Louisiana State University vs. The University of Alabama

Saturdays in November put these two against each other on the field, and plenty of Southern applicants end up cross-shopping them the same way. Both flagships welcome the large majority of who applies, so the deck rarely turns on getting in. Alabama recruits the whole country: it draws well over half its undergraduates from outside the state, dangles automatic merit money at strong test-takers, and runs one of the largest Greek systems anywhere, with rush shaping much of the social calendar in Tuscaloosa. LSU stays closer to home. The student body skews heavily toward Louisiana, and the campus runs on Cajun food, Saturday nights in Tiger Stadium, and a live tiger named Mike who lives on the grounds. Greek life pulls students at LSU too, just at a smaller pitch. For a Louisiana student, LSU's in-state price changes the whole calculation.

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LSUBaton Rouge, LA

Acceptance rate

Overall acceptance rate, plus the in-state and out-of-state admit rates the school reports separately.

LSU CDSIn-state vs. out-of-state admit rates from LSU CDS (Fall 2024).
73.3%acceptance rate
Applied
47,065
Admitted
34,513
Enrolled
7,925

Admit rate by residency

% admitted
In-state80.1%
8,923 admitted of 11,135 applicants
Out-of-state72.3%
24,838 admitted of 34,357 applicants
International47.8%
752 admitted of 1,573 applicants

Early admissions

LSU does not offer an Early Decision or Early Action plan; all applicants apply through Regular Decision.

Early Decision
Not offered
Early Action
Not offered
Restrictive EA
Not offered

Standardized tests

LSU is currently test-optional — you may apply without submitting scores.

SAT Accepted?

ACT Accepted?

Test Optional?

SAT Scores

4001600
25th Percentile
1180
50th Percentile
1250
75th Percentile
1320

ACT Scores

136
25th Percentile
24
50th Percentile
27
75th Percentile
30

Class rank

Where LSU's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.

Top tenth of class26%
Top quarter of class54%
Top half of class83%

Based on the 77% of enrolled students who reported a class rank. LSU does not publish an average GPA.

Admissions factors

How LSU weighs each part of your application.

→ Importance

Rigor of High School Record

Academic GPA

Standardized Test Scores

Application Essay

Recommendations

Extracurricular Activities

Character / Personal Qualities

Talent / Ability

First Generation

Level of Applicant's Interest

Class Rank

Volunteer Work

Work Experience

Geographical Residence

State Residency

Alumni Relation

Racial / Ethnic Status

Religious Affiliation

Cost of attendance

Estimated full-time annual cost from LSU's Common Data Set. Only tuition changes with residency.

$36,064
In-State
$52,741
Out-of-State
In-StateOut-of-State
Tuition & Fees
$11,954$28,631
Room & Board
$15,142$15,142
Other Expenses
$8,968$8,968
Total
$36,064$52,741

What families actually pay

$0–30k~$13k
$30–48k~$16k
$48–75k~$20k
$75–110k~$24k
$110k+~$26k

Average net price — what was left to pay after grant aid — for students receiving federal financial aid, covering in-state students only.

% of undergrads with Pell grants26.6%

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Financial aid

Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.

Receiving Aid
59%
Avg. Package
$17,052
Avg. Need Met
57%

Popular majors

Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.

Business & Marketing
Engineering
Education
Biological & Life Sciences
Social Sciences
Communication & Journalism
Psychology
Other
Business
22%
Engineering
10%
Education
9%
Life Sci
8%
Social Sci
8%
Comm
6%
Psychology
5%
Other
32%

Student-faculty ratio

The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.

21:1

Student outcomes

First-years who return85%
Graduate within six years69%
Median earnings, 4 yrs after graduation~$67k
Median federal loan debt at graduation~$21k

Median yearly income of former students who received federal aid, across every major, measured four years after graduating (2017–18 and 2018–19 graduates, earnings measured 2022–2023). Debt covers federal loans of students who completed.

