Louisiana Colleges & Universities

Baton Rouge, LA — Public flagship research university, est. 1853; home of the Tigers; SEC member; one of the most passionate college football fan bases in America — Tiger Stadium ("Death Valley") holds 102,000+ fans and is regarded as one of the most intimidating venues in sports; alma mater of Bob Pettit (Basketball HOF), Odell Beckham Jr., Tyrann Mathieu, and Leonard Fournette; the 2019 LSU Tigers went 15–0 and won the national championship with Joe Burrow winning the Heisman Trophy; strong programs in agriculture, engineering, law, and veterinary medicine

Baton Rouge, LA — Public HBCU land-grant university, est. 1880; home of the Jaguars; SWAC member; the largest HBCU in the United States; the flagship of the Southern University System; home of the legendary Southern University Marching Band, regarded as one of the greatest marching bands in the world and a cultural institution of Black college football; strong programs in law, engineering, nursing, and education

Grambling, LA — Public HBCU, est. 1901; home of the Tigers; SWAC member; alma mater of Willis Reed (Basketball HOF) and Willie Davis (Pro Football HOF); legendary coach Eddie Robinson won 408 games at Grambling — more than any coach in college football history at the time of his retirement — sending more than 200 players to the NFL, many from an era when Black athletes were overlooked by predominantly white programs; the "Grambling State Football Classic" series are among the most storied rivalries in HBCU sports; a pillar of Black athletic achievement in America

Hammond, LA — Public university, est. 1925; home of the Lions; Southland Conference member; located in Hammond, the commercial center of the Florida Parishes north of Lake Pontchartrain; serves as the primary university for the rapidly growing Northshore communities of the New Orleans metropolitan area; strong programs in nursing, education, business, and kinesiology

Lafayette, LA — Public research university, est. 1898; home of the Ragin' Cajuns; Sun Belt Conference member; the second-largest university in Louisiana; located in Lafayette, the heart of Cajun Country and one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the South; a major research university with particularly strong programs in petroleum engineering, computer science, nursing, and the preservation of Cajun and Creole culture and language; the Ragin' Cajuns baseball program is one of the most successful in college baseball history

Lake Charles, LA — Public university, est. 1939; home of the Cowboys; Southland Conference member; alma mater of Joe Dumars (Basketball HOF) — the Natchitoches-born Piston great who exemplified character and skill throughout his career; located in Lake Charles, the hub of southwest Louisiana's energy and petrochemical industry; strong programs in engineering, nursing, business, and education

Monroe, LA — Public university, est. 1931; home of the Warhawks; Sun Belt Conference member; located in Monroe (and neighboring West Monroe), the largest city in north-central Louisiana and the birthplace of Basketball Hall of Famer Bill Russell; strong programs in pharmacy, health sciences, business, and aviation; the Monroe–West Monroe metropolitan area is one of Louisiana's most economically significant urban centers

Natchitoches, LA — Public university, est. 1884; home of the Demons; Southland Conference member; located in Natchitoches, the oldest permanent European settlement in the Louisiana Purchase territory and the hometown of Basketball Hall of Famer Joe Dumars; the university is a cultural anchor of the Red River region of northwest Louisiana; strong programs in nursing, education, and criminal justice; Natchitoches's rich history as a Spanish, French, and American colonial crossroads gives the university's setting a unique historical depth

New Orleans, LA — Private HBCU, est. 1869; home of the Bleu Devils; one of the historically Black colleges and universities that shaped higher education in New Orleans after the Civil War; a merger of Straight University (1869) and New Orleans University (1869) created Dillard in 1930; located in the Gentilly neighborhood of New Orleans; strong programs in nursing, education, public health, and social work; a symbol of resilience — the university sustained catastrophic damage from Hurricane Katrina in 2005 but rebuilt and has returned to full operation; deeply embedded in the cultural and civic life of Black New Orleans

New Orleans, LA — Private Jesuit liberal arts university, est. 1912; home of the Wolf Pack; located adjacent to Tulane in Uptown New Orleans; the southernmost Jesuit university in the United States; strong programs in music, law, business, and communications; known for its music industry studies program, reflecting New Orleans's position as one of the great music cities of the world

New Orleans, LA — Private research university, est. 1834; home of the Green Wave; American Athletic Conference member; one of the oldest universities in the South and a leading research institution; located in Uptown New Orleans in a distinctive oak-lined campus; strong programs in law, medicine, public health, business, and architecture; a major contributor to post-Katrina New Orleans recovery and an engine of the city's civic and cultural life

New Orleans, LA — Private Catholic HBCU, est. 1925; home of the Gold Rush; the only HBCU founded by a religious order (Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament) and the only Catholic HBCU in the United States; consistently the top producer of Black students who go on to earn medical degrees in America; a nationally recognized leader in STEM education for underrepresented students; an enduring symbol of New Orleans's Catholic and African American heritage

Ruston, LA — Public research university, est. 1894; home of the Bulldogs; Conference USA member; alma mater of Terry Bradshaw (Pro Football HOF) and Karl Malone (Basketball HOF) — two of the most decorated players in their respective sports; also produced Terry Bradshaw, whose selection as the first overall pick in the 1970 NFL Draft launched one of the great quarterback careers in history; the unique distinction of producing HOFers in both football and basketball from a single program speaks to the remarkable depth of Louisiana Tech's athletic tradition; strong programs in engineering, business, and aviation

Shreveport, LA — Private liberal arts college, est. 1825; home of the Gentlemen and Ladies; NCAA Division III; one of the oldest liberal arts colleges west of the Mississippi; affiliated with the United Methodist Church; located in Shreveport, the largest city in northwest Louisiana and the hometown of Pro Football Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw and Pro Football Hall of Famer Willie Davis; strong programs in biology, business, music, and the humanities

Thibodaux, LA — Public university, est. 1948; home of the Colonels; Southland Conference member; located in Thibodaux in the heart of Cajun Country in Lafourche Parish; serves the unique cultural community of south Louisiana's bayou region; strong programs in culinary arts, nursing, business, and marine science; one of the few universities in America that reflects the distinct Cajun and Creole heritage of coastal Louisiana