Flagship Friends

LSU: Moving Forward

Historic National Rankings and Recognition

2008 Top Tier ranking by U.S. News & World Report (first time in LSU history)
Top 16 Most Popular National Universities (2009 U.S. News & World Report)
Designated “Very High Research Activity” by the prestigious Carnegie Foundation (the highest ranking awarded to doctorate-granting universities; LSU is the only public university in Louisiana with that designation)
Earned the prestigious Carnegie Community Engagement classification in 2008, based on curricular engagement, outreach and partnerships; ranked with Duke, Michigan, Ohio State, Tulane, Pennsylvania, Alabama, and Georgetown
LSU is one of only 21 universities in the nation with land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant status.

Unmatched Economic Impact

LSU is home to the Louisiana Business and Technology Center (LBTC); Louisiana Emerging Technology Center (LETC); Center for Computation and Technology (CCT); National Center for Biomedical Research and Training (NCBRT); one of only 11 nationally accredited medical physics programs, and many more programs of note.
In 2008, the LSU Office of Intellectual Property registered 46 invention disclosures and saw 17 patents issued to University researchers; since 1988, LSU has recorded a total of 269 patents issued and has received $7,763,915 from licensing alone.
In 2008, $15 million in research grants sent to other Louisiana public and private universities through partnerships (including Tulane University and Southern University).
Contract and grant awards from external sources for faculty research totaled $140 million in 2007-08, most of which is spent in Louisiana.

Improved Student Performance

LSU has achieved historically high graduation rates:

6-year rate nearly 61% – highest in Louisiana among public universities;
Averaging 5,900 graduates per year in the last four years; realizing steady progress from 4,300 graduates in 1992
Historically high student retention rates (85.4%)
High demand for attendance:

11.8% increase in new freshmen enrolled between Fall 2008 and Fall 2007 (5,141 new freshmen in Fall 2008, up by 545 from 4,596 new freshmen in Fall 2007);
31.8% increase in new freshmen who applied to attend LSU in Fall 2008
(15,093 new freshmen applied for Fall 2008, up by 3,641 from 11,452 new-freshmen applicants for Fall 2007)
LSU has the highest freshman-year ACT average among Louisiana’s public universities
One of only two universities in the nation to have the combination of four Goldwater Scholars, a Truman Scholar, four Presidential Management Fellows, and a USA Today All-USA College Academic First Team member
Since 2000, students on full Pell grants have not had to pay legislatively approved tuition and fee increases.

LSU’s need-based “Pelican Promise” program assists low-income students.