a month if repaid over ten years. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $11,900 in Parent PLUS loans.

What explains value-added earnings?
Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.
+$6,748
Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.
-$3,728
Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.
+$3,020

These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

Read the full outcomes brief

03 / Northwestern State University of Louisiana briefing

Northwestern State University of Louisiana acceptance rate & admissions[1][10][11]

Northwestern State University of Louisiana admits 92.5% of applicants, a rate that sits above the median of 85.9% for comparable institutions (same type and size). The university is a broad-access public campus where most applicants receive an offer.

SAT: reported composite scores
Admission rate
92.5%
25th percentile
910
Median
980
75th percentile
1110

CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff.

Read the full admissions brief

04 / Northwestern State University of Louisiana briefing

What are the largest majors at Northwestern State University of Louisiana?[12]

Nursing is the largest program at Northwestern State University of Louisiana, with 318 degrees awarded and median earnings of $86,608 four years after completion. That is the highest earnings figure among the university's programs.

A handful of smaller programs also pay well. Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians shows median earnings of $74,209 from 17 degrees awarded, and Health Sciences shows median earnings of $67,765 from 25 degrees awarded.

Psychology is a large program with moderate earnings. It awards 115 degrees a year and shows median earnings of $44,492; Azimuth ranks it #292 nationally in its field.

The spread between the highest- and moderate-earning fields is wide, and the largest programs are not always the best-paid.

Health Professions accounts for 31.9% of bachelor's degrees awarded, with Business second at 15.6%. Azimuth ranks 16 programs nationally, and earnings data is available for 21 fields.

Nursing is the largest single program, at 318 degrees a year, and its graduates earn a median of $86,608 four years after completion. That is the highest earnings figure among the university's programs.

Health Sciences is the top-ranked program, at #30 nationally in its field, with 25 degrees awarded and median earnings of $67,765. Allied Health Professions follows at #46 nationally in its field, with 86 degrees awarded and median earnings of $66,559.

Northwestern State University of Louisiana awards bachelor's degrees across 21 programs with published four-year earnings data, and 16 hold an Azimuth national rank. Health Professions dominates the mix at 31.9% of degrees awarded, with Business next at 15.6% and Liberal Arts & General Studies at 8.4%.

The largest single programs are Nursing at 318 degrees awarded, Business Administration and Management at 118, and Liberal Arts and General Studies at 117. Nursing is also the highest-earning program, with a median of $86,608 four years after completion.

The second-highest earnings come from a much smaller program: Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians graduates earn a median of $74,209 four years after completion from 17 degrees awarded a year. The highest-ranked program is Health Sciences, which awards 25 degrees a year and graduates earn a median of $67,765 four years after completion, ranking #1 in Louisiana within its field.

Allied Health Professions, one of the larger programs, ranks #46 nationally and #2 in Louisiana within its field. It awards 86 degrees and graduates earn a median of $66,559 four years after completion.

The pattern is concentrated: the health professions family supplies the largest program and the highest earnings. Health Sciences ranks #1 in Louisiana within its field.

Allied Health Professions ranks #2 in Louisiana within its field. 7.3% of degrees are in STEM fields.

Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 318 degrees awarded
$86,608
Business Administration, Management and Operations 118 degrees awarded
$51,927
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities 117 degrees awarded
$47,652
Psychology, General 115 degrees awarded
$44,492
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions 86 degrees awarded
$66,559
Biology, General 70 degrees awarded
$55,452

Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings.

Read the full majors brief

05 / Northwestern State University of Louisiana briefing

What colleges are similar to Northwestern State University of Louisiana?[15]

Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. How matching works.

A shortlist for different decisions

Choose a row to compare the figures with Northwestern State University of Louisiana.

