SHREVEPORT – When LSU Shreveport Chancellor Dr. Robert Smith addresses a crowd, the list of positive examples gets longer to showcase ways in which the University is growing.
LSUS was named the top “best value” college in Louisiana, according to Niche.com rankings that Smith shared with the student body in Wednesday’s annual State of the U address.
The value grade incorporates data like average loan amount, alumni earnings and student surveys regarding value with Niche calculating the net price per year just under $7,300, which is well under half the national average.
“We focus on affordability and making college something you can complete without going into a lot of debt,” Smith said. “The Louisiana Legislature gave universities the power to raise tuition for high-cost programs about two years ago, and we haven’t raised tuition in those programs even though we have a lot of them.
“Another part of that equation is that a lot of our students graduate completely debt free because of the grants and scholarships available to them thanks to the work of the LSUS Foundation and the money they raise.”
LSUS guarantees academic scholarships for full-time students pursuing their first bachelor’s degree who have at least a 20 ACT score and a 2.5 high school GPA. These LSUS scholarships are in addition to TOPS and any federal grants and loans.
Another way LSUS keeps costs low is to encourage the use of free or low-cost resources in classes instead of commercially expensive college textbooks.
LSUS led the state with its $4.7 million saved to students this year through the cost of open educational resources and affordable educational resources.
Earlier this year, Niche.com rated LSUS as the No. 3 public university in Louisiana in part because of its value and affordability.
Enrollment growth driving increasing budget
In an era of higher education marked by huge deficits, program cuts, and even college closures, LSUS has continued to grow its enrollment and its budget.
LSUS is the third-fastest growing regional public comprehensive university in the country, according to rankings by the Education Advisory Board.
The University’s 2025 Fall enrollment of 11,359 has nearly tripled since 2008 (3,960). Fall enrollment numbers for 2026 won’t be finalized until the second fall session is underway later this month.
LSUS’s annual budget crossed $100 million for the first time this past year and is continuing to grow as students are choosing degree programs that are in high demand by employers but at an affordable price.
“As colleges across the country are cutting programs, laying off faculty and staff and discussing offering retirement incentives, we’re in a really good place,” Smith said. “We’ve been on a long trajectory of growth and significant change, and that’s because we aren’t stuck in what some past image of higher education was.
“We have faculty and staff that have embraced new ways of reaching and connecting to our students, which means more students are making LSUS their home.”
LSUS is also the fastest growing university in Louisiana over the past 10 years, awarding more graduate degrees than any other school and the second-most overall degrees.
The stable budget allows LSUS to plan for infrastructure and building renovations, like the ongoing updates to science labs across campus.
Student housing full, possibility of residence halls strengthening
With face-to-face enrollment increases being part of LSUS’s growth, those new students have filled LSUS housing for the first time since the university assumed control of Pilots Pointe Apartments in 2020.
LSUS has renovated units with more than 80 percent of PPA’s 386 beds with unit renovations scheduled each summer.
A driving bridge, which will be completed in early 2027, will connect those apartments to the heart of campus.
It’s the only on-campus housing – for now.
Smith said a proposal is in front of the LSU Board of Supervisors for the approval of on-campus residence halls.
He added that students should expect surveys about residence halls as the analysis process quickly advances.
With a growing on-campus student population, dedicated health and wellness spaces are needed.
LSUS is in the process of obtaining $10 million in state dollars, some of which has been received, for a Health and Wellness Hub. The University is the only four-year campus in the state without a student recreation center.
“Our state legislators have really gone to bat for us,” Smith said. “We’re also getting additional funds for safety and security upgrades to improve cameras and lighting on campus.”
Separate recreation updates include a walking/running path along East Kings Highway at the back of campus, which is aimed to give community exercise enthusiasts a dedicated path on which cars don’t travel.
Renovated dining areas are also in the works with The Port Grille scheduled to undergo upgrades this December.
