Nicholls State University College Portrait
Nicholls State University906 East 1st Street Thibodaux, LA 70310
985-448-4507
Nicholls State University
Nicholls State University provides a unique blend of solid academic programs that meet the needs of Louisiana and beyond. Through quality teaching, research, and service, Nicholls cultivates productive, responsible, engaged citizens in a personalized, culturally rich and dynamic learning environment. The university's strong general education requirements prepare students to exercise leadership in a global society and enhance their ability to create a vision for the future.
Nicholls, a selective admissions institution dedicated to the needs of its diverse student body, contributes significantly to regional development through its partnerships with businesses, local school systems, community agencies and other educational institutions. Established in the heart of one of the nation's major estuaries, the university provides unique opportunities for instruction and research in marine and environmental science, petroleum services, and Cajun cuisine. Nicholls also produces a large number of education and business graduates, at both undergraduate and graduate levels and provides a majority of the nurses to the region.
Living in the Nicholls Community
Nicholls State University offers students all the advantages of a small college with the same level of academics and campus life they would experience at a larger university. With more than 90 degree programs, including majors and concentrations, and 80 clubs and organizations, students can develop their talents and interests through small class settings, specialized laboratories and interactions with the university’s leading professionals, educators and researchers. Service learning programs, extracurricular activities and competitive internships provide the opportunity for students to gain practical experience before graduation.
From the classroom to the Quadrangle, from the residence halls to the student union, Nicholls exemplifies a welcoming atmosphere. Housing options, including three state-of-the-art residence halls and a modern apartment complex, allow students to be independent without giving up the conveniences of living at home. Lifelong friendships and lasting memories are created through Nicholls traditions, such as Crawfish Day and pirogue races, as well as through Greek organizations, athletic competitions, study abroad trips and campus leadership opportunities.
The Big Picture: How many students were on campus in Fall 2010?
More Information
| Total Students | 7,093 | |
|---|---|---|
Undergraduate Snapshot
| Total Undergraduate Students | 6,404 | |
|---|---|---|
| Gender | ||
| Women | 4,026 | 63% |
| Men | 2,378 | 37% |
| Race/Ethnicity | ||
| American Indian / Alaskan Native | 118 | 2% |
| Asian | 49 | 1% |
| African American / Black | 1,182 | 18% |
| Hispanic | 126 | 2% |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 7 | <1% |
| White | 4,573 | 71% |
| Two or More Races | 108 | 2% |
| International | 114 | 2% |
| Race/Ethnicity Not Reported | 127 | 2% |
| Where do Nicholls undergraduates call home? | |
|---|---|
| Louisiana | 94% |
| Other US States & Territories | 4% |
| Other Countries | 2% |
| Residency Unknown | <1% |
| How old are Nicholls undergraduates? | |
| Average Age | 23 |
| 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 |
|---|---|
| Composite | 20 - 24 |
| Math | 18 - 24 |
| English | 20 - 25 |
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 | 43% | |
| Percent in top 50% of High School Graduating Class | 73% | |
| Percent of New Freshmen who submitted HS GPA | 95% | |
| Average High School GPA (4-point scale) | 3.19 | |
| Percent who submitted High School GPA | 98% | |
Sticker Price: How much does it cost on average?
Typical Undergraduate Costs for 2009-10 without Financial Aid (Full-Time, In-State Students)
Total Typical Cost of Attendance: $16,192
Out-of-State & Other Costs
The cost to attend Nicholls State 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
- 43% of 2009-10 full-time undergraduates received need-based grants or scholarships; the average award for the year was $4,862. 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
- 33% of 2009-10 full-time undergraduates received need-based work-study and/or loans (not including parent loans); the average loan for the year was $3,806. 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 2008-2009 Full-time Beginning Students Receiving Each Type of Financial Aid
NOTE: Students may receive aid from more than one source.
Nicholls Classes & Instructors
| Classroom Environment | |
|---|---|
| Students per Faculty | 23 to 1 |
| Undergraduate classes with fewer than 30 students | 57% |
| Undergraduate classes with fewer than 50 students | 87% |
| Total Full-Time Instructional Faculty | 250 |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Are Female | 54% |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Are Persons of Color | 11% |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Have the Highest Academic Degree Offered in Their Field of Study | 58% |
Campus-based Housing
43% of new freshmen live in campus-based housing or residence halls.
