Key Takeaways:
- Popular academic offerings at UNO include the only graduate program in hospitality and tourism and the PAB-accredited urban planning program in the state of Louisiana.
- They have the only civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering programs in New Orleans and one of the few naval architecture and engineering degrees in the US.
- The student-to-faculty ratio at University of New Orleans is 18 to 1 with more than 50% of its classes having fewer than 20 students.
- UNO has a fairly selective admissions process, with a 70% acceptance rate and a 40% graduation rate. The average cost of attendance after financial aid is 11k.
Mid-Sized UNO Programs on Lake Pontchartrain and Online
The University of New Orleans appears in our ranking of Master’s in Hospitality Management Online: Top 25 Values.
Divided into nine schools with 64 percent retention, the University of New Orleans maintains a 22:1 student-faculty ratio for 36 bachelor’s, 30 master’s, and 12 doctoral majors plus nine wholly online degrees. For example, the Urban Studies and Planning B.S. logs into Moodle for Louisiana’s only 120-credit, PAB-accredited online program on city development. The 128-credit Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering B.S. utilizes the Ship Design Laboratory for an E-Boat Team that won the 2010 Sprint World Championship.
Featured Programs
Chaired by Dr. Mahdi Abdelguerfi, the Computer Science M.S. offers a 36-credit Information Assurance Concentration as an NSA Cyber Operations Center of Excellence with SWEAP Apprenticeships. Publishing Bayou Magazine, the Creative Writing M.F.A. follows a 45-credit, low-residency format online with two Summer trips abroad to Cork and Brunnenburg.
Other New Orleans opportunities include the Philosophy B.A., Theatre Arts B.A., Health Promotion B.S., Secondary Education B.S., Transportation M.S., Executive Online Master of Science in Hospitality and Tourism Management, Mathematics M.S., Public Administration M.P.A., Financial Economics Ph.D., and Chemistry Ph.D.
About the University of New Orleans
The University of New Orleans originated in 1956 when Democratic Senator Ted Hickey introduced Act 60 to found the Louisiana State University in New Orleans. Two Septembers later, Dr. Homer Hitt welcomed an inaugural class of 1,460 to a 195-acre campus purchased from the United States Navy. Desegrated in 1958, it received four-year degree authority for the first Bachelor of Arts in 1961. The University of New Orleans name was adopted in 1972 by the LSU System of Higher Education. By 1983, UNO had opened its esteemed School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Administration. In Fall 2005, it started Web-based courses because the London Avenue Canal flooded campus during Hurricane Katrina. On December 6, 2011, New Orleans switched from LSU to the nine-member University of Louisiana system. Generating $470.5 million, the University of New Orleans now teaches 8,151 Privateers from 50 states online and on-site with 120+ registered clubs like Lakeside Toastmasters.
The U.S. News & World Report ranked New Orleans the 155th best public affairs school, 235th best biological sciences institution, and 185th best teaching college. On Niche, UNO boasts America’s 203rd best location, 232nd top public education, 237th most liberal academics, and 257th most diversity. Forbes placed the University of New Orleans 601st overall with the 259th best value tuition. Brookings named UNO the third best equal-access university. The Urban Land Institute chose New Orleans among the top five cities for millennials. PayScale calculated the 431st biggest 20-year ROI of $322,000 for UNO graduates. The “College of Distinction” hosts the country’s 11th best online bachelor’s program according to SR Education Group. The Center for World University Rankings also noticed UNO for the 235th best faculty and 295th most research citations.
