Southern University and A & M College

Admission to Southern University and A&M College has become increasingly competitive, even as its position on national lists has slipped. In the 2027 US News rankings, the university stood at 382, down from 331 in 2023. Gaining entry requires careful preparation, as the university accepted 35.1% of applicants in 2025, an acceptance rate lower than all peer schools in its comparison group of ranking-adjacent public comprehensive universities. While men and women face moderately different admission rates and thousands of applicants are turned away each year, the university's draw among accepted students is fairly moderate. The yield rate reached 20.1% in 2025, which is higher than 50% of peer schools. Because roughly one in five admitted applicants ultimately decides to enroll, prospective students should recognize that many admitted candidates weigh Southern University alongside alternative options when making their final college choice.

Applicants to Southern University and A&M College generally face modest academic testing benchmarks compared to other four-year public institutions. For enrolled freshmen in 2025, the middle fifty percent of composite ACT scores fell between 15 and 19. On the SAT, the median combined score was 900, a level that is lower than all peer schools within its comparison group of public comprehensive universities. Score distributions on individual SAT sections similarly center in the low-to-mid four hundreds for both reading and math. Testing choices strongly favor the ACT among incoming students, with 63% of the class submitting ACT results compared to a much smaller fraction providing SAT scores. Prospective candidates whose academic records and standardized testing reach or exceed the upper bounds of these ranges will find themselves well positioned during admissions evaluation, while those scoring below the midpoints should highlight stronger secondary school performance.

Academic completions at Southern University and A&M College are heavily concentrated in a handful of practical undergraduate programs, though its highest national distinctions lie elsewhere. In 2025, the top three undergraduate programs accounted for 39.5% of all bachelor's degree recipients. The single largest undergraduate program was Registered Nursing with 134 graduates, followed by criminal justice and general psychology. The school's most prominent national ranking is at the graduate level, where its rehabilitation counseling program ranked 33 in the 2026 US News evaluation, whereas popular undergraduate fields such as nursing, business, and computer science hold rankings well outside the national top one hundred. Career outcomes demonstrate strong immediate payoffs in health disciplines; according to 2023 data, nursing graduates earned a median of $77,540 one year after completing their studies, outpacing business and social science fields. International participation is virtually absent across all degree levels, reinforcing the university's primarily domestic focus.

Southern University and A&M College serves a primarily African American and female student population across its campus. In 2025, total enrollment reached 8,279 students, with undergraduates constituting the vast majority of the community alongside over fifteen hundred graduate students. Women represent nearly two-thirds of students at both undergraduate and graduate levels, while African American students account for more than nine-tenths of the undergraduate cohort. Asian and international students comprise very small segments of the campus community, though their presence varies significantly by degree level. At the undergraduate level, international representation is minimal, with only 2 international students in the entering freshman class and a single Asian freshman. In contrast, the graduate school enrolls 117 Asian students, who make up 7.5% of all graduate degree seekers. For incoming students, the campus offers an environment anchored by domestic African American students, with limited cultural and geographic diversity among degree-seeking undergraduates.

The age distribution at Southern University and A&M College reveals a sharp division between a youthful undergraduate student body and an early-career graduate population. In 2025, undergraduates aged 18 to 19 constituted 36.7% of all undergraduate enrollment, while those aged 20 to 21 accounted for 29.6%. Together with students aged 22 to 24, traditional-age students dominate undergraduate campus life, creating an atmosphere centered around conventional collegiate activities and routines. In contrast, the graduate division primarily attracts young adults balancing advanced study with professional ambitions. Graduate students aged 25 to 29 represent the largest cohort at 34% of all graduate students, followed closely by students in their early twenties. This balance means undergraduate life revolves almost entirely around recent high school graduates, whereas graduate classrooms bring together students who have begun their careers.

International student representation at Southern University and A&M College is exceptionally limited and has declined over the past decade. In 2025, the university enrolled 21 undergraduate international students, comprising 0.3% of the undergraduate student body. This proportion has fallen from previous years and is higher than only 3% of peer schools among comparable public comprehensive institutions. International presence is even smaller at the graduate level, where just 1 international student was enrolled in 2025, accounting for a negligible fraction of the graduate population. Degree conferral patterns reflect these minimal figures. Among 2025 degree recipients, international students earned only a few bachelor's degrees and zero master's or doctoral credentials across the university's primary fields. The few international undergraduates who completed degrees were concentrated in general psychology, while top programs such as nursing, criminal justice, and computer science had no international graduates. Prospective international applicants should understand that they will enter an institution with a very small global student footprint.

Applicants exploring Southern University and A&M College can consider several alternative institutions within the surrounding region. Located just 7.6 kilometers away in the same city, Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College is a National University ranked 202 in 2027. Approximately 75.5 kilometers southeast in New Orleans is Tulane University of Louisiana, a private National University ranked 59. Extending into neighboring states, Mississippi State University is a National University ranked 208, situated roughly 246.5 kilometers away. In Texas, University of Houston is located 254.3 kilometers to the west and holds a 2027 ranking of 137 among National Universities. These institutions provide a variety of public and private options across Louisiana and adjacent states.

Campus safety conditions at Southern University and A&M College have demonstrated steady improvement over the past decade. The crime rate per 1,000 students fell substantially from 15.8 in 2016 to 4.1 in 2025. Between 2023 and 2025, reported incidents were primarily property-related, with theft representing the most frequent infraction at 27 occurrences over that three-year span. Interpersonal offenses and conduct violations made up most other documented events during the same period, including 12 dating violence incidents, alongside smaller totals of assault, weapons arrests, and drug infractions. While serious violations still occur periodically on university grounds, the overall trajectory shows a marked decrease in incident density relative to student enrollment. Prospective students and families can review these multi-year trends to evaluate security conditions, keeping in mind that routine personal property awareness remains the most relevant day-to-day precaution on campus.