Reader's Choice: Louisiana State University
A periodic report in which we showcase our readers’ top choices among Kiplinger’s 100 best values in public colleges and universities.
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
Delivered daily
Kiplinger Today
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more delivered daily. Smart money moves start here.
Sent five days a week
Kiplinger A Step Ahead
Get practical help to make better financial decisions in your everyday life, from spending to savings on top deals.
Delivered daily
Kiplinger Closing Bell
Get today's biggest financial and investing headlines delivered to your inbox every day the U.S. stock market is open.
Sent twice a week
Kiplinger Adviser Intel
Financial pros across the country share best practices and fresh tactics to preserve and grow your wealth.
Delivered weekly
Kiplinger Tax Tips
Trim your federal and state tax bills with practical tax-planning and tax-cutting strategies.
Sent twice a week
Kiplinger Retirement Tips
Your twice-a-week guide to planning and enjoying a financially secure and richly rewarding retirement
Sent bimonthly.
Kiplinger Adviser Angle
Insights for advisers, wealth managers and other financial professionals.
Sent twice a week
Kiplinger Investing Weekly
Your twice-a-week roundup of promising stocks, funds, companies and industries you should consider, ones you should avoid, and why.
Sent weekly for six weeks
Kiplinger Invest for Retirement
Your step-by-step six-part series on how to invest for retirement, from devising a successful strategy to exactly which investments to choose.
We use hard statistics to produce Kiplinger’s annual rankings for best values in public colleges and universities, and we’re proud of the results. Now, we’re giving our readers’ favorites a chance to brag a little, by letting a student fill us in on what’s fun, cool, quirky and just plain great on campus and nearby.
LOCATION: Baton Rouge, La.
UNDERGRADUTE ENROLLMENT: 23,393
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
BEST ON-CAMPUS FEATURE:
Events like Groovin’ on the Grounds, a free concert, and Fall Fest, a welcome-back celebration for students and faculty. They are awesome entertainment for free.
BEST OFF-CAMPUS FEATURE:
Baton Rouge provides everything you get from a big city but with a small-town feel. There’s a lot to do, people are friendly, and you see Louisiana’s culture all over the place.
WHERE SENIORS WANT TO LIVE:
Anywhere on Brightside Drive. It has lots of apartments, and it’s just a couple of miles from campus.
MOST UNUSUAL CAMPUS TRADITION:
Kissing in front of the Bell Tower. It’s cliché but cute.
BEST PLACE TO STUDY DURING FINALS WEEK:
Middleton Library is probably where the most people go. Other than that, coffee shops like CC’s Coffee House or Highland Coffee are the best places to study.
MOST CROWDED SPOT ON THE FIRST NICE DAY:
People ride bikes and jog at the University Lakes or go to the Rec Center (UREC) throughout the year, but on the first nice day, everyone’s outside there.
BEST PLACE TO EAT WHEN THE DINING HALL WON'T DO:
The LSU staple is the Chimes. It’s right off campus and offers a variety of food and drinks. You can even go “around the world” (sample 60 beers from 20 different countries).
WHERE YOU WANT TO BE ON A SATURDAY NIGHT:
Tiger Stadium! There’s nothing like a Saturday night in Tiger Stadium.
WHAT WE WON'T LEARN ON THE CAMPUS TOUR:
Figure out your major as soon as possible, so you can focus on taking the classes you’ll need to get quickly to your main classes.
CLASS THAT GETS STUDENTS TALKING:
Management 3200 with Kerry Sauley. Every time I told someone I was taking management, their eyes would light up and say “WITH SAULEY?!!??!?!”
BEST WEEKEND FOR FRIENDS TO VISIT:
Anytime during football season.
SIX WORDS ABOUT YOUR COLLEGE THAT SAY IT ALL:
Intense, Fun, Sleepless, Crazy, Difficult, Memorable.
Louisiana State University
rights-uknown
| READER'S CHOICE: Murray State | |
| Row 1 - Cell 0 | READER'S CHOICE: Texas A&M University, Texas |
| Row 2 - Cell 0 | READER'S CHOICE: Missouri University |
| Row 3 - Cell 0 | AT A GLANCE: Best Values in Public Colleges |
| Row 4 - Cell 0 | VIDEO: Walking Tours of Our Top Schools |
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

-
Dow Leads in Mixed Session on Amgen Earnings: Stock Market TodayThe rest of Wall Street struggled as Advanced Micro Devices earnings caused a chip-stock sell-off.
-
How to Watch the 2026 Winter Olympics Without OverpayingHere’s how to stream the 2026 Winter Olympics live, including low-cost viewing options, Peacock access and ways to catch your favorite athletes and events from anywhere.
-
Here’s How to Stream the Super Bowl for LessWe'll show you the least expensive ways to stream football's biggest event.
-
9 Types of Insurance You Probably Don't NeedFinancial Planning If you're paying for these types of insurance, you may be wasting your money. Here's what you need to know.
-
Amazon Resale: Where Amazon Prime Returns Become Your Online BargainsFeature Amazon Resale products may have some imperfections, but that often leads to wildly discounted prices.
-
Roth IRA Contribution Limits for 2026Roth IRAs Roth IRAs allow you to save for retirement with after-tax dollars while you're working, and then withdraw those contributions and earnings tax-free when you retire. Here's a look at 2026 limits and income-based phaseouts.
-
Four Tips for Renting Out Your Home on Airbnbreal estate Here's what you should know before listing your home on Airbnb.
-
Five Ways to a Cheap Last-Minute VacationTravel It is possible to pull off a cheap last-minute vacation. Here are some tips to make it happen.
-
How Much Life Insurance Do You Need?insurance When assessing how much life insurance you need, take a systematic approach instead of relying on rules of thumb.
-
When Does Amazon Prime Day End in October? Everything We Know, Plus the Best Deals on Samsonite, Samsung and MoreAmazon Prime The Amazon Prime Big Deal Days sale ends soon. Here are the key details you need to know, plus some of our favorite deals members can shop before it's over.
-
How to Shop for Life Insurance in 3 Easy Stepsinsurance Shopping for life insurance? You may be able to estimate how much you need online, but that's just the start of your search.