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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Acceptance Rate
Overall acceptance rate, plus the in-state and out-of-state admit rates the school reports separately.
Admit rate by residency
% admittedEarly Admissions
LSU does not offer an Early Decision or Early Action plan; all applicants apply through Regular Decision.
Standardized Tests
LSU is currently test-optional — you may apply without submitting scores.
SAT Accepted?
ACT Accepted?
Test Optional?
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Class Rank
Where LSU's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.
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.
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.
Out-of-state students pay $16,677 more — entirely in tuition. Room, board, and other costs are identical regardless of residency.
Financial Aid
Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.
Major Distribution
Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.
Student Diversity
Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.
Student-Faculty Ratio
The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.
Campus Life
On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.
Enrollment by Gender
Since some students did not report gender, totals may not fully reflect the student body.
Acceptance Rate
Overall acceptance rate, plus the in-state and out-of-state admit rates the school reports separately.
Admit rate by residency
% admittedEarly Admissions
Alabama does not offer an Early Decision or Early Action plan; all applicants apply through Regular Decision.
Standardized Tests
Alabama is currently test-optional — you may apply without submitting scores.
SAT Accepted?
ACT Accepted?
Test Optional?
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Class Rank
Where Alabama's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.
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.
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.
Out-of-state students pay $22,858 more — entirely in tuition. Room, board, and other costs are identical regardless of residency.
Financial Aid
Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.
Major Distribution
Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.
Student Diversity
Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.
Student-Faculty Ratio
The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.
Campus Life
On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.
Enrollment by Gender
Since some students did not report gender, totals may not fully reflect the student body.
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LSU vs. Alabama: frequently asked questions
Is LSU or Alabama harder to get into?＋
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.
Is LSU or Alabama cheaper for out-of-state students?＋
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.
Does LSU or Alabama have more out-of-state students?＋
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.
Is LSU or Alabama better for business?＋
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.
Does LSU or Alabama have a bigger Greek scene?＋
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.
Is LSU or Alabama test-optional?＋
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).