What is the cheapest college in Louisiana?

Of the 40 Louisiana colleges on this page, River Parishes Community College in Gonzales reports the lowest published in-state tuition at $4,079 per year. That is the sticker price before aid and before housing and food; the college's net price after grants may rank differently.

Are public colleges cheaper than private colleges in Louisiana?

At sticker price, yes on this page: median published in-state tuition is $7,518 at the public colleges listed and $13,463 at the private ones. Private colleges typically discount more heavily through institutional grants, so the gap in net price is usually much smaller than the gap in tuition.

Will I personally pay these amounts at a Louisiana college?

Almost certainly not exactly. Net price varies widely by family income, and the figures here are averages across a previous entering class reported to federal collections. Use them to compare colleges against each other, then run the numbers for your own situation with the net price estimator and confirm with each financial aid office.

Cost comparison

Affordable colleges in Louisiana

CampusPin lists 57 colleges in Louisiana. The 40 below are ordered by lowest published in-state tuition, with a median of $8,261 and a median average net price of $11,868 among those reporting it. Tuition, total cost, and net price are three different numbers — the table keeps them separate.

Louisiana college costs by the numbers

Lowest published in-state tuition: River Parishes Community College ($4,079)
Median in-state tuition (40 reporting): $8,261
Median net price after aid (36 reporting): $11,868
Highest graduation rate: Digital Media Institute (100%)
Most selective: Digital Media Institute (26% acceptance)
Largest by enrollment: Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College (36,051 students)

Louisiana colleges by published in-state tuition

Lowest published in-state tuition first. Every figure is as reported by the institution to federal data collections; blank cells are unreported values, not zeros.

Colleges in Louisiana ordered by published in-state tuition, with out-of-state tuition, average net price, graduation rate, and acceptance rate.
College	In-state tuition	Out-of-state tuition	Avg. net price	Graduation rate	Acceptance rate	Public/private	Location
River Parishes Community College	$4,079	$4,079	$10,756	30%	100%	Public	Gonzales, LA
Central Louisiana Technical Community College	$4,099	$4,099	$5,702	70%	100%	Public	Alexandria, LA
Northwest Louisiana Technical Community College	$4,109	$4,109	$9,256	77%	100%	Public	Minden, LA
Louisiana Delta Community College	$4,159	$4,159	$7,702	30%	100%	Public	Monroe, LA
South Louisiana Community College	$4,210	$4,210	$12,564	30%	100%	Public	Lafayette, LA
Fletcher Technical Community College	$4,219	$4,219	$10,527	30%	100%	Public	Schriever, LA
Nunez Community College	$4,255	$4,255	$12,529	27%	100%	Public	Chalmette, LA
Delgado Community College	$4,279	$4,279	$9,747	24%	100%	Public	New Orleans, LA
Bossier Parish Community College	$4,283	$4,283	$10,706	15%	100%	Public	Bossier City, LA
Northshore Technical Community College	$4,299	$4,299	$10,773	40%	100%	Public	Lacombe, LA
SOWELA Technical Community College	$4,305	$4,305	$7,525	43%	100%	Public	Lake Charles, LA
Baton Rouge Community College	$4,321	$4,321	$9,474	31%	100%	Public	Baton Rouge, LA
Louisiana State University-Eunice	$4,730	$10,094	$10,421	19%	100%	Public	Eunice, LA
Southern University at Shreveport	$4,958	$4,958	$11,049	10%	100%	Public	Shreveport, LA
Bridges Christian College	$6,600	$6,600	$10,273	Not reported	100%	Private	New Orleans, LA
Louisiana State University-Alexandria	$7,050	$14,650	$7,065	34%	92%	Public	Alexandria, LA
Louisiana State University-Shreveport	$7,518	$20,481	$7,022	38%	83%	Public	Shreveport, LA
Grambling State University	$7,683	$16,706	$19,809	36%	45%	Public	Grambling, LA
Southern University at New Orleans	$8,054	$16,954	$14,810	13%	79%	Public	New Orleans, LA
Nicholls State University	$8,149	$9,242	$12,947	54%	91%	Public	Thibodaux, LA
Southeastern Louisiana University	$8,373	$20,851	$13,154	45%	99%	Public	Hammond, LA
McNeese State University	$8,489	$9,989	$12,493	47%	78%	Public	Lake Charles, LA
Northwestern State University of Louisiana	$8,864	$19,652	$13,606	43%	93%	Public	Natchitoches, LA
University of New Orleans	$9,172	$14,008	$12,384	38%	74%	Public	New Orleans, LA
University of Louisiana at Monroe	$9,190	$21,290	$13,466	54%	85%	Public	Monroe, LA
Southern University and A & M College	$9,922	$17,272	$20,077	27%	35%	Public	Baton Rouge, LA
Louisiana Tech University	$10,125	$16,866	$11,864	64%	86%	Public	Ruston, LA
University of Louisiana at Lafayette	$10,418	$24,146	$13,530	53%	87%	Public	Lafayette, LA
ITI Technical College	$11,711	$11,711	$20,850	59%	100%	Private	Baton Rouge, LA
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College	$11,954	$28,631	$19,151	69%	73%	Public	Baton Rouge, LA
New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary	$12,468	$12,468	$10,829	41%	100%	Private	New Orleans, LA
Herzing University-New Orleans	$13,450	$13,450	$21,269	15%	92%	Private	Metairie, LA
Blue Cliff College-Alexandria	$13,463	$13,463	$16,253	34%	100%	Private	Alexandria, LA
Delta College of Arts & Technology	$13,463	$13,463	$19,789	65%	100%	Private	Baton Rouge, LA
Digital Media Institute	$13,463	$13,463	$11,872	100%	26%	Private	Shreveport, LA
Infinity College	$13,463	$13,463	$230	85%	100%	Private	Lafayette, LA
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-New Orleans	$13,463	$16,198	Not reported	Not reported	69%	Public	New Orleans, LA
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport	$13,463	$16,198	Not reported	Not reported	94%	Public	Shreveport, LA
NationsUniversity	$13,463	$13,463	Not reported	Not reported	100%	Private	New Orleans, LA
Southern University Law Center	$13,463	$16,198	Not reported	Not reported	80%	Public	Baton Rouge, LA

