Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Louisiana Tech University, Boise State University, Western Michigan University. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | Louisiana TechRuston, LA | Boise StateBoise, ID | Western MichiganKalamazoo, MI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 86.4% | 87.2% | 84.6% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1100–1310 | Not reportedBoise State University reports that it neither requires nor recommends admissions test scores, and does not report a score range to the Department of Education. | Not reportedWestern Michigan University reports that it neither requires nor recommends admissions test scores, and does not report a score range to the Department of Education. |
| Average net price | $11,86421.7% on Pell grants | $21,61018.1% on Pell grants | $15,27326.8% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $10,125 in-state · $16,866 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $9,048 in-state · $27,788 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $15,252 in-state · $19,034 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 63.8% | 60.2% | 57.6% |
| First-year retention | 82.2% | 78.8% | 81.1% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 21.7% | 18.1% | 26.8% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $52,279 | $51,658 | $53,562 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $22,135 | $20,500 | $26,188 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 22:1 | 19:1 | 16:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 8,312 | 17,674 | 12,568 |
| Consensus percentile | 65Lower is better | 66Lower is better | 67Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 83 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 79 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 71 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Louisiana Tech | Boise State | Western Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #318 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #301 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #293 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| Forbes | #470 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #483 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #428 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | #1261 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #749 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #757 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | Not ranked by this source | #480 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #410 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #292 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #463 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #593 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Not ranked by this source | Listed | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | #1405 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 |
Students comparing Louisiana Tech University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Boise State University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Western Michigan University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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