2023 Best Online Colleges in Louisiana

Students can choose from 15 different online bachelor's degrees at Northwestern State University of Louisiana (NSU) in areas such as healthcare, criminal justice, accounting, social work, and computer information systems. The public four-year university serves around 8,000 undergraduates per year on campus and across the country. The university's most popular degrees are in nursing, liberal arts and sciences, and psychology, based on data from College Scorecard. Students at NSU can watch online lectures, access course materials, and turn in assignments through Moodle, the school's learning management system. The university is also a participant in the Louisiana Transfer Degree Program, which makes it easier for students with associate degrees from a state community college to transfer into online bachelor's programs. Students can also access online services such as academic advising, the library, and Telehealth mental health counseling.

The University of Louisiana's Lafayette (UL Lafayette) campus offers five online bachelor's degrees in business, kinesiology, health services administration, nursing, and general studies. Students in online programs at the university can access services such as online tutoring, writing support, library services specific to their major, and career services to help them find a job after college. Online classes are administered through Moodle, a learning management system that allows students to access class materials and lectures and turn in assignments online. The university's most popular programs include registered nursing, general studies, and business degrees. The UL Lafayette campus serves nearly 13,000 undergraduate students and is a member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA), a voluntary coalition of schools across the country that work to improve academic standards for online programs.

Public school Louisiana State University (LSU) in Alexandria offers a broad range of online bachelor's degrees in everything from emergency management to actuarial science. The university's most popular majors include business, liberal arts and sciences, registered nursing, and psychology. LSU students can also access online professional development opportunities, including certificates and micro-credentials. Support services include enrollment and student success coaches, academic and career support, and virtual workshops from the career center. LSU's Alexandria campus is a Native American Non-Tribal Institution and receives federal funding from the government to better serve Native American and low-income students. Keeping costs low for students is a focus for the university, and the median debt for graduates who borrowed federal student loans is $20,500, according to data from College Scorecard.

The University of Louisiana - Monroe (ULM) offers a variety of bachelor's degrees online in areas such as criminal justice, marketing, management, modern languages, radiologic technology, and health studies. Students typically need to complete 120 to 125 credits over four years to graduate, although transferring credits or taking accelerated courses can help cut down the time. Students returning to college after a long break may also be able to earn credits from prior learning experiences and may qualify for tuition discounts through the Compete LA program. Online classes at ULM typically follow a four-, eight-, or 16-week schedule. The university is located in Monroe and serves between 5,000 and 6,000 undergraduate students. Its most popular programs include psychology, registered nursing, business, and health education. ULM provides online access to tech support, the library, the bookstore, tutoring, academic advising, and writing assistance.

Nicholls State University (Nicholls), a public four-year school in Thibodaux, offers nine different online bachelor's programs in business, English, health sciences, history, nursing, sociology, psychology, political science, and interdisciplinary studies. Online classes at Nicholls follow an eight-week schedule.,which enables students to fast-track their bachelor's degree in three years when enrolled full-time. Nicholls offers five start dates throughout the year, and classes don't typically meet at a specific time. According to data from College Scorecard, Nicholls has a 48% graduation rate, and 93% of first-time applicants get in. Less than half (48%) of students use federal student loans to pay for college, and graduates owe a median of $22,362 when they finish their program. The university's most popular programs include registered nursing and interdisciplinary studies. Nicholls supports its online student body by providing remote access to the library, bookstore, and advising. It also connects distance learners to tutoring and learning resources that may be accessed online or in their local area. However, these services may come with additional costs.