University of
Louisiana at Lafayette
Public Research University in Lafayette, LA. Six-year graduation rate 53%. Median 10-year earnings $47,089.
The median ten-year earnings figure of $47,089 sits near the national middle rather than at either extreme. Six-year completion sits at 53%, near the national average for undergraduate institutions. Graduates carry a median of $22,902 in debt — in line with the national norm. Mobility is where this school separates itself: 2.7% of students move from the bottom income quintile to the top.
Earnings: College Scorecard, median ten years after entry across students who received federal aid — completers and non-completers alike.
- ✓ 3-year loan default 0.0% — below national benchmark
Admissions
University of Louisiana at Lafayette admits 87% of applicants — effectively open admission, so the application is a formality rather than a hurdle. The applicant pool is large — 11,099 in the most recent cycle — so the published rate reflects genuine competition rather than a small-sample quirk. 32% of those admitted enroll, which is unremarkable in either direction. Read the score bands below narrowly: only 1% of enrolled first-years submitted an SAT score, and test-optional applicants are not represented in them.
Test score bands (middle 50% of submitters)
These bands describe the enrolled first-years who submitted a score, not the entering class. Where most students apply test-optional the submitters are a self-selected, higher-scoring group.
| Test | 25th–75th percentile | Submitted |
|---|---|---|
| SAT Evidence-Based Reading | 570–630 | 30 (1%) |
| SAT Math | 550–610 | |
| ACT Composite | 23–28 | 1,365 (45%) |
IPEDS Admissions · 2024
Apply at University of Louisiana at Lafayette →Academics
Six-year completion sits at 53%, meaning about one in two students who enroll leave without finishing. Retention of 74% means a meaningful slice of each entering class does not return. Retention and completion are close, which places the gap between entering and finishing almost entirely in year one. Part-time students fare worse, returning at 31% — relevant if you plan to work while enrolled. The student-faculty ratio is 18:1 — typical, which in practice means large lectures early and smaller classes in the major.
Financial Aid
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · grant and loan rates against 12,269 degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates
At $13,017 a year on average after grant aid, cost is low here relative to most undergraduate institutions. Income makes less difference than usual: $11,157 at $0–30k, $18,562 at $110k+. About 79% get grants averaging $10,543, so plan on the possibility of paying closer to full price. About 47% borrow federally, roughly the national pattern.
Entering first-year students
A different, smaller group than the rates above: full-time students in their first year of college anywhere. The grant series here also excludes the "other sources" counted in the all-undergraduate figure, so the two are not comparable.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · 3,048 students
Net price by family income
The same students as the headline above, limited to those who received Title IV federal aid — a narrower group, with a lower overall average. IPEDS publishes no combined figure across these bands, so they should not be averaged into one.
| Family income band | Average net price |
|---|---|
| $0–30k | $11,157 |
| $30–48k | $11,283 |
| $48–75k | $13,692 |
| $75–110k | $17,079 |
| $110k+ | $18,562 |
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Federal student loans went to 5,762 of these 12,269 students, totalling $35,983,163 — an average of $6,245 each.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Local housing costs
Typical rents near campus (Lafayette Parish) — budget these against any cost-of-attendance housing estimate.
HUD Fair Market Rents (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities) · FY2026
Veterans & GI Bill
VA GI Bill Comparison Tool (Veterans Affairs GIDS)