Louisiana Tech University

Public · Moderately Selective · LA

Photo: Quintin Soloviev (CC BY 4.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationLA · South

SettingRural

Undergrads8,312

Student:faculty21:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate44.5%

6-yr grad rate63.8%

Drop-out rate17.8%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$10k

Out-of-state tuition$17k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity27.5%

Gender diversity43.6%

International4.1%

Identity—

Overview

Louisiana Tech is a public university in Ruston, in the piney hills of north Louisiana, built around a strong engineering and computer science identity and a small-town, tight-knit campus culture. It's also home to one of women's college basketball's great historical programs, the Lady Techsters, whose championship pedigree in the 1980s still shapes school pride today, and its early move into cyber engineering gave it a head start most peer schools are only now catching up to.

Academics

Engineering and computer science are the clear academic center of gravity, run through the College of Engineering and Science, with cyber engineering a particularly distinctive offering that predates most peer programs nationally and reflects the university's early move into that field. Aviation offers professional flight training through the university's own program, and the College of Business rounds out the university's applied, career-oriented profile. Class sizes and teaching style favor a hands-on, applied engineering culture rather than large-lecture anonymity, consistent with a school that has built its reputation on technical fields.

Campus & student life

Ruston's small-town setting gives Louisiana Tech a tight, familiar campus feel where student traditions and school spirit run strong relative to the university's size. The Lady Techsters women's basketball program, which won national championships in the 1980s under coach Leon Barmore and produced players like Kim Mulkey, remains a genuine point of campus pride and a rare case of a mid-size school's women's program outshining its men's team historically. Homecoming and Bulldog football carry real weight in the social calendar, and most students describe the community as close-knit rather than anonymous.

Getting in

Admission is moderately accessible, with engineering and cyber programs drawing a somewhat more competitive and STEM-focused applicant pool than the university average. The process is generally credentials-based rather than essay-heavy, and Louisiana Tech draws heavily from in-state students, though its cyber engineering and computer science reputation pulls in a meaningful out-of-state applicant interest as well.

After graduation

Engineering and computer science graduates, especially from the cyber program, find strong placement with defense contractors, technology firms, and federal agencies given the field's high demand. Aviation graduates move into commercial and regional airline careers. The university's small size means alumni networks tend to be close and regionally concentrated, especially across Louisiana's technical and engineering employers.

Worth knowing

The cyber engineering program's early start gives Louisiana Tech a real head start in a field most universities have only recently built out, and it's worth asking how a program's age and industry ties compare to newer competitors. The Lady Techsters' historic championship run is a genuine point of institutional identity, not just nostalgia — it still shapes recruiting and campus culture in women's athletics today.

latech.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate86.4%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1100–1310 · ACT 21–27

Test policyoptional

Rec letters—

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying