Lafayette Reporter

College tuition fees rose 1.1% in Lafayette Parish in the 2022-23 school year, according to the latest disclosure from the National Center for Education Statistics.

Data shows that students paid $9,605 on average to attend higher education courses at the time, $108 more than the previous school year.

Among the 10 institutions in the county, Delta College of Arts & Technology-Lafayette Campus stood out with the highest tuition fees, reaching an average of $29,800. Blue Cliff College-Lafayette followed with an average of $24,805 per year. Infinity College students were offered the lowest annual tuition fees at $585.

At the time, at least $37.6 million in grants or scholarships were awarded to full-time undergraduates who started at the Lafayette Parish universities in the 2022-23 school year. Additionally, federal student loans reached more than $17.2 million.

Currently there are 10 higher education institutions in Lafayette Parish, including South Louisiana Community College, Delta College of Arts & Technology-Lafayette Campus, and Remington College-Lafayette Campus.

Undergraduate education costs have seen a significant increase over the past few decades. Data shows a 169% rise in the average total cost, including tuition, fees, room, and board, between 1980 and 2020.

According to a 2023 College Board report, in-state students at public universities paid an average of $11,260, while out-of-state students paid $29,150 in the 2023-24 academic year.

Meanwhile, student loan debt has steadily increased over the last 30 years, reaching $1.75 trillion in 2024, averaging a total of $28,950 per borrower. Federal loans make up 92% of the debt, with over half of students at both public and private four-year colleges graduating with student loans.

Available data sometimes exceeds 100% due to rounding and administrative calculations.

Institution	Number of Students Receiving Grants	Total Amount of Grants Received	Average Amount of Grant Per Student	Number of Students Receiving Loans	Total Amount of Loans Received	Average Amount of Loans Per Student
Blue Cliff College-Lafayette	218	$1,147,602	$5,264	223	$915,881	$4,107
South Louisiana Community College	802	$4,346,200	$5,419	298	$1,502,023	$5,040
Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute-Lafayette	--	--	--	--	--	--
Delta College of Arts & Technology-Lafayette Campus	36	$150,932	$4,193	28	$176,408	$6,300
Cosmetology Training Center	32	$218,232	$6,820	29	$163,591	$5,641
Academy of Interactive Entertainment	29	$97,846	$3,374	27	$257,230	$9,527
Remington College-Lafayette Campus	108	$698,671	$6,469	101	$882,937	$8,742
Infinity College	107	$284,746	$2,661	77	$220,947	$2,869
University of Louisiana at Lafayette	2,594	$28,192,980	$10,869	1,517	$9,533,801	$6,285
Unitech Training Academy-Lafayette	532	$2,421,241	$4,551	557	$3,500,745	$6,285