Rick Gallot, Ph.D., J.D., is president and CEO of the University of Louisiana System.
A recent RedEye article examining Louisiana State University’s recruitment of out-of-state students raises an important question for policymakers and taxpayers across Louisiana: Which universities are producing the workforce that stays here and powers our economy?
Recruiting students nationally is a strategy used by many flagship universities, and we fully support LSU competing with other flagship institutions for top students. A strong flagship university strengthens the reputation of Louisiana’s entire higher education ecosystem.
But for a state focused on economic growth and workforce development, an equally important question remains: which institutions are educating the students who will build their careers and grow their families here at home?
The University of Louisiana System schools are already serving as a primary engine producing and retaining Louisiana’s workforce.
Louisiana is currently experiencing one of the largest waves of economic investment in its history, with more than $100 billion in announced industrial, manufacturing, technology and energy projects across the state. From advanced manufacturing and LNG facilities to data centers, these projects will require tens of thousands of skilled workers in the years ahead.
Governor Jeff Landry made it clear in his recent address to the legislature that meeting this new workforce demand will depend heavily on Louisiana’s ability to educate and retain talent. Across the state, the campuses of the University of Louisiana System are serving as a primary talent pipeline feeding those industries.
The University of Louisiana System is our state’s largest university system and one of the largest in the country. Today we enroll more than 84,000 students and award over 15,000 degrees each year. Approximately 88% of students across the UL System are from Louisiana, and more than 65% remain in the state after graduation, joining Louisiana’s workforce and contributing to our economy.
Among graduates who received the state’s TOPS scholarships, the number who stay is even higher. Roughly 75% remain in Louisiana after graduation.
They are teaching in our schools, staffing hospitals and pharmacies, building businesses, and helping Louisiana industries innovate and grow. Our graduates represent one of the greatest returns on investment the state makes each year.
Across Louisiana, UL System universities are preparing graduates for the industries that power our economy.
Louisiana Tech University’s engineering and cyber-related programs support the technology and defense sectors. The University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s partnerships with the energy industry and programs in computer science and artificial intelligence support Louisiana’s growing technology economy. Nicholls State University’s Louisiana Maritime Academy prepares mariners for the maritime and offshore energy industries that are central to Louisiana’s coastal economy. McNeese State University works closely with petrochemical, industrial and LNG employers across Southwest Louisiana. Grambling State University prepares graduates in cybersecurity, cloud computing, nursing and STEM fields.
Northwestern State University and Southeastern Louisiana University both operate top-ranked nursing and teacher education programs that continue to address shortages in nurses and teachers. The University of Louisiana Monroe operates the state’s only public pharmacy school and nationally recognized programs in construction management and atmospheric sciences.
In addition to preparing graduates for high-demand careers, a recent economic impact study found that the University of Louisiana System generates $13.6 billion in economic activity annually across Louisiana, with an impact felt in every region of the state.
But perhaps the most powerful impact is not measured in dollars. It is measured in opportunity.
University of Louisiana System schools serve thousands of first-generation college students and families of modest means. Many qualify for Pell Grants. After earning their degrees, many graduates go on to earn salaries between $60,000 and $82,000, creating life-changing economic mobility for themselves and their families.
This is exactly what public universities are meant to do.
We expand opportunity.
We prepare the workforce.
And we strengthen our state’s economic prosperity and future.
The Redeye article states that some cities launch campaigns to convince graduates to stay. The graduates of the University of Louisiana System rarely need convincing. They want to stay. They grew up here, they love this state, and when they earn their degrees, they want to build their careers, their families, and their futures right here in Louisiana.
The University of Louisiana System: One System. One Mission. Powering Louisiana’s workforce — and Louisiana’s future.
