Northwestern State University
Northwestern State University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Northwestern State University Featured Rankings
- #3 Best Online Associate Degree Programs in Louisiana
- #7 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Louisiana
- #8 Louisiana's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #8 Louisiana's Best Online Colleges 2026
- #9 Best Public Colleges in Louisiana 2026
- #10 Most Affordable Colleges in Louisiana 2026
- #10 Best Grad Schools in Louisiana 2026
- #13 Best Colleges in Louisiana
- #16 Most Affordable Online PhD of Nursing (DNP) Degree Programs
About Northwestern State University
According to Wikipedia, Northwestern State University of Louisiana is a public university primarily situated in Natchitoches, Louisiana, with a nursing campus in Shreveport and general campuses in Leesville/Fort Polk and Alexandria. It is a part of the University of Louisiana System.
Northwestern State University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,194 | 93% | 71% | 44% | 1014 | 21 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Northwestern State University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $9,370 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $12,760 |
| 30K - 48K | $10,038 |
| 48K - 75K | $10,217 |
| 75K - 110K | $14,572 |
| 110K+ | $19,044 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Northwestern State University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Northwestern State University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $51,238 a year, and 91% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Northwestern State University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 10,544 | 9,367 | 1,177 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Northwestern State University?
Northwestern State University is located at 175 Sam Sibley Drive, Natchitoches, LA 71497-0002.
How Safe is Northwestern State University?
Like every college that receives federal student aid, Northwestern State University publishes an annual security report with its campus crime statistics and safety policies. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, Northwestern State University has a violent crime rate of 0.08% and a property crime rate of 0.07%. Natchitoches has a violent crime rate of 0.91% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 4.46%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Northwestern State University Known For?
Northwestern State University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Nursing
- History
- Communications
- Literature
- Criminal Justice
- Mathematics
- Business
- Biology
- Education
- Engineering
- Sociology
- Medical
- Physics
- Psychology
- Social Work
Northwestern State University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Northwestern State University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Northwestern State University ranks #282 in the U.S. and #769 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesNorthwestern State University ranks #615 in the U.S. and #1822 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesNorthwestern State University ranks #618 in the U.S. and #2283 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesNorthwestern State University ranks #655 in the U.S. and #1996 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesNorthwestern State University ranks #660 in the U.S. and #1231 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesNorthwestern State University ranks #674 in the U.S. and #2725 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesNorthwestern State University ranks #786 in the U.S. and #3001 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesNorthwestern State University ranks #862 in the U.S. and #3704 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesNorthwestern State University ranks #983 in the U.S. and #4244 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesNorthwestern State University ranks #1167 in the U.S. and #6119 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesNorthwestern State University ranks #1178 in the U.S. and #3868 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesNorthwestern State University ranks #1197 in the U.S. and #4129 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesNorthwestern State University ranks #1352 in the U.S. and #5340 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesNorthwestern State University ranks #1702 in the U.S. and #4496 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesNorthwestern State University ranks #1814 in the U.S. and #4813 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesWho Are Northwestern State University's Most Influential Alumni?
Northwestern State University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Nursing, Criminal Justice, and History. Here are some of Northwestern State University's most famous alumni:
- Dan Flores
- An American historian.
- Ed Orgeron
- An American football player and coach.
- Lee Smith
- An American baseball player .
- Jeff Hennessy
- An American trampolining coach .
- Jackie Smith
- A Player of American football.
- Mike Brey
- An American basketball player and coach.
- William Muse
- An American academic.
- Garnie W. McGinty
- An American historian.
- Charlie Hennigan
- An American football player .
- Robert Ellis
- An American baseball player, born 1970.
- Fred Broussard
- An American-football player .
- Fitz Hill
- An American football player and coach, college administrator.
