Accounting at University of Louisiana at Lafayette

UL Lafayette's accounting program produces graduates who earn right at Louisiana's median for the field—$46,458 in the first year—but lag significantly behind the national median of $53,694. That 21st percentile national ranking tells the real story: three-quarters of accounting programs nationwide deliver stronger starting salaries. Louisiana State's accounting grads, for comparison, start at nearly $57,000.

The positives: debt loads are reasonable at $23,240, creating a manageable 0.50 debt-to-earnings ratio, and salaries do grow 10% over four years to reach $51,000. The 60th percentile state ranking means this program performs slightly better than half of Louisiana's accounting options, though that's partly because Louisiana's accounting salaries trail national levels overall. For a school with an 89% admission rate serving many Pell-eligible students, the program provides accessible entry to the accounting field without crushing debt.

The tradeoff is clear: you're choosing affordability and accessibility over earning power. If your child is weighing this against Louisiana State or even Northwestern State, they'd start roughly $5,000-$10,000 ahead annually elsewhere. But if UL Lafayette offers the best combination of location, cost, and acceptance likelihood, the modest debt burden means accounting grads aren't trapped—they can build careers even with below-average starting points.