Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium ProgramsPublic

Nicholls State University

Thibodaux, Louisiana·Public, 4-year or above·Southeast·nicholls.edu
6-yr Graduation
54%
+14.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Total enrollment
6,043
peer median 6,048
Avg net price
$12,947
-$932 vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
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AdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR OfficeCommon Data Set

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
3,369
3,369 candidates competed
Admitted
3,059
90.8% acceptance rate
Enrolled
1,082
35.4% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
54%+14.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
4-year graduation
30%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
54%
Full-time retention
77%

Pell equity

13.4pp gap
Pell recipients
46%240 of 525
Non-Pell (all)
59%453 of 763
Subsidized loan, no Pell
46%58 of 127
No Federal Aid
62%395 of 636

Non-Pell students graduate at a 13.4-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 58 Title IV programs, 29 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 29 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
58
Passing
29
50.0% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

58programs
  • Passing29 · 50.0%
  • No Data29 · 50.0%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
1
Watch
4
Safe
24
No data
29

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

29
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Master's Degree · Education
+7.3%
$49,600 vs $46,221
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
Master's Degree · Education
+16.1%
$53,673 vs $46,221
Educational Administration and Supervision
Master's Degree · Education
+16.3%
$53,746 vs $46,221
Curriculum and Instruction
Master's Degree · Education
+22.5%
$56,621 vs $46,221
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+23.1%
$39,637 vs $32,203
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences General
Bachelor Degree · Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
+25.0%
$40,241 vs $32,203
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Master's Degree · Psychology
+27.0%
$54,071 vs $42,572
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+28.7%
$41,459 vs $32,203

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

22
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences General
Bachelor Degree · Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
78%
$31,225 debt · $40,241 earn
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
61%
$24,198 debt · $39,637 earn
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Master's Degree · Psychology
61%
$33,004 debt · $54,071 earn
Sociology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
59%
$27,819 debt · $47,361 earn
Culinary Arts and Related Services
Bachelor Degree · Personal And Culinary Services
53%
$25,000 debt · $46,969 earn
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies Other
Bachelor Degree · Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
51%
$22,580 debt · $43,992 earn
Biology General
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
51%
$23,000 debt · $45,142 earn
Educational Administration and Supervision
Master's Degree · Education
51%
$27,314 debt · $53,746 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Accredited since 1964Next review Dec 2026

Programmatic accreditations · 12

Action history · 15

  1. Jul 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Dietetics (DIETI) - Dietetic Internship
  2. Jul 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Dietetics (DIETI) - Dietetic Internship
  3. Jul 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Didactic Program in Dietetics
  4. Jan 2024Approved for Distance Education
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Didactic Program in Dietetics
  5. Oct 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$10,714
$30–48k$10,527
$48–75k$12,139
$75–110k$16,784
$110k+$17,954

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$12,947
-$931vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs median $13,879
Federal loans
38.3%
In-state tuition
$8,149
Out-of-state
$9,242

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 2,354 students received $13.6M in Pell grants, alongside $19.0M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
2,354
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$13.6M
$13,616,570 total
Direct Loans
$19.0M
3,880 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

2k
’20
2k
’21
2k
’22
2k
’23
2k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$5.9M
1,606 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$7.0M
1,745 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$3.7M
287 loan awards
Parent PLUS$2.4M
236 loan awards
Grad PLUS$42K
6 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 1,413 borrowers who entered repayment, 35 (2.4%) defaulted within three years — above the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
2.4%
+0.1pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
1,413
Defaulted
35
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
10.4%
2017
10.8%
2018
8.6%
2019
2.4%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Nicholls State

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs47
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

1,169 total completions
01Health Professions
28824.6%
02Business
25421.7%
03Multi/Interdisciplinary
13211.3%
04Education
12410.6%
05Psychology
1109.4%
06Liberal Arts
726.2%
07Biological Sciences
615.2%
08Engineering Tech
595.0%
09Personal/Culinary
463.9%
10Social Sciences
232.0%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
6,043
12-mo unduplicated
7,022
Undergraduate
6,333
Graduate
689