University of New Orleans Accreditation Details
On December 3, 2015, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Board concluded the 10-year Level VI accreditation cycle by reaffirming the University of New Orleans’ Quality Enhancement Plan through 2025 under its seventh president, Dr. John Nicklow, an ASCE Fellow. Headquartered 490 miles northeast via Interstate 59 in Decatur, this nonprofit 11-state Gulf Coast Region accreditor is authorized by the Council on Higher Education (CHEA) to evaluate over 13,000 institutions like UNO. The Academic Affairs Office also lists the following discipline-specific accreditations:
- Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)
- National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST)
- Network of Schools for Public Policy, Affairs and Administration (NASPAA)
- Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
- Planning Accreditation Board (PAB)
- Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
- National Association of Schools of Music (NASM)
- Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
- National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)
University of New Orleans Application Requirements
Ascending into the University of New Orleans is labeled “moderately difficult” by Peterson’s since just 2,115 of the 3,739 Fall 2017 applicants conquered the 57 percent acceptance rate. First-year Privateers must complete the TOPS University Curriculum or another out-of-state Regents’ Core equaling 19 units. Freshmen must have 2.5 or better GPAs calculated by the Admissions Office. Minimum testing marks are 19 ACT Math, 18 ACT English, 510 SAT Math, and 500 SAT Reading & Writing. International learners can substitute a 70 TOEFL iBT or 6.0 IELTS score. Transfers carrying 24+ credits, including English Composition, from accredited schools need 2.25 GPAs. Articulation agreements exist with Nunez and Delgado Community Colleges. Graduate School entrants generally need a four-year baccalaureate or equivalent with overall GPAs above 2.5. The Executive Hospitality & Tourism Management M.S. requires three years of full-time industry experience. Integrative Biology Ph.D. cohorts must achieve at least 150 on GRE Verbal and Quantitative sections. Traditional Track MBA students need minimum 450 GMAT scores.
The University of New Orleans has rolling undergrad admission until August 15th for Fall, December 31st for Spring, and May 20th for Summer starts without $150 late fees. Note non-U.S. residents should apply by June 1st, October 1st, and April 1st respectively though. The Graduate School has general deadlines of July 1st, November 1st, and May 1st, but program dates vary. For example, the History M.A. only admits Fall cohorts until February 15th and the Applied Biopsychology Ph.D. has January 7th cutoffs yearly. Interested students utilize the ApplyYourself portal to submit $25 ($40 if graduate) UNO Applications online. Paper transcripts are mailed to 2000 Lakeshore Drive in New Orleans, LA 70148. Official test results are processed with ACT code 1591 or SAT/GRE code 6379. Supplemental documents include the purpose statement, 1-3 confidential evaluations, résumé, financial support form, and portfolio. Learn more by contacting (888) 514-4275 or admissions@uno.edu.
Tuition and Financial Aid
For 2018-19, the University of New Orleans is charging full-time Louisiana undergrads $4,677 per semester or $9,354 annually. Non-resident tuition and fees are $14,190 each year. Summer Session courses cost everyone $996 apiece. Living at the Big Easy campus’ dorms like Pontchartrain Hall adds $5,545 for housing. Typical meal plans for The Galley are $3,700. Annual bachelor’s attendance equals $18,599 in-state and $23,435 out-of-state. The Graduate School bills Louisianans $9,108 and non-residents $13,678 yearly full-time. MBA cohorts add the $20 Business Differential Fee per credit. Distance learning courses assess $20 extra. Master’s and doctoral I-20 students also pay slightly more at $14,230.
According to the NCES College Navigator, the Office of Financial Aid in Earl K. Long Library gets 60 percent of UNO Privateers sailing with packages averaging $7,694 for $27.65 million combined. University funds include the Homer Hitt Scholarship, Anita Evans Scholarship, Boasso-America Corp Scholarship, Chevron Geology Scholarship, Deutsches Haus Award, Elbert Shamburger Scholarship, HRT Hospitality Scholarship, Jason Stamps Memorial Scholarship, Laura Peebles Endowed Scholarship, New Beginning Scholarship, Ruth Fertel Scholarship, and Robert Merrick First-Generation Scholarship. The Gulf State Residency Promise Program deducts the $4,836 out-of-state fee. The Jefferson Premier Scholarship gifts $2,000 for freshmen with minimum 23 ACT or 1130 SAT marks. Active-duty and veteran military receive $2,500 Tuition Awards atop GI Bill benefits. Federal Pell Grant, SEOG Grant, Work-Study, and Stafford Loan eligibility is determined by FAFSA forms coded 002016. Graduate assistantships provide taxable stipends and 10 percent Bookstore discounts. Louisiana programs like the GO Grant, TOPS Grant, Sea Grant, and Rockefeller Wildlife Scholarship also help.
Search through the University of New Orleans degrees at the Privateer Enrollment Center website.