Dillard University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in New Orleans, Louisiana. It enrolls 1,063 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Good
55/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes30
Value12
Affordability69
Selectivity53
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Dillard University admits 41.9% of applicants, which makes it genuinely competitive, so your application needs to be strong.
Acceptance Rate
41.9%
Selective
SAT Range (25th–75th)
968 – 1202
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
18 – 22
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Dillard University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↑
1.7 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $22,094 a year on average, it sits in line with what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$23,918
Room & Board (on-campus)
$13,543
Room & Board (off-campus)
$11,337
Books & Supplies
$1,300
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$5,924
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$5,924
Total Cost of Attendance
$39,202
Application fee: $40 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$19,819
$30,001 – $48,000
$21,094
$48,001 – $75,000
$23,224
$75,001 – $110,000
$26,032
Over $110,000
$27,019
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$5,50010%percentile
$10,50025%percentile
$31,000Medianpercentile
$38,00075%percentile
$53,50090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $23,800
↓ $7,200
No Pell $19,500
↓ $11,500
Dependent students $23,380
↓ $7,620
Independent students $19,546
↓ $11,454
Female students $23,255
↓ $7,745
Male students $19,546
↓ $11,454
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $14,250, less than completers ($31,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
43% of students who start here finish within six years, and 73% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
43%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
73%
Returning for their second year
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $39,196 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$39,196
Earning > $25K
64%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$37,800
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$38,000
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$35,400
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$40,000
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$39,100
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Declining: debt management worsening over time ↓
13.4 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Moderate. Only 58% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,063 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 35% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
1,063
Part-Time
3%
First-Generation
35%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
Black 87.8%933
Other 3.9%41
International 3.0%32
Hispanic 1.1%12
White 0.7%7
Asian 0.1%1
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Dillard University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Dillard University offers
a varied set of programs:
20 distinct programs across
12 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 11 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.
Student : Faculty
11:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$259M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$65,618
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
75 instructional faculty across 5 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
9
12%
$82,593
Associate Professors
19
25%
$66,253
Assistant Professors
30
40%
$63,124
Instructors
14
19%
$55,972
No Rank
3
4%
$80,636
Pros & Cons of Dillard University
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Dillard University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Best for:
Based on the data, Dillard University is a fit for
students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Dillard University
The questions families ask most about Dillard University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Dillard University hard to get into?
Dillard University is selective but not extremely competitive. Its acceptance rate is 41.9%. Strong academic credentials and a thoughtful application materially improve your odds.
What is the acceptance rate at Dillard University?
41.9% of applicants are admitted. Around half get in, so a solid application has a real chance. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Dillard University?
Aim for 1202 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 968 and 1202 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Dillard University?
Aim for 22 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 18 and 22 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Dillard University cost?
Budget around $22,094 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Dillard University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $39,196 a year against a net price of $22,094, about 1.8 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Dillard University known for?
Mostly Biology, Criminal Justice, Public Health. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Dillard University graduates earn?
About $39,196 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Dillard University accredited?
Yes. Dillard University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Dillard University?
1,063 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Dillard University?
43% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Dillard University a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Dillard University located?
Dillard University is located in New Orleans, Louisiana.
What programs does Dillard University offer?
20 different programs, most commonly Biology, Criminal Justice, Public Health. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Dillard University?
11 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
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Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
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