Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
Baton Rouge, Louisiana · Public · 30,594 undergraduates · lsu.edu
Test policy (fall 2027)
Test optional
Sending scores is your choice
Admit rate
73%
of 47,065 applicants
SAT (middle 50%)
1180 to 1320
of enrolled freshmen
Annual cost (2027-28)
$39,300Est.Estimate
$57,860 out of state
Your chances and merit aid at Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
See where you stand for admission, how much merit aid you could get, and what you'd pay after it.
We started you at a typical enrolled freshman here. Move the sliders to match you.
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College uses a weighted or recalculated GPA, so its own calculation may differ slightly from yours.
Your admission chances
73% of applicants admitted
Target
Your SAT is inside the range where the middle half of enrolled freshmen scored.
Estimated merit aid
a year
Your cost after merit aid
$57,860
a year in 2027-28, from a $57,860 sticker price (out of state)
What to do with your 1250
Send your score
About 62% of freshmen here didn't send a score. We estimate their typical SAT at about 1130, and yours is above it.
Reach, target and likely are a rough guide from your test score and how selective the college is. Admissions also weigh your courses, grades, essays and activities. Merit aid figures are estimates, before any need-based aid.
Admissions
Test policy for fall 2027
Test optional
You choose whether to send an SAT or ACT score. If you send one, it's considered.
- If your weighted GPA is below 3.5, you must send a score.
- Superscores: it combines your best section scores from different test dates.
- You can type your scores into the application; official reports come later.
Source: Test Optional FAQ · Checked October 16, 2026
Application deadlines
- Dec1Priority deadline · December 1, 2026Apply by this date for the best chance at admission and scholarships.
- Feb1Regular Decision · February 1, 2027The standard deadline.
Source: Apply To LSU | Freshman
Who gets in
73%
of applicants were admitted: 34,513 of 47,065 for fall 2024.
Test scores of enrolled freshmen (fall 2024)
The shaded part shows the middle half of enrolled freshmen who sent scores: a quarter scored below it and a quarter above. 7% of them sent SAT scores and 40% sent ACT scores.
SAT total 1180 to 1320
Reading and Writing 600 to 680
Math 580 to 660
ACT composite 24 to 30
How enrolled freshmen scored on the SAT
- 1400 to 160010%
- 1200 to 139961%
- 1000 to 119928%
- 800 to 9991.2%
- 600 to 7990.2%
- 400 to 5990%
Source: Common Data Set 2024-2025
High school GPA of enrolled freshmen
Average GPA: 3.83
- 4.037%
- 3.75 to 3.9922%
- 3.50 to 3.7418%
- 3.25 to 3.4914%
- 3.00 to 3.249.1%
- 2.50 to 2.990.8%
- Below 2.500.1%
Cost and financial aid
The sticker price is what a year costs before any aid. Most students pay less after grants and scholarships.
Sticker price for 2027-28Estimate
$39,300
a year, in state
$57,860
a year, out of state (tuition $27,320)
- Tuition (in state)$8,760
- Fees$4,270
- Food and housing$16,500
- Books and supplies$1,180
- Transportation and other$8,590
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College published $36,064 in state for 2024-25. Its 2027-28 prices aren't out yet.
Source: Common Data Set 2024-2025
What families actually pay
What a year cost on average after grants and scholarships, for freshmen who got federal aid in 2023-24 (in-state students), by family income.
- $0 to $30,000$14,670
- $30,001 to $48,000$15,598
- $48,001 to $75,000$18,807
- $75,001 to $110,000$23,421
- Over $110,000$27,239
Financial aid
57%
of a student's financial need is covered, on average
$14,981
average need-based grant to freshmen, money you don't repay
20%
of freshmen got merit aid without financial need, $7,583 on average
- FAFSA
- Required for need-based aid. It's the free federal aid form.
- CSS Profile
- Not required. Only the FAFSA is needed.
- Aid priority date: 2/1
- Send your aid forms by this date to be first in line for the college's grant money.
Source: Common Data Set 2024-2025
Merit scholarships
Awards for grades and scores, on top of need-based aid. You don't repay them.
National Merit Louisiana State University Scholarship (NMSC college-sponsored)
National Merit
Deadline: Name this college your first choice with NMSC.
Details
Louisiana programs for residents
TOPS (Taylor Opportunity Program for Students)
$400 to $12,000 a year
State program · In-state students
- 3.50+ GPA, 1390+ SAT or 31+ ACT, TOPS Excellence; complete 19.0-unit TOPS core curriculum; BESE-approved high school$12,000
- 3.50+ GPA, 1260+ SAT or 27+ ACT, TOPS Honors; complete 19.0-unit TOPS core curriculum; BESE-approved high school$800
- 2.50+ GPA, 1030+ SAT or 20+ ACT, TOPS Opportunity; complete 19.0-unit TOPS core curriculum; BESE-approved high school
- 3.25+ GPA, 1130+ SAT or 23+ ACT, TOPS Performance; complete 19.0-unit TOPS core curriculum; BESE-approved high school$400
Compare awards across colleges with the merit aid calculator.
