Nicholls State University

Accredited, Affordable Academics Available at Nicholls

Nicholls State University appears in our ranking of the 30 Best Online Bachelor’s in English Degrees. Nicholls State University  was named the South’s 100th best school by the U.S. News & World Report. It’s a public, four-year UL System member in Thibodaux. It offers:

• seven associate degree programs
• 76 bachelor’s degree programs
• 24 graduate degree programs.

These include 12 entirely online programs. The student/teacher ratio is  19:1. As an example, the B.F.A. in Sculpture is a 120-credit, NASAD-accredited curriculum. Students can:

• utilize the Metal Fabrication Lab
• exhibit at Ameen Art Gallery
• join the Zeta Alpha Zeta Chapter
• take the European Tour

The 120-credit B.S. in Marketing lets students:

• select the Advertising Concentration
• enter the Bayou Sales Challenge
• practice in the Hornsby Interactive Training Lab
• access the Business Closet

Online , the College of Education & Behavioral Sciences offers a 36-credit, CAEP-accredited Master of Early Childhood Education.  Teachers can earn the Early Interventionist Add-On after eight-week courses. There is a 100 percent Praxis exam success. The M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling has produced licensed counselors with a 60-credit, 24-month sequence. It requires 700 hours at practicum sites like:

• Magnolia Family Services
• Fairview Treatment Center
• St. Anne Hospital

Other Nicholls degrees include:

• A.S. in Petroleum Services
• A.S. in Culinary Arts
• B.A. in Political Science
• B.S. in Dietetics
• B.A. in English
• B.S. in Geomatics
• M.S. in College Mathematics
• M.S. in Nursing

About Nicholls State University

Nicholls State University originated on September 23, 1948, when the Francis T. Nicholls Junior College was opened by Louisiana State University. In 1956, it gained independence from LSU to develop an independent bachelor’s curriculum. That Fall, its name became Francis T. Nicholls State College. In 1962, the Allen J. Ellender Memorial Library became a U.S. Federal Depository Program participant. In 1970, the Legislature passed Act 93 to adopt the Nicholls State University title. In 1976, NSU graduated Representative Robert Billiot with a Bachelor of Arts. In 1991, Nicholls joined the NCAA Division I Southland Conference with rival Southeastern Louisiana. In 2018, NSU partnered with the Lafourche Parish District for a magnet school. Endowed for $8.8 million, Nicholls State University enrolls 5,896 undergrad and 592 post-grad students from 34 countries. It has more than 80 clubs and organizations.  It has a 47 percent six-year graduation rate. In 2017, Nicholls State had the SIMB Waksman Outstanding Teaching Award recipient. In 2016, the NSU Kappa Eta Chapter won the Phi Mu Philomathian Award. Nicholls received the 2019 Louisiana Restaurant Association Education Foundation Top Prize. The U.S. News & World Report ranked Nicholls State University 242nd for online bachelor’s degrees. Niche ranked NSU:

• America’s 200th best dining
• 240th top athletics programs
• 266th best public education

College Factual ranked Nicholls the 207th best value. Education Corner ranked Nicholls State the 11th best nursing school with NCLEX-RN scores in the top 10 percent.

Nicholls State University Accreditation Details

Nicholls State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).  The Provost’s Office also lists these accreditations:

• National Association of Schools of Art and Design
• Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
• Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs
• Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Council for Education
• Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation
• National Association of Schools of Music
• Association of Technology, Management and Applied Engineering
• Commission on Accreditation for Athletic Training Education
• Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
• Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications
• National Association of Schools Psychologists

Nicholls State University Application Requirements

Enrolling at Nicholls State University is classified “non-competitive” by Peterson’s. It has an 88 percent acceptance rate. First-year students must have completed the 19-unit Louisiana Board of Regents Core 4 curriculum or an equivalent. Cumulative GED exam scores of 2,250 and better would qualify. Overall GPAs above 2.35 on the four-point scale are mandated. Freshmen under age 25 need a minimum 21 ACT or 1440 SAT score. Incoming transfers must hold an A.A./A.S. degree or 18+ non-remedial credits with at least 2.0 GPAs. The Honors Program seeks 3.2 and higher GPAs. Graduate School entrants need to have an accredited four-year bachelor’s in good standing. MAT cohorts must multiply their GPA by 200 and add GRE scores for a minimum 335 index score. The M.S. in Marine & Environmental Biology calls 300 GRE and 3.0 GPA marks prerequisite. Executive MBA students must verify three years of full-time professional experience. Nicholls State University has rolling admission anytime for domestic undergrads. International bachelor’s students must file by:

• November 15th for Spring
• February 15th for Summer
• June 15th for Fall

The Chouest-Nicholls Partnership has a July 1st deadline. The Graduate School has desired due dates of October 15th and March 15th. Deadlines for teaching assistantships are March 26th and October 26th. Accordingly, complete the NSU Application online for $20 ($30 if foreign). Forward official transcripts to 906 East First Street in Thibodaux, LA 70301. Select SAT/GRE code 6221, ACT code 1580, or GMAT code 1B6BL44 for testing reports. Fulfill checklist items, such as:

• 2-3 references
• resume
• cover letter

Contact (985) 236-0506 or nicholls@nicholls.edu with questions.

Tuition and Financial Aid

For 2019-20, Nicholls State University is billing full-time Louisiana undergrads $3,963 per semester or $7,926 annually. Non-resident associate/bachelor’s tuition is $4,510 each term or $9,020 each year. Students cover the:

• $180 registration fee
• $62 university fee
• $48 building use fee
• $159 activities fee

The A.S. in Culinary Arts incurs another $250 fee. Residing at the Thibodaux campus’ dorms adds $3,804 to $6,530 for semester room and board. Commuter meal plans for  are $150 to $550 each. Annual undergrad attendance equals about $23,118 in-state and $24,211 out-of-state. Nicholls Online courses are $825 for $275 per credit. Master’s online programs cost $412 per credit. Other Graduate School offerings charge Louisiana residents $4,281 and non-residents $4,827 each term. According to the NCES College Navigator, the Office of Financial Aid links 75 percent of full-time Nicholls Colonels to median tuition assistance of about $6,800 apiece. Institutional funds include:

• the Alma Stark Cecil Scholarship
• Bartels Family First Generation Scholarship
• Bob Blazier Broadcast Scholarship
• Clift Gresham Scholarship
• Eastman Auto-Chlor Scholarship
• Hilda Carlos Duplantis Scholarship
• Leila Graham Scholarship
• Music Club Scholarship
• Norman Swanner Nursing Scholarship
• Richard Champagne Memorial Scholarship
• Thibodaux Service League Scholarship

The Lee Meyer Scholarship gifts $2,500 annually to College of Education & Behavioral Sciences majors with GPAs above 3.0. The $2,500 Gordon Dove Jr. Memorial Scholarship has an August 23rd deadline for STEM majors from:

• Lafourche
• Terrebonne
• Assumption

Federal resources, such as the Pell Grant or Teach Grant, require FAFSA applications coded 002005. Louisianans also utilize the Taylor Opportunity Program for up to $2,861 each semester. Search through seven academic divisions for 105+ low-cost Bayou Region programs placed 191st by Washington Monthly at the Nicholls State University website.

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