Louisiana State University

First-year admission

LSU accepts only the Common Application from first-year applicants; it also serves as the application for LSU merit scholarships and for the Ogden Honors College. The application fee is $50 (fee waivers available). The priority deadline for scholarships is December 1 and the Regular Decision deadline is February 1. Review is comprehensive and considers overall high school performance, rigour of coursework, grade trend, performance in courses related to the intended major and standardized test scores if submitted.

Test policy: applicants with a cumulative weighted high school GPA below 3.5 must submit an ACT or SAT score for admission and merit scholarships; applicants with a 3.5 or higher may choose whether scores are considered. There is no minimum test score for admission. LSU super-scores. Codes: ACT 1590, SAT 6373. Admitted class profile (middle 50%, excluding test-optional students): GPA 3.6 to 4.1 (average 3.9), ACT 24 to 29 (average 27), SAT 1170 to 1350 (average 1250).

Grades and scores can be self-reported through the Self-reported Transcript and Academic Record System (STARS); the high school counselor sends the transcript to LSU.

Transfer admission

Transfer applicants use the Common Application ($50 fee, waivers available) and send official transcripts from every college attended. Requirements: 30 or more transferable, non-remedial credit hours from a regionally accredited institution, a 2.5 academic GPA on all transferable work, and a grade of C or better in a college-level English course and a college-level mathematics course that fulfilled a general education requirement; alternatively completion of the LSU Pathway Program through LSUE or an Associate of Science or Arts degree. Students with fewer than 30 transferable hours also submit a high school transcript. ACT/SAT scores are optional. Some majors have additional senior college entry requirements.

International applicants

An international student is anyone who is not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident; the requirements apply to anyone holding international secondary or post-secondary credentials. Applicants complete the online application with the $50 non-refundable fee, then send official transcripts in the original language with English translation from every secondary and post-secondary institution attended to the LSU Office of Enrollment Management, 1146 Pleasant Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, at least 120 days before the semester starts. LSU evaluates international credentials itself.

• International freshmen: equivalent of a U.S. high school diploma with an academic average equivalent to a B (3.0 on the U.S. 4-point scale); ACT or SAT strongly encouraged. Advanced-level, IB higher-level or similar results can be submitted with syllabi for possible advanced credit.
• International transfers: equivalent of a 3.0 on all transferable credit from accredited international institutions; fewer than 30 semester hours of transferable credit also requires qualifying for freshman admission. No transfer credit for ESL, native-language or vocational courses.
• English proficiency (automatic admission): TOEFL paper 550, TOEFL web-based 79, IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 100. TOEFL code 6373. Exemptions include a U.S. high school diploma (4 years), a U.S. bachelor's degree, SAT EBRW 500 or ACT English 18, or secondary or tertiary education in a country where English is the primary official language. Admitted international students take an English placement test before registration.

Graduate admission

The Pinkie Gordon Lane Graduate School requires a conferred baccalaureate (or equivalent) from an accredited institution, a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in the undergraduate degree or its last 60 credit hours (and 3.0 in any graduate coursework), a curriculum vitae or resume, and any departmental materials. Unofficial transcripts may be uploaded to apply; admitted students are provisional until official transcripts arrive, due within 30 days after classes begin. Institution code 6373.

International graduate applicants: submit degree certificates or diplomas with certified English translations. A non-U.S. degree must be 4 to 5 years of full-time U.S. equivalent work (or a 3-year degree of equivalent advanced work). Transcript evaluations from any NACES member are accepted. English minimums: TOEFL iBT 79, IELTS 6.5, PTE 59, Duolingo 110, Michigan English Test 53 (B2); the minimum must be reached in a single test and scores are valid for two years.

Baton Rouge main campus (Baton Rouge, Louisiana): the flagship campus, with the undergraduate colleges, the Graduate School, Ogden Honors College, residence halls and apartments, and Division I athletics including Tiger Stadium.

• Residential Life: first-year students are required to live on campus; apartments are available for upperclassmen.
• Dining and meal plans through campus dining; student organisations via TigerLink.
• Research facilities including the Louisiana Light Source synchrotron.
• Professional schools in medicine, dentistry, law and veterinary medicine form part of the wider LSU system.

Related system campuses in research and health: LSU Health New Orleans, LSU Health Shreveport, the LSU AgCenter and Pennington Biomedical Research Center.