2026 Best Value Finance Schools in Louisiana

[Finance](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/finance-financial-management/finance/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong finance education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 12 schools to find the best return on investment for finance students.
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2026 Best Value Finance Schools in Louisiana
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in finance, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Finance Schools
Our analysis ranked Louisiana State University Shreveport the best value for a degree in finance in Louisiana. Located in the city of Shreveport, Louisiana State University Shreveport is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $7,327 in tuition and fees. Finance graduates carry a median of $28,907 in student loans. Finance graduates of Louisiana State University Shreveport earn a median of $45,300 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 50%.
A rank of #2 makes University Of New Orleans one of the best values for finance. Located in the city of New Orleans, University Of New Orleans is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,172, with out-of-state students paying around $14,008. Students borrow a median of $27,469 to complete the finance program here. Finance graduates of University Of New Orleans earn a median of $34,989 early in their careers. Set against $27,469 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 74% of applicants are accepted.
Mcneese State University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value finance schools. Located in the city of Lake Charles, Mcneese State University is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,489, compared with $9,989 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $27,860 to complete the finance program here. Soon after graduation, finance degree recipients from Mcneese State University generally make around $49,216. Set against $27,860 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 78%.
Students looking for strong value in finance will find it at University Of Louisiana Monroe, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Monroe, University Of Louisiana Monroe is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,190 in tuition and fees, compared with $21,290 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $22,465 to complete the finance program here. Soon after graduation, finance degree recipients from University Of Louisiana Monroe generally make around $47,162. Set against $22,465 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.
Nicholls State University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value finance schools. Located in the city of Thibodaux, Nicholls State University is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,149, compared with $9,242 for out-of-state students. Finance graduates carry a median of $24,513 in student loans. Soon after graduation, finance degree recipients from Nicholls State University generally make around $43,888. That is a strong return on a $24,513 median debt. Roughly 91% of applicants are accepted.
Southeastern Louisiana University came in at #6 for value in finance this year. Set in the city of Hammond, Southeastern Louisiana University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $8,373, compared with $20,851 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for finance graduates is $15,438. Early-career finance graduates make about $40,704. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 99% of applicants are accepted.
Louisiana Tech University ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best value finance schools. Set in the town of Ruston, Louisiana Tech University is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,125, while out-of-state students pay about $16,866. Students borrow a median of $17,500 to complete the finance program here. Soon after graduation, finance degree recipients from Louisiana Tech University generally make around $42,018. Set against $17,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Louisiana Lafayette placed #8 among the best values for finance. Located in the city of Lafayette, University Of Louisiana Lafayette is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $10,418, compared with $24,146 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for finance graduates is $26,400. Early-career finance graduates make about $40,495. Set against $26,400 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Louisiana Lafayette admits about 87% of applicants.
Southern University And A And M College earned the #9 position for value in finance this year. Southern University And A And M College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Baton Rouge. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,922, compared with $17,272 for out-of-state students. Finance graduates carry a median of $33,288 in student loans. Finance graduates of Southern University And A And M College earn a median of $45,304 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $33,288 median debt. The acceptance rate is 35%.
Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College placed #10 among the best values for finance. Located in the city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,954, while out-of-state students pay about $28,631. Finance graduates carry a median of $19,500 in student loans. Finance graduates of Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College earn a median of $54,408 early in their careers. Set against $19,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 73%.
Loyola University New Orleans earned the #11 position for value in finance this year. Loyola University New Orleans is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of New Orleans. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $49,440. Students borrow a median of $26,606 to complete the finance program here. Early-career finance graduates make about $48,040. Set against $26,606 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 93%.
Tulane University Of Louisiana landed the #12 spot for finance value this year. Set in the city of New Orleans, Tulane University Of Louisiana is a large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $68,678 in tuition and fees. Finance graduates carry a median of $21,500 in student loans. Finance graduates of Tulane University Of Louisiana earn a median of $92,574 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 14% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 12 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.