Hammond, La. — Southeastern Louisiana University was named in the Wall Street Journal’s 2026 Best Colleges in the U.S. rankings. Unlike other school rankings, this list emphasizes how well colleges prepare students for financial success. It rewards the boost an institution provides to its graduates’ salaries above all other factors.
In addition to graduates’ salaries, the rankings consider schools’ graduation rates, diversity, and their learning environment based on a survey of about 120,000 students and recent alumni. The survey measured factors such as quality of teaching and feedback, career preparation and learning facilities, and how likely students were to recommend their school to a friend.
The rankings’ methodology highlights some institutions that don’t have as much name recognition but still help their students achieve remarkable success.
Additionally, Southeastern recently earned four rankings from U.S. News and World Report, being named among the top universities in the region. The university was listed among the top 50 public schools and among the top 100 universities (private or public) in the South. Southeastern was also named one of the top national performers in social mobility for its students, and the Nursing Program was nationally ranked.
The complete ranking list is available at https://www.wsj.com/rankings/college-rankings/best-colleges-2026.