Gender split

Men
38%2,643
Women
62%4,379

Race / ethnicity composition

White
63.9%
Black
18.4%
Hispanic
6.6%
Two or more
3.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native
2.1%
Non-resident
2.0%
Unknown
1.7%
Asian
1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
383
240 M · 143 W
Women athletes
37.3%
Athletic aid
$3.3M
Total student aid
Budget
$12.7M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$2.0M
$1.2M
Recruiting expense
$72K
$12K
Head-coach salaries
$80K
$46K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 10

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
65 M · 77 W
$489K
Football
131 M · —
$3.4M
Baseball
47 M · —
$859K
Soccer
— · 36 W
$411K
Basketball
17 M · 16 W
$2.0M
Softball
— · 24 W
$553K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
0.49
3 offenses · 6,180 students

3-year trend

0.482 yrs ago0.681 yr ago0.49Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
10
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
12
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

Burglary
2
Fondling
1

By location

3total
  • On campus3

Includes 2 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

1
Domestic violence
1
Dating violence
3
Stalking
5 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons10
Drugs431
Liquor02

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Data quality: 2 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
19.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
245

Nicholls State vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Nicholls State selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectNicholls State University
54%—6,043$12,947Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Southern University at New Orleans
13%78.9%2,468$14,810Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Clayton State University
41%68.4%6,163$8,365Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Norfolk State University
39%87.8%6,053$15,282Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Albany State University
33%73.0%6,768$11,898Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Longwood University
61%90.2%4,612$19,066Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Peer group median40%78.9%6,048$13,879

Institutions like Nicholls State

Explore the federal data for institutions in Nicholls State's comparison group.

IPEDS

Nicholls State Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Office of Institutional Research, Effectiveness, and Planning
Email
ir [at] nicholls.edu
Phone
985-448-4180
Address
Allen J. Ellender Memorial Library, Third Floor, Suite 318, P.O. Box 2166, Thibodaux, LA 70310

Our mission is to support the university mission by providing reliable, actionable data and guidance to facilitate a culture of continuous improvement.

Visit IR office page
Team
6 members
  • Renee Hicks
    Assistant Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness, Access & Success
  • Melanie Collins
    Director of Institutional Research
  • Kade Smith
    Director of Assessment & Institutional Research
  • Stacy Pate
    Assistant Director of Assessment & Institutional Research
  • Jay Benoit
    Data Analyst
  • Kobi Lipari
    Data Analyst

Common Data Set

Nicholls State's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.

Student–faculty ratio
19 to 1
Est. net price (aided)
$14,927
after avg need-based grant
01

Affordability & Value

Cost of attendance

G
Total$23,634
Tuition
$4,92221%
Fees
$3,03013%
Room & board
$9,43040%
Books
$1,3006%
Other
$4,95221%

Total sticker cost of attendance is $23,634 (2019-2020).

Sticker vs. net price

G+H
Sticker COA
$23,634
Net (aided)
$14,927
Avg need grant
$8,707

Sticker $23,634 → about $14,927 net for aided students after the average need-based grant ($8,707); 66% of demonstrated need is met.

Where grant aid comes from

H1
Federal50.0%
State33.3%
Institutional9.3%
External7.4%

9% of need-based grant dollars come from the institution itself.

Graduate debt

H4/H5
Grads with debt
62%
Avg debt
$2,556

62% of graduates borrowed; those who did owed $2,556 on average.

02

Academic Experience

Class-size distribution

I3
2-9 students110
10-19 students221
20-29 students269
30-39 students114
40-49 students43
50-99 students73
100+ students5

40% of classes have under 20 students; 9% have 50+.

Faculty profile

I
Student–faculty ratio
19 to 1
Faculty with terminal degree
51%
Women faculty
53%

Key faculty indicators.

03

Transfer Path

Transfer admissions

D1
Applied
468
Admitted
447
Enrolled
325

468 transfer applicants → 447 admitted (95.5%) → 325 enrolled

Source publications

Frequently asked questions about Nicholls State University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Nicholls State.

What is the graduation rate at Nicholls State University?

Nicholls State University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 54% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Nicholls State University?

Nicholls State University reports a total enrollment of 6,043 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Nicholls State University?

The average net price at Nicholls State University is $12,947 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Nicholls State University?

Nicholls State University's yield rate is 35.4%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Nicholls State University located?

Nicholls State University is located in Thibodaux, Louisiana 70310.

Who runs Institutional Research at Nicholls State University?

Nicholls State University's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Research, Effectiveness, and Planning.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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