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Programs

LSU’s most popular programs and median pay after graduation. Income data from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

  • Biology

    360 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$56kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$20k median debt
  • Communication & Media Studies

    332 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$55kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$22k median debt
  • Psychology

    283 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$52kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$21k median debt
  • Business Administration & Management

    237 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$65kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$20k median debt
  • Kinesiology & Exercise Science

    206 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$56kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$22k median debt
Show all 30 programs

Median pay data is measured from graduates who received federal student aid.

Source: College Scorecard (2026) · IPEDS (2023-24) · ABET

Campus life

On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.

First-Years On Campus
83%
In Fraternities
17%
In Sororities
24%

Place

How the federal government classifies the area around the campus, and what a normal year of weather looks like there.

Setting
Midsize city
Location
Baton Rouge, LA

Average temperature

Monthly high and low, °F
6242J
6745F
7351M
7957A
8665M
9172J
9274J
9273A
8969S
8158O
7148N
6443D
Snow a year
0 in
Precipitation a year
62 in
Days at 90°F or above
96
Days below 32°F
18

Thirty-year averages, measured at the nearest weather station rather than on campus — they describe the area, not the campus.

Source: IPEDS (HD2024) · NOAA 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, BATON ROUGE RYAN AP, LA US station, 8.7 mi from campus

Enrollment by gender

43%
57%
Male
14,814
Female
19,428

Student diversity

Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.

White57.9%
Black20.3%
Hispanic10.4%
Other6.3%
Asian and Pacific Islander4.7%
Native American<1%
AlabamaTuscaloosa, AL

Acceptance rate

Overall acceptance rate, plus the in-state and out-of-state admit rates the school reports separately.

Alabama OIRAIn-state vs. out-of-state admit rates from Alabama OIRA (Fall 2025).
71.2%acceptance rate
Applied
61,994
Admitted
44,124
Enrolled
8,127

Admit rate by residency

% admitted
In-state73.6%
9,931 admitted of 13,498 applicants
Out-of-state70.3%
33,908 admitted of 48,210 applicants

Early admissions

Alabama does not offer an Early Decision or Early Action plan; all applicants apply through Regular Decision.

Early Decision
Not offered
Early Action
Not offered
Restrictive EA
Not offered

Standardized tests

Alabama is currently test-optional — you may apply without submitting scores.

SAT Accepted?

ACT Accepted?

Test Optional?

SAT Scores

4001600
25th Percentile
1100
50th Percentile
1210
75th Percentile
1360

ACT Scores

136
25th Percentile
22
50th Percentile
26
75th Percentile
31

Class rank

Where Alabama's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.

Top tenth of class23%
Top quarter of class47.6%
Top half of class78.6%

Based on the 37.5% of enrolled students who reported a class rank. Alabama does not publish an average GPA.

Admissions factors

How Alabama weighs each part of your application.

→ Importance

Rigor of High School Record

Academic GPA

Standardized Test Scores

Application Essay

Recommendations

Extracurricular Activities

Character / Personal Qualities

Talent / Ability

First Generation

Level of Applicant's Interest

Class Rank

Volunteer Work

Work Experience

Geographical Residence

State Residency

Alumni Relation

Racial / Ethnic Status

Religious Affiliation

Cost of attendance

Estimated full-time annual cost from Alabama's Common Data Set. Only tuition changes with residency.

$33,028
In-State
$55,886
Out-of-State
In-StateOut-of-State
Tuition & Fees
$12,484$35,342
Room & Board
$13,616$13,616
Other Expenses
$6,928$6,928
Total
$33,028$55,886

What families actually pay

$0–30k~$19k
$30–48k~$20k
$48–75k~$22k
$75–110k~$26k
$110k+~$27k

Average net price — what was left to pay after grant aid — for students receiving federal financial aid, covering in-state students only.

% of undergrads with Pell grants18.4%

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Financial aid

Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.

Receiving Aid
43%
Avg. Package
$19,857
Avg. Need Met
63%

Popular majors

Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.

Business & Marketing
Social Sciences
Communication
Health Professions
Engineering
Other
Business
30%
Social Sci.
11%
Communication
10%
Health
8%
Engineering
7%
Other
34%

Student-faculty ratio

The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.

