THIBODAUX, La. – Nicholls State University ranks at No. 2 in Louisiana for Top Public Regional Universities in the South and Best Regional Universities for Veterans in the South according to the U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 rankings.
Overall, U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 rankings hold Nicholls at:
- No. 33 in Top Public Regional Universities in the South, moving up 3 spots from last year
- No. 64 in Regional Universities in the South, moving up 8 spots from last year
- No. 34 in Best Colleges for Veterans in Southern Regional Universities, a new stat provided by U.S. News & World Report
“These rankings represent the university’s commitment to academic excellence and student success, and the rise in rankings is a result of the hard work and dedication of our faculty, staff and students,” said Nicholls President Jay Clune, PhD. “Our improvement in these categories proves we are consistently improving our academic programs and student services, in turn producing Career-Ready Colonels.”
Nicholls is also ranked at No. 120 in Top Performers on Social Mobility for Regional Universities in the South, moving up 4 spots from last year. This represents the university’s commitment to providing an accessible education and advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating large portions of disadvantaged students.
In addition, Nicholls’ Bachelor of Science in Nursing is ranked at No. 385 nationally, moving up 70 spots compared to last year’s rankings, highlighting the quality of education being provided at its Thibodaux Regional School of Nursing.
To learn more about Nicholls, visit www.nicholls.edu.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, October 2, 2025
MEDIA CONTACT: Payton Suire
Media Relations & Publications Coordinator,
985.448.4141 or payton.suire@nicholls.edu