1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [Northwestern State University of Louisiana](/school/northwestern-state-university-of-louisiana/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # Northwestern State University of Louisiana Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated September 30, 2026 [Overview](/school/northwestern-state-university-of-louisiana/)[Cost & aid](/school/northwestern-state-university-of-louisiana/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/northwestern-state-university-of-louisiana/admissions/)[Majors](/school/northwestern-state-university-of-louisiana/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/northwestern-state-university-of-louisiana/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do Northwestern State University of Louisiana graduates earn? The reported median is $56,762 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $57,301 as its benchmark; the difference is \-$539 per year. 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 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. An estimated 27.7% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix rather than observed enrollment. Because four-year earnings cover completers who are working and not enrolled, those continuing their education are outside that snapshot. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $56,762 **Rank for difference from expectations** 66th percentile Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **Northwestern State University of Louisiana reported median** $56,762 **Peer schools comparable schools · $539 above Northwestern State University of Louisiana** $57,301 **Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $3,020 below Northwestern State University of Louisiana** $53,742 School and program earnings use pooled 2017–18 and 2018–19 completion cohorts, measured in 2022 and 2023 and expressed in 2024 dollars. [How the model works](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). ## How many Northwestern State University of Louisiana students return and finish their degrees? First-time, full-time bachelor’s cohorts · CDS 2025-26 **Returned the following fall** 71.0% **Completed within six years** 44.2% **Pell recipients completed within six years** 38.0% Source: Northwestern State University of Louisiana Common Data Set 2025-26, B22 retention; B4–B11 six-year completion. Retention and completion follow different entering cohorts. ## How could earnings differ from the median? The planning scenarios range from $42,696 to $85,507, around the reported median of $56,762. Compare the lower scenario with [Northwestern State University of Louisiana borrowing and monthly payments](/school/northwestern-state-university-of-louisiana/cost/) to see how a smaller income could change your plan. Modeled from the school’s program mix; not salary percentiles or a forecast for one graduate. Earnings four years after completion Planning rangeReported median **Lower estimate** $42,696 **Median · reported** $56,762 **Higher estimate** $85,507 Downside shows a lower-earning scenario based on the college’s mix of programs; upside shows a higher-earning scenario. Typical is the school’s reported median four years after completion. These are planning scenarios, not a forecast of your salary or percentiles of individual graduates. [Why the downside matters](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) explores the risk hidden by medians, using older ten-year entrant data. [Read about the move to four-year earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). ## Do Northwestern State University of Louisiana graduates earn more than expected? Azimuth models what we would expect graduates to earn based on who the college enrolls, how selective it is and its local economy. The difference between that expectation and reported earnings is what Azimuth calls [value added](/methodology/#value-added). Northwestern State University of Louisiana graduates’ reported earnings are $3,020 above that expectation, the 66th percentile for this measure. Unlike a peer comparison, it adjusts for who enrolls. The breakdown separates the contribution attributed to observed factors from the remaining difference. Neither component establishes how much attending Northwestern State University of Louisiana caused a student to earn. [Read how expected earnings are estimated](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). 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. ## Which fields at Northwestern State University of Louisiana report the highest earnings? 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](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 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](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 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. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing** $86,608 **Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians** $74,209 **Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General** $67,765 **Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions** $66,559 **Information Science/Studies** $63,928 **Accounting and Related Services** $60,861 **Biology, General** $55,452 **History** $55,115 [Explore Northwestern State University of Louisiana program cohorts and field ranks](/school/northwestern-state-university-of-louisiana/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix range from a downside of $42,696 to a typical outcome of $56,762 and an upside of $85,507. The spread reflects the mix of fields. Nursing sits at the high end with $86,608 four years after completion, while Psychology, the lowest-earning among the largest programs, stands at $44,492. 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. ## Data & methodology Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/). Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).