Demonstrating Value

For generations, higher education has been one of the United States’ most powerful engines for turning that promise into opportunity. 

Louisiana has too often been described by how it falls short. National rankings frequently place the state near the bottom on measures of income, health, and poverty. But on one of the questions that matters most to students and families—whether a credential pays off—Louisiana tells a different story.

In Strada Education Foundation’s 2025 State Opportunity Index, Louisiana ranks 14th nationally, and in the top three among SEC states, in the share of public postsecondary graduates who achieve a positive return on their higher education investment within ten years. At 69%, Louisiana is not just keeping pace. It is outperforming many states on a central question facing higher education today: Is the credential worth it?