21% of all undergraduates live on campus
More Information
Campus Safety
The Nicholls State University Police Department is committed to providing the best law enforcement services to the University's students, faculty, staff, and its visiting community supporters. We have a "Commitment to Service" to the leaders of today and tomorrow. In providing a safe and secure environment, our students can concentrate on reaching their educational goals of graduating and fulfilling the college experience.
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
- Master's Colleges and Universities (medium programs)
- Size and Setting
- Medium four-year, primarily nonresidential
- Enrollment Profile
- Very high undergraduate
- Undergraduate Profile
- Full-time four-year, inclusive
- Undergraduate Instructional Program
- Professions plus arts & sciences, some graduate coexistence
- Graduate Instructional Program
- Postbaccalaureate with arts & sciences (education dominant)
NOTE: Institutional classifications based on the Carnegie 2005 edition.
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Student Activities and Involvement at Nicholls
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 College Student Experiences Questionnaire (CSEQ). 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
- 69% of seniors participated in discussions with other students and faculty members outside of class
- 93% of seniors worked on class assignments and projects with other students
- 44% of seniors managed or provided leadership for a club or organization
Active Learning Experiences
- 78% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week outside of class on academic activities
- 42% of seniors worked with a faculty member on a research project
- 43% of seniors worked on an off-campus committee, organization, or project
- 94% of seniors applied material learned in class to other areas such as jobs or internships
Institutional Commitment to Student Learning and Success
- 85% of seniors discussed career plans with a faculty member
- 85% of seniors discussed academic programs or course selections with a faculty member
- 63% of seniors used a learning lab or center to improve skills
- 55% of seniors talked with a faculty or staff member about personal concerns
- 86% 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
- 88% of seniors worked harder after receiving feedback from an instructor
- 94% of seniors discussed grades, make-up work, or assignments with their instructor
- 72% of seniors discussed ideas for term papers or other class projects with a faculty member
- 72% of seniors requested feedback from instructors about academic performance
- 67% of seniors found campus staff to be helpful, considerate, or flexible
Experiences with Diverse Groups of People and Ideas
- 82% of seniors had discussions with students from a different country than their own
- 77% of seniors had discussions with students whose philosophy of life and personal values were very different from their own
- 93% of seniors had discussions with students whose race or ethnic background was different than their own
Student Satisfaction
- 73% of seniors would attend the same university again if they started over
Evaluation of Experiences
Survey Administration Process
Survey Information
Majors and Degrees
| Degrees awarded at Nicholls State University in 2009-10 | |
|---|---|
| Associate's | 153 |
| Bachelor's | 938 |
| Master's | 149 |
| Total | 1,240 |
| Areas of Study with the largest number of bachelor's degrees awarded in 2009-10 | |
|---|---|
| HEALTH PROFESSIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS | 16% |
| Business Administration and Management, General | 10% |
| Accounting | 5% |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | 4% |
| Marketing/Marketing Management, General | 4% |
| Links to degree programs at Nicholls State University |
|---|
Associate'sBachelor'sMaster's |
Student Success & Progress Rate
A 56% four-year success and progress rate means that 56% of students starting in Fall 2004 either graduated or are still enrolled at a higher education institution four years later.
More Information
Counts for the Fall 2004 entering class shown in the graph above.
- 1,583 First-Time, Full-Time Students
- 254 Full-Time Transfer Students
Success & Progress Rate Table
Retention of Freshman Class
First-time students in Fall 2009 that returned for their second year: 70%
More Information
Student Learning at Nicholls State 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.
- Results from the Collegiate Learning Assessment
The Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) measures critical thinking, analytic reasoning, problem solving, and written communication using a performance task and an analytic writing task. The scores from the tasks are reported separately below.
Test Administration Process
Test Information
Performance Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students
The increase in learning on the performance task is at or near what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.
Freshman Score: 1021
Senior Score: 1076
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.
Average EEA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 1020
Senior Score: 1011
Analytic Writing Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students
The increase in learning on the analytic writing task is at or near what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.
Freshman Score: 1081
Senior Score: 1117
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.
Average EEA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 1013
Senior Score: 1039