LSU-A&M vs University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC)

Louisiana State University (LSU) and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) are two esteemed public universities with distinct characteristics. LSU, located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, boasts a larger student body and a higher acceptance rate compared to UNC, which is situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. While both universities offer a diverse range of academic programs, LSU excels in engineering and agriculture, while UNC is renowned for its strengths in the liberal arts and sciences. Additionally, LSU has a more diverse student body, with a higher percentage of African American and Hispanic students, while UNC's student body is predominantly white. To help you make an informed decision about your higher education journey, we have compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these differences and more, including graduation rates, cost of attendance, and popular majors.

	Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Overview
Location	Baton Rouge, Louisiana	Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Campus setting	City: Midsize	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	83.0%	97.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	70.9%	20.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $85 Graduate: $95
SAT range	1130 - 1320	1140 - 1380
ACT range	23 - 29	22 - 27
Students submitting SAT score	12.0%	2.0%
Students submitting ACT score	88.0%	12.0%
Total number of applicants	36,561	50,729
Total number of admissions given out	25,907	10,348
Admitted students who chose to enroll	7,045	4,690
Yield rate	27.2%	45.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $35,810 Out of state: $52,487	In state: $24,770 Out of state: $52,633
Average net price	$21,010	$11,508
Tuition	$8,038	In state: $7,019 Out of state: $34,882
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,720 Meal plan: $4,434	Room/dormitory: $6,878 Meal plan: $5,004
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	93.0% Average amount $13,235	42.0% Average amount $16,076
Students receiving federal student loan	29.0% Average amount $5,433	17.0% Average amount $4,244
Students taking out private loans	4.0% Average amount $19,954	3.0% Average amount $14,032

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	29,273 Men 45.3% Women 54.7%	19,845 Men 39.6% Women 60.4%
Graduate students	6,639 Men 39.7% Women 60.3%	11,796 Men 41.4% Women 58.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	32.6%	16.2%
International students	4.2%	6.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	8,657	9,984
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Louisiana Texas Georgia Florida California	North Carolina Georgia Maryland New York Pennsylvania

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Engineering Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences Public Administration and Social Service	Health Professions Business Social Sciences Public Administration and Social Service Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio	22:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	69.0%	90.5%
Dropout rate	29.0%	3.7%
Transferred out	N/A	5.4%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Veterinary Medicine (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $76,490 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $88,967 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $80,305 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $87,944 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,811 Year 2: $71,402 Year 3: $83,027 Petroleum Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $75,560 Year 2: $60,099 Year 3: $80,274 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $74,032 Year 2: $68,965 Year 3: $79,563 Construction Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,541 Year 2: $67,101 Year 3: $77,603 International Business (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,643 Year 2: $43,575 Year 3: $69,597 Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,301 Year 2: $61,330 Year 3: $68,763 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $53,429 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $67,944 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,915 Year 2: $55,964 Year 3: $65,757	Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $168,979 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $238,213 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $135,965 Year 2: $127,836 Year 3: $150,089 Dentistry (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $116,248 Year 2: $82,440 Year 3: $128,102 Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $67,961 Year 2: $103,078 Year 3: $117,488 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $89,271 Year 2: $86,036 Year 3: $96,602 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $74,162 Year 2: $72,083 Year 3: $95,204 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $74,938 Year 2: $73,823 Year 3: $89,917 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $71,557 Year 2: $57,770 Year 3: $87,057 Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,899 Year 2: $67,660 Year 3: $86,155 Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $68,205 Year 2: $68,666 Year 3: $82,520

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the key differences in location and campus environment between LSU and UNC-Chapel Hill?

LSU is located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, offering a Southern, SEC-focused atmosphere with a large, sprawling campus. UNC-Chapel Hill is situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, providing a more historic, collegiate town environment with a strong emphasis on academics and a vibrant student life within a smaller, more walkable setting.
How do the academic reputations of LSU and UNC-Chapel Hill compare?

UNC-Chapel Hill generally holds a higher national ranking and is recognized for its strong academic programs across various disciplines, particularly in the humanities, social sciences, and business. LSU also offers strong programs, especially in fields like engineering, agriculture, and architecture, but its overall national ranking is typically lower than UNC-Chapel Hill's.
What are the tuition and cost of attendance differences between LSU and UNC-Chapel Hill?

Tuition and fees at UNC-Chapel Hill are generally lower for in-state students compared to LSU. However, out-of-state tuition can be comparable or even slightly higher at UNC-Chapel Hill. Overall, the cost of living in Chapel Hill may be slightly higher than in Baton Rouge, but this can vary depending on individual lifestyle choices.
What are the strengths of the undergraduate programs at LSU?

LSU excels in programs related to engineering, particularly petroleum and chemical engineering, agriculture, architecture, and coastal studies. It also has a strong business school and offers a wide range of programs within the College of Humanities & Social Sciences.
What are the strengths of the undergraduate programs at UNC-Chapel Hill?

UNC-Chapel Hill is renowned for its strong programs in journalism and mass communication, business, public health, and the humanities. It also has highly regarded programs in the sciences and offers a broad range of undergraduate majors.
How does the student life and campus culture differ between LSU and UNC-Chapel Hill?

LSU is known for its strong athletic traditions, particularly in football, and a vibrant social scene centered around Greek life and campus events. UNC-Chapel Hill also has a strong athletic presence, especially in basketball, but its campus culture emphasizes academic achievement, community engagement, and a more diverse student body. Both schools offer a wide array of student organizations and activities.
What are the research opportunities like at LSU and UNC-Chapel Hill?

Both universities offer significant research opportunities for undergraduates. UNC-Chapel Hill, being a top-tier research institution, provides extensive research opportunities across various disciplines, with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration. LSU also has a robust research program, particularly in areas related to its strengths in engineering, agriculture, and coastal studies, with opportunities for undergraduate involvement.
How do the career services and alumni networks compare at LSU and UNC-Chapel Hill?

Both universities have well-established career services departments and strong alumni networks. UNC-Chapel Hill's alumni network is particularly influential, providing extensive career support and networking opportunities, especially in the Southeast and nationally. LSU's alumni network is also robust, particularly within Louisiana and the surrounding states, offering valuable connections for career advancement.
What are the admission requirements and selectivity differences between LSU and UNC-Chapel Hill?

UNC-Chapel Hill is generally more selective in its admissions process, with higher average SAT/ACT scores and GPA requirements compared to LSU. Both universities consider a holistic review of applications, including academic performance, extracurricular activities, essays, and letters of recommendation. Admission to UNC-Chapel Hill is highly competitive, while LSU's admission standards are somewhat less stringent.
Which university is better for someone interested in a strong athletic program?

Both LSU and UNC-Chapel Hill have highly competitive athletic programs. LSU is known for its football program, while UNC-Chapel Hill is renowned for its basketball program. The choice depends on the specific sport a student is most interested in and the overall campus atmosphere they prefer.

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.