Louisiana
Student Access & Success
Louisiana’s four-year institutions receive a very low grade in this area, ranking in the bottom 10 in credentials produced per 100 full-time equivalent undergraduates, completion rate, and retention rate. Louisiana’s two-year institutions receive an average grade, with a relatively high credentials produced per 100 full-time equivalent undergraduates and percentage of Pell recipients, but low completion and retention rates.
Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness
Louisiana receives an average grade in this area for four- year institutions, with a cost per completion ($69,951) just above the national median of $68,140. Louisiana’s two-year institutions fare slightly better, with a cost per completion ($46,326) and state and local funding per completion ($23,971) in the top third of states nationally.
Meeting Labor Market Demand
The median wage of a Louisiana bachelor’s degree holder is approximately $15,700 (or 52%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate for a bachelor’s degree holder is about 4 points lower. The median wage of an associate’s degree holder is approximately $9,000 (or 30%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate is 3 points lower.
Transparency & Accountability
Louisiana receives a below average score for its consumer information and public accountability resources. The state’s 2011 Employment Outcomes Report looks at employment rates and salaries for graduates, broken down by field of study but not by individual institutions. Louisiana does not measure student learning outcomes.
Policy Environment
Louisiana’s 2011 master plan has hard targets for a number of the state’s goals, including student outcomes and system efficiency. Fifteen percent of any state institution’s funding is based on six-year performance agreements concerning institution-specific outcomes. Louisiana has a clear articulation policy that includes a course equivalency matrix for individual course transfer.
Innovation
The Louisiana Electric Campus provides access to information about the individual courses and programs that are available online, and the state has a goal to broadly promote distance learning. Regarding new providers, Louisiana is likely to assert regulatory jurisdiction over most cross-border providers and has an onerous approval process, resulting in a low grade.
Report Card
Compare with
Four-Year Institutions
LA Nat'l| Student Access & Success | F |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 36.5 | 30.8 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 72.2 | 77.9 |
| Completion Rate | 39.1 | 54.5 |
| Completions per 100 FTE Students | 17.5 | 19.7 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 2 | |
| Complete College America | * |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | C |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $69,951 | $68,140 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $49,616 | $41,198 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $74,082 | $76,932 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined Measure (5-point scale) | 3 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | B |
|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $15,708 | $17,881 |
|---|---|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 151.5 | 156.0 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $14,590 | $12,703 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 157.4 | 149.9 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 2.5 | 2.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 6.8 | 7.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 3.4 | 2.9 |
| Transparency & Accountability | D |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 3.5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | true | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 2 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | false | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 0 |
Two-Year Institutions
LA Nat'l| Student Access & Success | C |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 60.8 | 46.9 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 52.1 | 58.6 |
| Completion Rate | 13.3 | 20.5 |
| Completions Per 100 FTE Undergraduates | 20.3 | 16.8 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 3 |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | B |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $46,326 | $57,210 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $23,971 | $35,476 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $30,565 | $52,512 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined MeasureCombined Measure (5-point Scale) | 4 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | C |
|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $9,007 | $8,545 |
|---|---|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 129.5 | 126.1 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $5,480 | $6,595 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 121.6 | 125.0 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 3.0 | 2.7 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 1.8 | 1.5 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 6.0 | 4.9 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 2.61 | 1.84 |
| Transparency & Accountability | D |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 2.5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | true | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 2 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | false | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 0 |
State
LA Nat'l| Policy Environment | A |
|---|
| State Goals (6-point Scale) | 6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Does the State Have Outcomes-Based Funding? | true | |
| Four-Year Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 3 | |
| Two-Years Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 3 | |
| Does the State Have a Credit Transfer Policy? | true | |
| Credit Transfer Policy (5-point Scale) | 4 |
| Innovation: Openness to Providers | D |
|---|
| Numerical Openness to New Providers Grade | 63% | |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory Jurisdiction | 50% | |
| Financial Burden | 80% | |
| Approval Process Burden | 60% |
| Innovation: Online Learning | C |
|---|
| Numerical Online Learning Grade | 57.1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Online Learning Score (7-point Scale) | 4 |
State Facts at a Glance
- Number of Public Four-Year Institutions 14
- Number of Public Two-Year Institutions 22
- Number of Students Served by Public Four-Year Institutions 108,594
- Number of Students Served by Public Two-Year Institutions 53,114