🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants. Affordable on average — net price runs around $12,384/yr. Major value play for in-state residents.

✅ Best for

  • Solid academic profile (SAT 960–1320 · ACT 17–23 middle 50% + typically a 3.7+ unweighted GPA in rigorous coursework)
  • In-state residents (tuition ~$9,172 — major value play)
  • Students drawn to Business, Management, & Marketing or Engineering (the two biggest majors)
  • Research-curious students (R2 — active research output)

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 960, or ACT below 17, or unweighted GPA below ~3.50 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
R2: Doctoral - High Research Activity
Total enrollment
4,638
5,000 - 9,999
In-state tuition
$9,172
sticker, before aid
Out-of-state tuition
$14,008
+$4,836 vs in-state
Admit rate
66.8%
Accessible
SAT middle 50%
960–1320
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%
17–23
composite
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$47,872
median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$38,410
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$47,872
4-year completion
38%
Median debt (completers)
$18,750
Cost of attendance
$23,431
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
39%

💰 True ROI

9.7× return

What families actually pay (after aid) vs. the sticker — and how 10-yr earnings stack against the real cost. Most sites quote sticker; we quote what families really pay.

What families actually pay (4 yrs)
$49,536
$12,384/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$44,188
vs sticker $93,724
10-yr earnings total
$478,720
$47,872/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
1.0 yrs
at the median earnings rate

"True ROI" = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (actual 4-yr net price). The actual net is from Scorecard (average across all families); your family's net price will vary by income — see the breakdown above. Earnings are 10 years after enrollment (Scorecard PP-FOS, all majors combined).

💰 What families actually pay

Net price by family income

Net price = sticker price minus grant aid. This is what families actually pay out-of-pocket after scholarships and need-based aid — the most honest affordability signal there is. At University of New Orleans, the average net price is $12,384/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$11,532/yr
Family income $30-48k
$10,506/yr
Family income $48-75k
$13,222/yr
Family income $75-110k
$16,942/yr
Family income $110k+
$17,504/yr

🔎 Earning over $110K? The federal brackets above lump every family from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Need-based aid usually phases out somewhere between $200K and $300K at private colleges — but the exact threshold varies a lot. For a precise estimate based on your family's actual income, assets, and your student's academic profile, use University of New Orleans's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from University of New Orleans →

Opens on University of New Orleans's site. Takes about 10–15 minutes; have your most recent tax return handy.

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41-NPT45). Net price = total cost of attendance minus federal, state, institutional, and other grants. Some brackets may be suppressed for student-privacy reasons (small cohorts). Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates only. The $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — Department of Education hasn't refreshed these brackets since the early 2010s.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at University of New Orleans

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what University of New Orleans actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Business, Management, & Marketing
196 degrees · 36.2%
Typical career outcomes
Financial Analyst $100k Management Analyst (Consultant) $99k Marketing Manager $158k Accountant / Auditor $80k
Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.
2. Engineering
125 degrees · 23.1%
Typical career outcomes
Mechanical Engineer $100k Electrical Engineer $107k Civil Engineer $93k Chemical Engineer $112k
Engineering majors land high-paying technical roles. Top-earning sub-disciplines: petroleum, chemical, computer engineering.
3. Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
75 degrees · 13.9%
Typical career outcomes
Project Manager $99k Management Analyst $99k Research Analyst $79k
Often paired with another field (data + biology, design + tech). Outcomes match the second discipline.
4. Biological & Biomedical Sciences
74 degrees · 13.7%
Typical career outcomes
Biological Scientist $87k Medical & Clinical Lab Tech $61k Pharmaceutical Rep $82k Physician (post-MD) $239k
Many bio majors → med school / grad school. Direct-employment bio roles are lower-paid than that pipeline.
5. Psychology
71 degrees · 13.1%
Typical career outcomes
HR Specialist $68k Market Research Analyst $75k Clinical Psychologist (post-PhD) $93k Social Worker $58k
Most undergrad psych grads go into non-clinical roles. Clinical/counseling psych requires a master's or doctoral.

Source: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a), bachelor's-level first majors aggregated to 2-digit CIP family. Share is of these top 5 only — not all majors.

💼 Top programs by earnings

Highest-earning majors at University of New Orleans

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major (CIP code). From the federal College Scorecard program-level outcomes.

Major (CIP) Credential Cohort 1-yr earnings 4-yr earnings
Computer Science. Bachelor's Degree 55 $69,204 $99,548
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 38 $78,215 $95,630
Mechanical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 40 $68,968 $91,435
Civil Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 21 $65,119 $80,704
Accounting and Related Services. Bachelor's Degree 80 $41,540 $59,301
Business Administration, Management and Operations. Bachelor's Degree 99 $38,299 $56,058
Finance and Financial Management Services. Bachelor's Degree 29 $34,989 $54,153
Biology, General. Bachelor's Degree 107 $33,784 $52,671
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods. Bachelor's Degree 24 $47,905 $51,652
Marketing. Bachelor's Degree 46 $32,624 $51,474

For full college-vs-major comparison + ROI leaderboards, see /college-outcomes →

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at University of New Orleans

CS degrees (annual)
83
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

University of New Orleans vs. another college

Type the college you want to compare against. We'll show admit rates, net price by your family income, top majors with career outcomes, and merit aid — all in one side-by-side view.

Alternatives to University of New Orleans

Matched not just by selectivity, but by strategic goal — what a family actually decides on.

🏆 Better merit-aid options
These similar-selectivity schools have published auto-merit grids that University of New Orleans doesnt — your kids scores could unlock real scholarship dollars.
University of Alabama in Huntsville
AL · Public
39 auto-merit scholarships on file
Texas Tech University
TX · Public
31 auto-merit scholarships on file
The University of Alabama
AL · Public
23 auto-merit scholarships on file
Mississippi State University
MS · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
University of Alabama at Birmingham
AL · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
💰 Better out-of-state value
For families paying $110k+ income tuition, these schools cost meaningfully less than University of New Orleans.
Christian Brothers University
TN · Private nonprofit
$5,843/yr for $110k+ families ($11,661 less)
United States Merchant Marine Academy
NY · Public
$9,168/yr for $110k+ families ($8,336 less)
Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus
NM · Public
$9,996/yr for $110k+ families ($7,508 less)
College of the Ozarks
MO · Private nonprofit
$10,426/yr for $110k+ families ($7,078 less)
Indiana University-Kokomo
IN · Public
$10,593/yr for $110k+ families ($6,911 less)
🛡️ Safer in-state options
Same state, similar SAT band, but with a more forgiving admit rate — useful safety / match anchors.
Nicholls State University
LA · Public
96% admit rate (vs 67% here)
Northwestern State University of Louisiana
LA · Public
94% admit rate (vs 67% here)
Louisiana State University-Alexandria
LA · Public
93% admit rate (vs 67% here)
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
LA · Public
89% admit rate (vs 67% here)
Louisiana State University-Shreveport
LA · Public
83% admit rate (vs 67% here)

Building a college list?

Use these to fit University of New Orleans into your overall strategy:

See your admit odds → Improve your score → Find merit aid →