Southern University and A & M College

Public · Selective · LA

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationLA · South

SettingUrban

Undergrads5,519

Student:faculty21:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate10%

6-yr grad rate27.1%

Drop-out rate39.7%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$10k

Out-of-state tuition$17k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity99.3%

Gender diversity67.3%

International0.3%

IdentityHBCU

Overview

Southern University and A&M College is the flagship campus of the nation's only historically Black university system, set on a bluff above the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge. Founded as a land-grant institution, it carries deep civic weight in Louisiana as a producer of Black professionals, educators, attorneys, and civic leaders, and its identity blends serious academic and professional tradition with unusually strong school pride, most visibly expressed through its band and football culture.

Academics

The university is known for engineering, nursing, and agriculture, reflecting its land-grant mission and the practical needs of Louisiana's industrial and agricultural economy, and its law center has long been one of the South's major sources of Black attorneys, feeding graduates directly into state government and the judiciary. Programs tend to be professionally oriented, preparing students for licensure exams and direct entry into their fields, and the College of Business also carries real regional standing. Undergraduates have access to faculty across a mid-size public-university structure rather than the large lecture halls of bigger flagships.

Campus & student life

The Human Jukebox marching band is a genuine point of national visibility, known for its show-style precision and frequent appearances at high-profile events far beyond Louisiana, and it anchors a campus culture built around band, football Saturdays, and Greek life in the Divine Nine tradition. The annual Bayou Classic against rival Grambling State, played in New Orleans, is one of the most storied rivalry games in Black college football and draws alumni back from across the country. The bluff-top setting overlooking the Mississippi gives the campus a distinct sense of place within Baton Rouge.

Getting in

As a public land-grant university, Southern's general admission leans more on GPA and standardized academic benchmarks than on the essay-driven holistic review common at selective private colleges, though competitive programs like nursing and engineering add their own supplemental requirements. The university has historically prioritized access for Louisiana students and first-generation college-goers, and its identity as an HBCU is itself a significant draw for students specifically seeking a historically Black campus culture and community.

After graduation

Graduates move heavily into Louisiana state government, public education, law, and the engineering and industrial employers along the Mississippi River petrochemical corridor, and the law center in particular has fed generations of Black attorneys and judges into the state's legal system. The alumni network carries real weight in Louisiana's Black professional and political class, giving graduates connections that extend well beyond the campus itself.

Worth knowing

As an HBCU with deep Louisiana roots, Southern carries strong regional alumni networks in state government, education, and law, and its band and athletic traditions, including the Bayou Classic rivalry with Grambling, are a bigger part of campus identity than at many peer institutions. Prospective students should know that school pride here is expressed as much through band and football culture as through academics.

subr.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate35.1%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 790–1020 · ACT 15–19

Test policyoptional

Rec letters—

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Applying (2026-27 cycle)

Apply through Common App.

Verified from the school’s admissions pages ↗