19:1

Student outcomes

First-years who return88%
Graduate within six years74%
Median earnings, 4 yrs after graduation~$70k
Median federal loan debt at graduation~$23k

Median yearly income of former students who received federal aid, across every major, measured four years after graduating (2017–18 and 2018–19 graduates, earnings measured 2022–2023). Debt covers federal loans of students who completed.

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Programs

Alabama’s most popular programs and median pay after graduation. Income data from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

Show all 34 programs

Median pay data is measured from graduates who received federal student aid.

Source: College Scorecard (2026) · IPEDS (2023-24) · ABET

Campus life

On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.

First-Years On Campus
95%
In Fraternities
30%
In Sororities
44%

Place

How the federal government classifies the area around the campus, and what a normal year of weather looks like there.

Setting
Midsize city
Location
Tuscaloosa, AL

Average temperature

Monthly high and low, °F
5736J
6240F
7147M
7854A
8563M
9170J
9473J
9373A
8867S
7955O
6744N
5939D
Snow a year
0 in
Precipitation a year
58 in
Days at 90°F or above
93
Days below 32°F
40

Thirty-year averages, measured at the nearest weather station rather than on campus — they describe the area, not the campus.

Source: IPEDS (HD2024) · NOAA 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, TUSCALOOSA ACFD, AL US station, 4.1 mi from campus

Enrollment by gender

43%
57%
Male
15,393
Female
20,228

Student diversity

Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.

White69.17%
Black12.51%
Other8.33%
Hispanic8.09%
Asian and Pacific Islander1.57%
Native American<1%

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LSU vs. Alabama: frequently asked questions

Effectively a tie, and neither is a long shot. LSU admitted about 73.3% of applicants for Fall 2024, and Alabama admitted about 71% for its most recent class, so both read as accessible flagships where a solid, rigorous transcript carries you. Each weighs GPA, course rigor, and test scores as very important, and each enrolls a class averaging roughly a 3.83 to 3.85 high school GPA.

LSU has the lower out-of-state sticker, about $28,631 in tuition and fees versus roughly $35,342 at Alabama. The catch is aid: Alabama leans hard on automatic merit scholarships that can erase much of that gap for strong test-takers, and it meets about 63% of demonstrated need versus 57% at LSU. Run both net-price calculators before assuming LSU wins on cost, since Alabama's merit grid often closes the distance.

Alabama, by a wide margin. Roughly 57% of Alabama's first-years come from outside the state, against about 40% at LSU, and Alabama treats state residency as only a 'considered' factor while LSU does not weigh residency at all. For a non-resident, both stay realistic targets, and Alabama in particular built its recruiting and scholarship pitch around pulling students in from out of state.

Both make business their flagship draw, so this comes down to fit rather than a clear edge. Business and marketing accounts for about 30% of Alabama's bachelor's degrees and around 22% of LSU's, the single largest field at each. Alabama's larger business share reflects how much of its out-of-state recruiting funnels into that college, while LSU pairs its business school with strong land-grant programs in engineering, agriculture, and coastal science.

Alabama, and it isn't close. About 30% of Alabama men join fraternities and 44% of women join sororities, one of the largest Greek systems in the country and a major driver of its social calendar. LSU's is sizable but smaller, near 17% of men and 24% of women, so Greek life shapes the scene without dominating it the way it can in Tuscaloosa.

Both are test-optional, so you can apply to either without an SAT or ACT score. Scores still pay off at Alabama, where they feed the automatic merit-scholarship grid; among enrolled students who submitted, Alabama's middle 50% scored 1100 to 1360 on the SAT against LSU's 1180 to 1320. If you test well, sending scores can unlock money at Alabama even though neither school requires them.

Source: Louisiana State University Common Data Set 2024-2025. Figures transcribed 2026-06-10. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with LSU. Banner photo by Louisiana Sea Grant, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0).

Source: The University of Alabama Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-06-08. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with Alabama. Banner photo by Carol M. Highsmith, via Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain).