“New Orleans's premier private HBCU — 95-year heritage of Black excellence with 100% nursing exam pass rate and strong pre-law placement.”
Dillard University is a private, historically Black liberal arts university founded in 1930, located on a 55-acre campus in the Gentilly neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana. Affiliated with both the United Methodist Church and the United Church of Christ, Dillard combines its 95-year heritage of educating Black leaders with a contemporary commitment to academic excellence and exceptional career outcomes. With approximately 1,100 undergraduates and a 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio, Dillard offers a personally engaged HBCU liberal arts experience grounded in faith, service, and Black intellectual tradition. Dillard's curriculum emphasizes pre-professional preparation grounded in the liberal arts. The university produces extraordinary career outcomes: in 2021, College of Nursing graduates achieved a 100% pass rate on Louisiana state licensing exams, and the Pre-Law Program saw 93% of students accepted into law school. PayScale reports Dillard graduates earn an average base salary of $64,000 — among the strongest HBCU outcomes nationally. Strong programs include nursing, biology, business, pre-law, and psychology, with notable alumni including Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Jericho Brown and other distinguished writers, scholars, and leaders. Campus life at Dillard centers on the Bleu Devils community in NAIA Division I athletics through the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference. The university's Avenue of the Oaks — a beautiful processional of live oak trees — defines campus aesthetic. Students live on campus in residence halls, with extensive opportunities for Greek life (with the Divine Nine fraternities and sororities), faith-based community, and engagement with vibrant New Orleans. The royal blue and white school colors define campus identity. With strong career outcomes, exceptional value (95% receive financial aid averaging $18,735), and 95 years of HBCU heritage, Dillard offers a distinctive New Orleans Black liberal arts experience.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
National Universities
US News 2026
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourceEarly Action
Non-binding; priority scholarship review
Regular Decision
Rolling admissions
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Tuition & Fees (All Students)
$23,287
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
Distinguished nursing program with 100% Louisiana state licensing exam pass rate (2021).
Strong programs in biology, chemistry, and pre-health pathways with strong placement to medical school.
Distinguished pre-law program with 93% acceptance rate to law school.
Practical business education with strong placement in New Orleans and broader Southeast economies.
Programs in English, mass communication, history, psychology grounded in Black intellectual tradition.
4 years
Distinguished nursing program with 100% Louisiana state licensing exam pass rate (2021).
4 years
Distinguished pre-law program with 93% law school acceptance rate.
4 years
Strong pre-health pipeline leveraging New Orleans medical institutions.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $23,918
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
