Record number of LSU applicants, most from out of state

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In the past decade, the number of students applying to LSU has nearly tripled — and the number of applicants from out of state has soared.

Over 62,000 potential incoming freshmen have applied this cycle, university officials say, compared to 18,122 in 2016.

While the pool of applicants swells, so does the proportion of out-of-state students interested in becoming Tigers. A staggering 82% of applications came from non-Louisiana residents, up from 49% in 2017.

“That is a trend across all institution types, whether it’s a regional, public or a flagship, even private institutions, seeing more students choose to come to the southeast than ever before,” LSU Vice President for Enrollment Management Emmett Brown said. “This region, in general, is growing. We happen to both be the type of institution that’s grown the most but also in a region that’s in demand.”

Officials say LSU benefits from a confluence of factors, which might help it head off the dreaded “demographic cliff” that is worrying other universities as the number of high school graduates in the U.S. ebbs due to population decline.

The appeal of the SEC, the university's resources as a flagship institution and a vibrant student experience attract the “best and brightest” from Louisiana and other states, they said.

“If they’re not from the state or from the region, they see us on ESPN on a Saturday night,” Brown said. “There’s some of that big brand piece that exists there. But then they turn around and they see that we have hundreds of student organizations, they see that we have phenomenal leadership preparation with our student government, with our Greek life.”

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