“R1 public research university in Lafayette with 240+ majors and the largest enrollment in the UL System.”
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is a public research university in the center of Acadiana — Louisiana's Cajun and Creole cultural heartland — enrolling roughly 16,000 students across nine academic colleges. Founded in 1898 as Southwestern Louisiana Industrial Institute, UL Lafayette today is classified as an R1 'very high research activity' doctoral university by the Carnegie Classification, one of only two R1 institutions in the state. It offers more than 80 undergraduate majors across colleges including business (Moody), engineering, nursing and allied health, sciences, liberal arts, education, and the arts. For international students, UL Lafayette combines accessible admissions (87-89% acceptance rate), affordable out-of-state tuition (roughly $24,000/year for undergraduates plus fees and living costs), and a genuinely distinctive cultural setting: Lafayette is one of the only places in North America where Cajun and Creole French remain living languages, and UL Lafayette is the only university in the world offering academic instruction in the oral traditions of Cajun and Creole music. Strong programs include nursing, engineering (petroleum, chemical, mechanical), computer science, architecture (the only NAAB-accredited architecture school in Louisiana), and the sciences — fields well-suited to the STEM OPT extension for international graduates. Campus life is defined by Ragin' Cajun spirit, joie de vivre, and the ever-present music of Louisiana. Traditions include Red Fridays (students, faculty, and staff wear red each week), Lagniappe Day before finals with canoe races on Cypress Lake and a 20,000-pound crawfish boil, the Ring Ceremony with rings resting overnight in a pirogue on Cypress Lake, and Homecoming's 'Paint the Town Red.' Add top-tier NCAA Division I Sun Belt Conference athletics, a robust International Student Office, and Lafayette's food-and-music scene — zydeco, blues, brass — and UL Lafayette offers international students one of the most culturally unique American college experiences available.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
International Student Enrollment (F-1)
DHS SEVIS by the Numbers (2024)
Research Activity
Carnegie Classifications (2021)
Research activity
Carnegie Classification
Test Flexible — Multiple standardized test types are accepted.
Official SourceFall — International Undergraduate
No international applications accepted after this deadline
Spring — International Undergraduate
Summer — International Undergraduate
Fall — International Graduate
Spring — International Graduate
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Domestic
$10,418
/yr
Out-of-State / Intl
$24,146
/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.
AACSB-accredited business college with strong programs in accounting, finance, management, and information systems. Home to the Louisiana Business & Technology Center.
One of the Gulf South's top engineering schools — strong in petroleum, chemical, mechanical, civil, electrical, and industrial engineering reflecting Louisiana's energy economy.
CCNE-accredited undergraduate and graduate nursing programs plus doctoral programs, one of Louisiana's largest nursing pipelines.
Home to computer science, informatics, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and environmental and earth sciences.
Home to the School of Architecture (Louisiana's only NAAB-accredited program), performing arts, visual arts, and the School of Music — famous for Cajun and Creole music instruction.
4 years
Flagship STEM-designated program with deep ties to Louisiana's energy industry; graduates command top starting salaries in oil, gas, and emerging offshore-wind sectors.
4 years
STEM-designated program at an R1 research university, with specializations in AI, cybersecurity, and informatics.
5 years
The only NAAB-accredited professional architecture program in Louisiana — a significant advantage for international students seeking licensure pathways in the U.S.
4 years
A signature UL Lafayette offering — academic study of the region's French-heritage language, music, and foodways, with faculty who are also performing artists.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $24,146
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.