What the Louisiana cost data shows

River Parishes Community College has the lowest published in-state tuition on this page at $4,079 per year. Published tuition is the sticker price and excludes housing, food, books, and fees.
Median published in-state tuition is $7,518 across the public colleges here and $13,463 across the private ones — a $5,945 difference at sticker price. Private colleges often discount heavily, so compare net price before ruling one out.
Median average net price is $11,868 across the 36 colleges here that report it. Net price includes housing and other costs, so it can exceed tuition alone.
36 of the 40 colleges listed report an average net price, and 35 report a graduation rate. Blank cells mean the institution has not reported that figure to the federal collections — not that the value is zero.

How this list was built

This page lists colleges CampusPin holds for Louisiana, sorted by published in-state tuition, lowest first. That sort is the only ranking applied — there is no CampusPin score, no editorial ordering, and no “#1 cheapest” claim.

Published tuition is the sticker price for instruction. Total cost of attendance adds housing, food, books, and fees. Average net price is what students actually paid on average after grant and scholarship aid, reported to federal collections for a prior entering class. Net price is an average across a whole cohort and varies substantially by family income, so treat it as a comparison tool between colleges rather than a prediction of your own bill.

Figures come from the institution’s federal reporting (57 of 57 Louisiana institutions report in-state tuition). Always confirm current costs with the college’s financial aid office before making a decision.

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest college in Louisiana?: Of the 40 Louisiana colleges on this page, River Parishes Community College in Gonzales reports the lowest published in-state tuition at $4,079 per year. That is the sticker price before aid and before housing and food; the college's net price after grants may rank differently.
Is tuition the same as the total cost of college?: No. Published tuition covers instruction only. Total cost of attendance adds housing, food, books, transportation, and fees. Net price is what students actually paid on average after grant and scholarship aid was applied, and across the 36 Louisiana colleges reporting it here the median is $11,868. Compare all three before deciding a college is or isn't affordable.
Are public colleges cheaper than private colleges in Louisiana?: At sticker price, yes on this page: median published in-state tuition is $7,518 at the public colleges listed and $13,463 at the private ones. Private colleges typically discount more heavily through institutional grants, so the gap in net price is usually much smaller than the gap in tuition.
Will I personally pay these amounts at a Louisiana college?: Almost certainly not exactly. Net price varies widely by family income, and the figures here are averages across a previous entering class reported to federal collections. Use them to compare colleges against each other, then run the numbers for your own situation with the net price estimator and confirm with each financial aid office.

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Data sources & methodology

Cost, aid, and outcome figures for Louisiana colleges are compiled from federal datasets and each institution's own reporting.

Sources used across this page

Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.

IPEDS / NCES College Navigator
Federal enrollment, admissions, tuition, retention, and program data. Released annually with a 1–2 year lag.
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
Net price by income band, post-graduation earnings, and federal aid context.
Institutional websites
Each school's official admissions, registrar, and financial-aid pages are the authoritative source for current details.

Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.

Methodology Data dictionary Report a correction

Suggested citation

CampusPin. Affordable Colleges in Louisiana. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/affordable-colleges/louisiana