Admissions peerUniversity of Louisiana at Monroe84.8% admitted
Comparison with Northwestern State University of Louisiana
MeasureNorthwestern State University of LouisianaUniversity of Louisiana at Monroe
Peer earnings · 4 years$56,762$53,715-$3,047 vs Northwestern State University of Louisiana
Average annual net price$13,606$13,466-$140 vs Northwestern State University of Louisiana · lower cost
Admission rate92.5%84.8%
Explore University of Louisiana at Monroe →
Nearby alternativeUniversity of Louisiana at MonroeNearby option · LA
Comparison with Northwestern State University of Louisiana
MeasureNorthwestern State University of LouisianaUniversity of Louisiana at Monroe
Peer earnings · 4 years$56,762$53,715-$3,047 vs Northwestern State University of Louisiana
Average annual net price$13,606$13,466-$140 vs Northwestern State University of Louisiana · lower cost
Admission rate92.5%84.8%
Explore University of Louisiana at Monroe →
Higher-earnings alternativeSan Jose State University$89,614 earnings
Comparison with Northwestern State University of Louisiana
MeasureNorthwestern State University of LouisianaSan Jose State University
Peer earnings · 4 years$56,762$89,614+$32,852 vs Northwestern State University of Louisiana
Average annual net price$13,606$13,760+$154 vs Northwestern State University of Louisiana · higher cost
Admission rate92.5%84.6%
Explore San Jose State University →
Lower-cost alternativeLouisiana State University at Alexandria$7,065 average net price
Comparison with Northwestern State University of Louisiana
MeasureNorthwestern State University of LouisianaLouisiana State University at Alexandria
Peer earnings · 4 years$56,762$51,983-$4,779 vs Northwestern State University of Louisiana
Average annual net price$13,606$7,065-$6,541 vs Northwestern State University of Louisiana · lower cost
Admission rate92.5%92.1%
Similar profileAngelo State UniversityMatched across several measures
Comparison with Northwestern State University of Louisiana
MeasureNorthwestern State University of LouisianaAngelo State University
Peer earnings · 4 years$56,762$54,923-$1,839 vs Northwestern State University of Louisiana
Average annual net price$13,606$15,091+$1,485 vs Northwestern State University of Louisiana · higher cost
Admission rate92.5%83.0%
Explore Angelo State University →

Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable.

Read the full similar schools brief

Data scope & methodology

Structured payloads generated Governed hub narrative Governed spoke corpus

Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection.

Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them.

Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects.

Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.

Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations · About College Azimuth

Read the analysis behind value-added earnings and the change to four-year graduate earnings. These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com.

Data notes & source fields

Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation; notes with a different source link it below.

  1. Admission rate. Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability.

    Source fields: ADM_RATE

  2. Six-year completion. First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree.

    Source fields: C150_4

  3. Four-year institutional earnings. Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion.

    Source fields: MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

  4. Median federal student debt. Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students.

    Source fields: GRAD_DEBT_MDN

  5. National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks. Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ.

    Source fields: Azimuth rankings

    College Azimuth · Ranking methodology

  6. Annual net price by family income. Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers.

    Source fields: NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV

  7. Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration. Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance is 150% of the federal poverty guideline for one person, for the year the API serves. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. The parent table is the 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS as a share of household income above 200% of the guideline for a household of three: under 6% Safe, 6–10% Caution, over 10% High pressure. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations.

    Source fields: PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations

    College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology

  8. Downside and upside earnings; yellow band. The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median.

    Source fields: Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios

    College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology

  9. Value added and its components. Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

    Source fields: Azimuth statistical model

    College Azimuth · Value-added methodology

  10. SAT score range and reported midpoint. Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range.

    Source fields: SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG

  11. First-year retention. Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions.

    Source fields: RET_FT4

  12. Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots. Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity.

    Source fields: EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE

    College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation

  13. Pell recipients. Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year.

    Source fields: PCTPELL

  14. Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group. This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns.

    Source fields: 1 − PFTFTUG1_EF

  15. Peer earnings and signed differences. Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure.

    Source fields: Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

    College Azimuth · Comparison methodology

How to interpret program rankings