Louisiana Tech University College Portrait
Louisiana Tech University700 West California Ruston, LA 71272
318.257.3036 / 1.800.LATECH.1
Louisiana Tech University
At Tech, you'll belong. Tech is family.
Welcome to Louisiana Tech University! With a reputation for offering a private-college atmosphere at a public university, Louisiana Tech is dedicated to challenging its students through the efforts of caring faculty members, who are passionate about teaching, advising, and research. Founded in 1894, this selective-admissions university offers more than 60 undergraduate majors and a wide variety of graduate degrees from within 32 master's and 8 doctoral programs. Collaborative research opportunities enhance learning alongside extracurricular and NCAA Division I athletic programs than enrich student life. Tech's campus brings together students from 45 states in the nation and 58 other countries. Our commitment to student support and academic advisement has resulted in one of the highest retention and graduation rates in the State.
Living in the Tech Community
Louisiana Tech is so much more than the four walls of a classroom.
Louisiana Tech's pedistrian-friendly campus revolves around the oak-shaded Quadrangle and its gardens, benches, and Lady of the Mist fountain. Other campus highlights include Centennial Plaza and its brick walkway that bears the names of Tech graduates, the newly rebuilt Hale Hall (where admissions and architecture are housed), the Bulldog Achievement Resource Center (BARC) in the Wyly Tower of Learning, the cutting-edge Institute for Micromanufacturing, and the new state-of-the-art Biomedical Engineering Building. The 255-acre campus is also home to Tolliver Hall's state-of-the-art cyber cafe for students and the Lambright Sports Center, which houses basketball and racquetball courts, sauna facilities, weight rooms, and an indoor track. In addition to our excellent academic programs and commitment to student support, campus life is fueled by over 170 student organizations. Louisiana Tech competes in sixteen Division I sports and is a member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). Students are admitted free of charge to all Tech sporting events. Louisiana Tech has been recognized as a national leader in nano and microtechnologies. Tech was recently ranked third in the nation for nanotechnology education and tenth in the nation for nanotechnology commercialization, according to Small Times Magazine, a leading industry publication that focuses on business news and information about small technologies, including nanotechnology and microsystems.
The Big Picture: How many students were on campus in Fall 2010?
| Total Students | 11,743 | |
|---|---|---|
Undergraduate Snapshot
| Total Undergraduate Students | 8,978 | |
|---|---|---|
| Gender | ||
| Women | 4,364 | 49% |
| Men | 4,614 | 51% |
| Race/Ethnicity | ||
| American Indian / Alaskan Native | 33 | <1% |
| Asian | 82 | 1% |
| African American / Black | 1,121 | 12% |
| Hispanic | 115 | 1% |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 0 | <1% |
| White | 5,549 | 62% |
| Two or More Races | 0 | <1% |
| International | 311 | 3% |
| Race/Ethnicity Not Reported | 1,767 | 20% |
| Where do LATech undergraduates call home? | |
|---|---|
| Louisiana | 88% |
| Other US States & Territories | 9% |
| Other Countries | 3% |
| Residency Unknown | <1% |
| How old are LATech undergraduates? | |
| Average Age | 21 |
| Percent of Undergraduates Age 25 or Older | 20% |
New Student Applications (Fall 2010)
New Freshmen High School Background and Test Scores
Test(s) Required for Admission: SAT or ACT recommended
| Test Scores of Enrolled New Freshmen | ACT | SAT |
|---|---|---|
| Composite | 21 - 26 | |
| Math | 21 - 26 | 470 - 590 |
| English | 19 - 25 | |
| Critical Reading | 430 - 570 |
50% of admitted students have test scores within the ranges listed, 25% have scores above, and 25% have scores below.
| High School Background of Enrolled New Freshmen | ||
|---|---|---|
| Percent in top 25% of High School Graduating Class | 48% | |
| Percent in top 50% of High School Graduating Class | 77% | |
| Percent of New Freshmen who submitted HS GPA | 90% | |
| Average High School GPA (4-point scale) | 3.34 | |
| Percent who submitted High School GPA | 93% | |
Sticker Price: How much does it cost on average?
Typical Undergraduate Costs for 2010-11 without Financial Aid (Full-Time, In-State Students)
Total Typical Cost of Attendance: $10,803
Out-of-State & Other Costs
More Information
The cost to attend Louisiana Tech University varies based on the individual circumstances of students and may be reduced through grants and scholarships.
How much would I pay?
Financial Aid: How much help is there to pay?
Scholarships & Grants
- 48% of 2010-11 full-time undergraduates received need-based grants or scholarships; the average award for the year was $7,573. Scholarships and grants are financial aid that does not need to be repaid and is sometimes referred to as gift aid.
Annual Need-Based Loans
- 41% of 2010-11 full-time undergraduates received need-based work-study and/or loans (not including parent loans); the average loan for the year was $3,961. Loans need to be repaid. Typically, repayment starts once you are no longer enrolled full-time. Please refer to page 12 of the Funding Education Beyond High School guide on the US Department of Education's Federal Student Aid website for more information about Financial Need.
Percent of 2009-2010 Full-time Beginning Students Receiving Each Type of Financial Aid
NOTE: Students may receive aid from more than one source.
