For those interested in studying in Louisiana, we have a very useful list. We selected the best Louisiana institutions for prospective students. Please know that rankings are based on academic research, alumni reviews, graduation rates, as well as assessment from peer colleges. On the page, you will find major admissions stats such as acceptance rate, tuition fees, average SAT scores for each ranked college or university.
| Rankings | Schools |
| 1 | Tulane University (New Orleans, LA) Tuition: $45,240 Total enrollment: 13,359 Fall 2011 acceptance rate: 25.0% Average freshman retention rate: 90% 6-year graduation rate: 72% Classes with under 20 students: 67.8% SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile: 1240-1410 |
| 2 | Louisiana State University–Baton Rouge (Baton Rouge, LA) Tuition: N/A Total enrollment: 29,718 Fall 2011 acceptance rate: 79.6% Average freshman retention rate: 84% 6-year graduation rate: 62% Classes with under 20 students: 34.1% SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile: 23-28 |
| 3 | Louisiana Tech University (Ruston, LA) Tuition: N/A Total enrollment: 11,518 Fall 2011 acceptance rate: 62.1% Average freshman retention rate: 74% 6-year graduation rate: 49% Classes with under 20 students: 52.4% SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile: 21-26 |
| 4 | University of Louisiana at Lafayette(Lafayette, LA) Tuition: N/A Total enrollment: 16,885 Fall 2011 acceptance rate: 65.9% Average freshman retention rate: 75% 6-year graduation rate: 41% Classes with under 20 students: 30.6% SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile: 20-24 |
| 5 | University of New Orleans (New Orleans, LA) Tuition: in-state: $5,257, out-of-state: $16,781 Total enrollment: 10,903 Fall 2011 acceptance rate: 55.5% Average freshman retention rate: 67% 6-year graduation rate: 38% Classes with under 20 students: 32.3% SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile: 19-24 |
Modern History of Louisiana
After the victory of Great Britain in the French and Indian War in 1763, all French colonial possessions located east of the Mississippi became British (with the exception of New Orleans, but including Baton Rouge, founded in 1719). The lands west of the Mississippi (including most of the present-day “Pelican State”) were ceded to Spain. At first, French and German settlers tried to resist the Spanish authorities, but already in 1768, Spain fully established control over the territory of Louisiana that belonged to it.
After the American Revolution and the start of the American War of Independence, Spain turned against Great Britain. The British planned to capture New Orleans, but the Spaniards attacked first: in September 1779, Spanish soldiers, under the leadership of the governor of the Louisiana colony Bernardo de Gálvez, and with the support of American volunteers, captured the British Fort Bute located north of New Orleans and, after a short siege, the city of Baton Rouge. Later, de Gálvez also captured Natchez in Mississippi, Mobile in Alabama, and Pensacola in Florida. The victories of Bernardo de Gálvez completely deprived the British of bases on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, thus having a significant impact on the course of the war.
In 1795, an agreement was signed between Spain and the United States of America, which defined the boundaries between the United States and the Spanish colonies (including Louisiana) and confirmed the right of Americans to navigate the Mississippi River.
Almost from the very beginning of the development of the colony , the economy of Louisiana was based on the use of slave labor; by the end of the 18th century, there were more black slaves than free people. In addition, during the French and Spanish domination, a unique ethnic and social group, the Creoles, has developed here. At first, this term was used to refer to any person born in Louisiana, and later this concept was used to refer to the descendants of white men (usually slave owners) and black (or mixed-race) women. Many Creoles were “free people of color”, they often received a good education, had their own property and even sometimes became slave owners themselves. Gradually, a Creole dialect of the French language developed, Creoles played an important role in the life of Louisiana.
In 1800, Spain returned the colony of Louisiana to France, which then included the lands of the modern states of Iowa, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and also partially Wyoming, Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Texas, South Dakota and of course Louisiana. In 1803, the United States began negotiations with France for the acquisition of New Orleans and its environs, but suddenly Napoleon offered to sell all of Louisiana for fifteen million dollars. His proposal was accepted and, after the signing of the treaty on April 30, 1803, Louisiana became American, almost doubling the territory of the United States.