Louisiana State University – Baton Rouge

Louisiana State University, most commonly referred to as LSU, while its official name is Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, is a public university that is located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded as Louisiana State Seminary of Learning & Military Academy in 1853 in Pineville, Louisiana. Its name was later changed and the university was relocated to Baton Rouge.

LSU's campus includes over 250 buildings which were designed after the style of Andrea Palladio, an architect of the Italian Renaissance. The campus is situated alongside the Mississippi River and covers over 2,000 acres.

LSU is the flagship University of the Louisiana State University System and based on recent enrollment figures, it is also the largest university in the State of Louisiana. Currently, the University has an annual enrollment of nearly 30,000. The University consists of 14 academic schools and colleges, several of which, including the Paul M. Hebert Law Center and the E.J. Ourso College of Business, have national recognitions and awards. LSU is also a recognized research university that operates numerous research facilities and supports over 800 research projects. Many of its research projects are funded by well-known organizations such as the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Health, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

LSU has a well-developed athletic program which includes 20 varsity sports. The school belongs to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and Southeastern Conference (SEC). Athletic teams at LSU go by the Tigers. The school's mascot is "Mike the Tiger".

Academics

LSU is composed of 14 academic schools and colleges which include the College of Agriculture; College of Art & Design; College of Agriculture; College of Humanities & Social Sciences; College of Science; E.J. Ourso College of Business; College of Music & Dramatic Arts; College of Human Sciences & Education; College of Engineering; University College; Honors College; Graduate School; Manship School of Mass Communication; School of Veterinary Medicine; School of the Coast & Environment; and Continuing Education.

LSU offers a rich diversity of degree programs and courses that are designed to challenge individual growth. Currently, LSU offers bachelor's degrees in 70 majors, master's degrees in 73 majors and doctoral degrees in 49 majors.

Online Degree Progams at LSU

Unfortunately, Lousiana State University does not offer online programs for students seeking an accredited undergraduate or graduate degree. Degrees must be completed at an LSU campus in a traditional classroom setting. To learn more about earning your degree online click here.

Undergraduate Degrees

All undergraduate degree programs at LSU have a strong, general education component, and offer students the opportunity to explore a large selection of fields and majors. Undergraduate degrees at LSU are offered by 10 senior colleges and schools. LSU offers undergraduate programs in the following disciplines:

Graduate Degrees

LSU offers Board of Regents authorized, graduate degrees in the following disciplines:

LSU Rankings

U.S. News & World Report recently ranked Louisiana State University 134th in their national universities category, and 67th in the nation among public universities. LSU is ranked 151st among research universities by Forbes magazine, and is listed in Princeton Review's best 371 Colleges guide. Recently, in 2012, LSU received a bit of a demerit when it was censured by the Association of University Professors for alleged mistreatment of one of their faculty members.

LSU programs that have received special awards or recognition include:

• The Public Affairs Institute, a division within the E.J. Ourso College of Business, ranked 40th among public universities and 57th in the nation.
• The Flores MBA, a division within the E.J. Ourso College of Business, ranked 62nd in the nation and 33rd among public universities. In 2007, the Wall Street Journal ranked LSU's MBA program 7th in the nation for its ability to attract regional, corporate MBA recruiters.
• U.S. News & World Report ranked LSU's College of Engineering undergraduate and graduate programs 85th and 90th in the nation, respectively.
• In 2010, the LSU Law School (Paul M. Hebert Law Center) was ranked 75th best law school by U.S. News & World Report.
• LSU was listed in the 2009 edition of Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the top 12 Entrepreneurial Colleges in the nation.
• In 2012, LSU's Robert S. Reich School of Landscape Architecture was ranked number one in the nation among undergraduate programs and the school's graduate program was ranked number two in the nation by DesignIntelligence. The "America's Best Architecture & Design Schools" journal has ranked the university's landscape architecture school in the top five in the nation since 2004.
• The Cultural Services office of the French Ambassador to the U.S. recognized the LSU French program as a center d'excellence, an honor bestowed to only 15 French programs in the entire United States.
• The graduate program in fine arts at LSU was recently ranked 76th nationally by U.S. News & World Report.
• LSU's library and information studies graduate program is ranked 22nd in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

Campus

The current LSU campus is located alongside the Mississippi River, directly south of downtown Baton Rouge. The campus is one of the oldest among public, state universities. Most of LSU's 250 buildings were constructed between 1920 and 1940. In addition to 7 other campus extensions located throughout Louisiana, LSU owns and operates the J. Bennett Johnston, Sr. Center for Advanced Microstructures and Devices (CAMD). The CAMD is a synchrotron radiation research center, and it is the only state-funded synchrotron facility in the U.S. At the heart of the facility is a 1.5 GeV electron storage ring built exclusively to provide synchrotron radiation, which is beneficial for the development of strong programs in microfabrication, materials science, and other targeted areas of scientific and technological exploration.

Architecture and Landscape

During the 1990s, LSU administration created an official set of design and architecture guidelines which said that all new buildings should be based on an Italian Renaissance style. To this end, campus buildings have been constructed with red-tiled rooftops, tan stucco walls, and extensive porticoes.

The LSU campus is well-known for its 1,200 oak trees that provide shade across the campus grounds – many of which were planted in the early 1930s. The trees on the LSU campus have a combined value of over $50 million. In the 1970's several additional landscape plants, including azaleas, ligustrum, crepe myrtles and camellias, were added throughout the campus. Today, LSU has one of the most beautifully landscaped campuses in the United States.

Campus Housing

LSU offers students a large selection of on-campus housing options, including on-campus apartments: West Campus Apartments; East Campus Apartments; Edward Gay Apartments (Family and Graduate Housing) and Nicholson Apartments (also Family and Graduate Housing). There are many residence halls such as: Annie Boyd Hall; Evangeline Hall; Louise Garig Hall; Blake Hall; Herget Hall; Highland Hall; LeJeune Hall; Miller Hall; McVoy Hall; Miller Hall; Taylor Hall. Many of the halls house students with the same majors such as engineering, mass communication, or business, so like-minded students can mingle or study together.

There are also many off-campus, low-cost housing options in downtown Baton Rouge for students who choose not to live on campus.

General Information

Admissions Information

College Majors

*We do not guarantee the accuracy of information on this page. All information is subject to change. You should confirm all information with a college admissions officer.