HEAD-TO-HEAD · 30-YEAR ROI

Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College vs Louisiana Tech University

Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College clears +$2.02M in 30-year net value, Louisiana Tech University +$1.64M — both pay off, Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College by +$383K.

Two LA public flagships, priced the way an in-state student actually pays. Same state, same residency — so the only thing moving the number is the school.

IPEDS 2023 tuition · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · resident (in-state) pricing · same model as /worth-it · both schools NPV-positive.

Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College · Baton Rouge, LA

clears more

30-year net value
+$2.02M
Total cost of attendance
$105,000
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$61,027
Breaks even by age
36

Louisiana Tech University · Ruston, LA

30-year net value
+$1.64M
Total cost of attendance
$78,288
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$54,568
Breaks even by age
40
How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

Each school runs through the /worth-it model at its resident tuition rate, with the same loan assumptions, the same 30-year horizon, and each state’s own cost-of-living. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of the degree over that horizon, in real dollars — the same figure the calculator headlines.

We only publish pairs where both schools clear positive net value, so the comparison is “both pay off, one clears more,” never “this school is a bad bet.” Earnings are rolled up from at least three FREOPP programs per school (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t distort the number.

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College vs Louisiana Tech University: 30-year ROI head-to-head.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/compare/lsu-vs-louisiana-tech

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Questions

Is Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College or Louisiana Tech University a better return on investment?
On a 30-year net-value basis at resident (in-state) pricing, Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College clears +$2.02M and Louisiana Tech University +$1.64M — both are solidly positive, so neither is a bad bet; Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College comes out ahead by +$383K. Figures from IPEDS 2023 tuition, FREOPP 2021 earnings, and BEA 2023 cost-of-living, run through the same model as the LE TEEN calculator.
How much more does Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College pay off than Louisiana Tech University?
About +$383K over a 30-year horizon (+$2.02M vs +$1.64M in projected net value). That gap reflects each school's net price and its graduates' median earnings — not a judgment that either degree fails to pay off, since both clear positive.
What is the 30-year net value of a degree from Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College?
+$2.02M at resident (in-state) pricing — total cost of attendance $105,000, median earnings ten years out $61,027, breaking even around age 36. Run your own assumptions on the /worth-it calculator.