LSU has the highest value among all Louisiana universities, and its graduates have a higher average starting salary than any other state higher education institution, according to SmartAsset, a financial advising and technology company.
In its report, SmartAsset measured all universities in Louisiana, and many others nationwide, on a variety of factors to determine which schools have the best value. The statistics measured include tuition rates, student living costs—including room and board, books, supplies, transportation and other personal expenses—average scholarships and grants offered to students, retention rates and average starting salary.
Starting salary, tuition, and living costs carried the highest weight in the SmartAsset survey, at 25% each. Scholarships/grants and student retention rate were weighted at 12.5%. Using that data, the report measured schools on an index figure, for which the top school was assigned a 100.
LSU’s index figure was 58.36, placing it highest among Louisiana universities. LSU has the fifth best value among its Southeastern Conference peers, trailing only Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, Florida and Georgia.
An LSU graduate’s average starting salary is $48,900, the highest such figure in Louisiana. In the SEC, LSU sits at fourth, behind only Vanderbilt, Texas A&M and Florida.
“In today’s higher education environment, value is everything,” says LSU President F. King Alexander in a statement. “At LSU, we’re proud to give our students an exceptional education that provides an outstanding return on their investment.”
Sources for the study include data from the National Center for Educational Statistics, Payscale and College InSight.
See the full study here. Scroll to the bottom of the page for an interactive map of universities in Louisiana and nationwide.