LATech Classes & Instructors
| Classroom Environment | |
|---|---|
| Students per Faculty | 22 to 1 |
| Undergraduate classes with fewer than 30 students | 73% |
| Undergraduate classes with fewer than 50 students | 92% |
| Total Full-Time Instructional Faculty | 374 |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Are Female | 37% |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Are Persons of Color | <1% |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Have the Highest Academic Degree Offered in Their Field of Study | 79% |
More Information
Campus-based Housing
35% of new freshmen live in campus-based housing or residence halls.
15% of all undergraduates live on campus
More Information
Campus Safety
Louisiana Tech University has a fully functional police department with officers that are all graduates of a certified policy academy and are certified through the Louisiana Police Officers Standards & Training Council Exam. Selected officers receive specialized training each year and all officers receive recertification courses as needed. Our professional status and growth allows us to both protect and provide public service to the university community.
Campus Crime Statistics
Carnegie Classification of Institutional Characteristics
The Carnegie Classification's were created "to reference the great diversity of colleges and universities in the United States, and ... enable [people] to identify groups of roughly comparable institutions." For information on the Carnegie Classifications system, please visit their website: http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/
- Basic Type
- Doctoral/Research Universities
- Size and Setting
- Medium four-year, primarily residential
- Enrollment Profile
- High undergraduate
- Undergraduate Profile
- Full-time four-year, selective, lower transfer-in
- Undergraduate Instructional Program
- Professions plus arts & sciences, some graduate coexistence
- Graduate Instructional Program
- Doctoral, professional dominant
NOTE: Institutional classifications based on the Carnegie 2005 edition.
More Information
Student Activities and Involvement at LATech
Students who are actively involved in their own learning and development are more likely to be successful in college. Colleges and universities offer students a wide variety of opportunities both inside and outside the classroom to become engaged with new ideas, people, and experiences. Institutions measure the effectiveness of these opportunities in a variety of ways to better understand what types of activities and programs students find the most helpful.
Institutions participating in the VSA program measure student involvement on campus using one of four national surveys. Results from the one survey are reported for a common set of questions selected as part of VSA. Following are the selected results from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). The questions have been grouped together in categories that are known to contribute to student learning and development. The results reported below are based on the responses of seniors who participated in the survey.
Group Learning Experiences
- 96% percent of seniors worked with classmates on assignments outside of class.
- 66% of seniors tutored or taught other students
- 37% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week participating in co-curricular activities such as student organizations and intramural sports
Active Learning Experiences
- 84% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week preparing for class
- 21% of seniors worked on a research project with a faculty member
- 55% of seniors participated in an internship, practicum, or field experience
- 68% of seniors participated in community service or volunteer work
- 6% of seniors participated in study abroad
- 98% of seniors made at least one class presentation last year
Institutional Commitment to Student Learning and Success
- 97% of seniors believe this institution provides support for student success
- 77% of seniors rated the quality of academic advising at this institution as good or excellent
- 66% of seniors reported that this institution provided help in coping with work, family and other non-academic responsibilities
- 96% of seniors reported working harder than they thought they could to meet an instructor's standards or expectations
Student Interaction with Campus Faculty and Staff
- 65% of seniors believed that the campus staff were helpful, considerate, or flexible
- 84% of seniors believed that faculty are available, helpful, or sympathetic
- 96% of seniors reported that faculty members provided prompt feedback on their academic performance
- 76% of seniors discussed readings or ideas with faculty members outside of class
Experiences with Diverse Groups of People and Ideas
- 65% of seniors reported that they often tried to understand someone else's point of view
- 82% of seniors reported their experience at this institution contributed to their understanding people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds
- 57% of seniors often had serious conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity
Student Satisfaction
- 83% of seniors would attend this institution if they started over again
- 89% of seniors rated their entire educational experience as good or excellent
- 89% of seniors reported that other students were friendly or supportive
Evaluation of Experiences
Survey Administration Process
Survey Information
Majors and Degrees
| Degrees awarded at Louisiana Tech University in 2009-10 | |
|---|---|
| Associate's | 79 |
| Bachelor's | 1,275 |
| Master's | 413 |
| Doctoral | 36 |
| Total | 1,803 |
More Information
| Areas of Study with the largest number of bachelor's degrees awarded in 2009-10 | |
|---|---|
| Links to degree programs at Louisiana Tech University |
|---|
Associate'sBachelor'sMaster'sDoctoral |
Future Plans of 2010-11 Bachelor's Degree Recipients
Survey Administration Process
Student Success & Progress Rate
A 78% four-year success and progress rate means that 78% of students starting in Fall 2004 either graduated or are still enrolled at a higher education institution four years later.
Counts for the Fall 2004 entering class shown in the graph above.
- 1,951 First-Time, Full-Time Students
- 362 Full-Time Transfer Students
Success & Progress Rate Table
Retention of Freshman Class
First-time students in Fall 2009 that returned for their second year: 74%
Student Learning at Louisiana Tech University
All colleges and universities use multiple approaches to measure student learning. Many of these are specific to particular disciplines, many are coordinated with accrediting agencies, and many are based on outcomes after students have graduated.
Learning Assessment Examples
Pilot Project to Measure Core Learning Outcomes
Colleges and universities participating in the College Portrait measure the typical improvement in students' abilities to think, reason, and write using one of three tests. This is part of a pilot project to better understand and compare what students learn between their freshman and senior years at different colleges and universities.
Student Learning Outcomes data will be available in 2012.