AP credit
AP exams that earn credit can replace college courses, so you pay for fewer of them and may graduate sooner.
AP exams that earn credit
33 of 33
Earn credit with a score of 3
33 exams
A 3-credit course is worth
about $880Est.Estimate
at 2027-28 tuition for in-state students
Credit for each AP exam
| Exam | Score needed | Credits | Counts as |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-D Art and Design | 3 | 3 | ART 1011 |
| 3-D Art and Design | 3 | 3 | ART 1012 |
| African American Studies | 3 | 3 | AAAS 2000 |
| Art History | 3 | 3 | ARTH 1440 or 1441 |
| Art History | 4 | 6 | ARTH 1440 and 1441 |
| Biology | 3 | 3 | BIOL 1001 |
| Biology | 4 | 4 | BIOL 1201 and 1208 |
| Biology | 5 | 8 | BIOL 1201, 1202, 1208 and 1209 |
| Calculus AB | 3 | 6 | MATH 1021, and either 1431 or 1530 |
| Calculus AB | 4 | 8 | MATH 1021 and 1550 |
| Calculus BC | 3 | 8 | MATH 1021 and 1550 |
| Calculus BC | 4 | 12 | MATH 1021, 1550 and 1552 |
| Chemistry | 3 | 3 | CHEM 1001 |
| Chemistry | 4 | 8 | CHEM 1201, 1202, 1212 |
| Chemistry | 5 | 8 | CHEM 1421, 1422 and 1212 |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 3 | 8 | CHIN 1101 and 1102 |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 4 | 12 | CHIN 1101, 1102 and 2001 |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 5 | 16 | CHIN 1101, 1102, 2001 and 2002 |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 3 | 3 | POLI 2053 |
| Computer Science A | 3 | 3 | CSC 1250 |
| Computer Science A | 4 | 3 | CSC 1253 or CSC 1350 |
| Drawing | 3 | 3 | ART 1847 |
| English Language and Composition | 3 | 3 | ENGL 1001 |
| English Language and Composition | 4 | 3 | ENGL 1001 |
| English Language and Composition | 5 | 6 | ENGL 1001 and 2000 |
| English Literature and Composition | 3 | 3 | ENGL 2025 or 2027 or 2029 or 2123 |
| Environmental Science | 3 | 3 | ENVS 1126 |
| European History | 3 | 3 | HIST 1003 |
| European History | 4 | 6 | HIST 1003 and 2022 |
| French Language and Culture | 3 | 8 | FREN 1001 and 1002 |
| French Language and Culture | 4 | 11 | FREN 1001, 1002 and 2101 |
| French Language and Culture | 5 | 14 | FREN 1001, 1002, 2101 and 2102 |
| German Language and Culture | 3 | 8 | GERM 1101 and 1102 |
| Human Geography | 3 | 3 | GEOG 1001 or GEOG 1003 |
| Human Geography | 4 | 6 | GEOG 1001 & GEOG 1003 |
| Latin | 3 | 8 | LATN 1001 and LATN 2051 |
| Latin | 4 | 11 | LATN 1001, 2051, and 2053 |
| Latin | 5 | 14 | LATN 1001, 2051, 2053, and 2065 or 2066 |
| Macroeconomics | 3 | 3 | ECON 2010 |
| Microeconomics | 3 | 3 | ECON 2000 |
| Music Theory | 3 | 3 | MUS 1799 |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 3 | 3 | PHYS 2113 |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 3 | 3 | PHYS 2110 |
| Pre-Calculus | 3 | 3 | MATH 1021 |
| Pre-Calculus | 4 | 6 | MATH 1021 and 1022 |
| Psychology | 3 | 3 | PSYC 2000 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 3 | 8 | SPAN 1101 and 1102 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 4 | 11 | SPAN 1101, 1102, and 2101 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 5 | 14 | SPAN 1101, 1102, 2101, and 2102 |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 3 | 8 | SPAN 1101 and 1102 |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 4 | 11 | SPAN 1101, 1102, and 2101 |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 5 | 14 | SPAN 1101, 1102, 2101, and 2102 |
| Statistics | 3 | 4 | EXST 2201 or ISDS 2000 |
| United States Government and Politics | 3 | 3 | POLI 2051 |
| United States History | 3 | 3 | HIST 2055 or 2057 |
| United States History | 4 | 6 | HIST 2055 and 2057 |
| World History: Modern | 3 | 3 | HIST 1007 |
Source: AP credit policy
After college
Graduate within 6 years
68%
Come back for a second year
85%
Typical earnings
$64,338
a year, 10 years after starting here
- Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College$62,846
- All colleges$53,419
Median yearly earnings of graduates five years after finishing a bachelor's in this major. 50 majors here have earnings data.
Keep exploring
Figures marked Estimate are our estimates, not numbers the college published. Check each college's own site before you apply. SAT is a trademark of College Board, and ACT is a trademark of ACT, Inc. Sharp is not affiliated with either, or with Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College. The Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College logo is a trademark of the college.