Xavier University of Louisiana

Private · Moderately Selective · LA

Photo: Spatms (CC BY-SA 4.0)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationLA · South

SettingUrban

Undergrads2,628

Student:faculty11:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate36.5%

6-yr grad rate48.5%

Drop-out rate28.3%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$29k

Out-of-state tuition$29k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity99%

Gender diversity75.3%

International2.6%

IdentityHBCU · Roman Catholic

Overview

Xavier University of Louisiana, in New Orleans, is the only university in the country that is both historically Black and Catholic, a dual identity that shapes its close-knit, purpose-driven campus culture. It has built an outsized national reputation for a school its size, particularly in the sciences.

Academics

Xavier has long been among the nation's top producers of Black graduates who go on to attend medical school, a track record built on rigorous science instruction, structured pre-health advising, and a demanding but deeply supportive academic culture. Its pharmacy program is another signature strength, and the sciences overall carry the university's institutional reputation, though this focus doesn't come at the expense of a genuine liberal arts foundation.

Campus & student life

Xavier's New Orleans location gives students access to a major city while the campus itself maintains a tight, communal HBCU culture — small enough that students and faculty know each other, with a strong sense of collective purpose around academic achievement. Catholic identity and HBCU tradition coexist rather than compete, producing a campus culture distinct from either a typical Catholic university or a typical HBCU.

Getting in

Xavier is known to look closely at applicants' seriousness about pre-health tracks in particular, given how central that pipeline is to its identity, alongside a holistic review of the full application.

After graduation

The medical-school pipeline is Xavier's defining outcome and a major reason students choose it — its science graduates are disproportionately represented among Black physicians nationally, a track record the university actively builds its advising and curriculum around.

Worth knowing

The medical-school feeder reputation is not incidental — Xavier's science curriculum, advising, and campus culture are structured intentionally around getting pre-health students into medical school, and prospective students in that track should expect a demanding, support-heavy academic environment built for exactly that goal.

xula.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate69%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 950–1113 · ACT 19–24

Test policyoptional

Rec letters1

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying