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Hammond, Louisiana Feb 2019 street scenePhoto: David Wilson · CC BY 2.0
Colleges in and near Hammond

Hammond is a college town: 21 of every 100 residents are students

Southeastern Louisiana University (12,898 students on campus) is inside the city. Across Louisiana, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town21% of residents are studentsSoutheastern Louisiana University

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Hammond. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
1
12,898 students on campus
Nearest college
1 mi
Southeastern Louisiana University
Residents in college
21%
Above LA (6%)
Nearest community college
34.2 mi
Northshore Technical · $4,299 tuition
Nearest public university
1 mi
Southeastern Louisiana University · $8,373 in-state
Students on campus in Hammond
12,898
next to 24,032 residents

What stands out about college in Hammond

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town21 of every 100 Hammond residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Louisiana.A university in HammondSoutheastern Louisiana University has 12,898 students on campus in Hammond, 45% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at Southeastern Louisiana UniversityLiving in Louisiana, Southeastern Louisiana University charges $8,373 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $20,851. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 34.2 miles awayNorthshore Technical Community College in Lacombe: tuition and fees $4,299 a year for Louisiana residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Hammond

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

21 of every 100 Hammond residents are in college (LA: 6).

12,898students on campus at Southeastern Louisiana University, next to 24,032 residents (dorm students count as residents)
1,928college students live in Hammond households rather than dorms
27.7median age · LA 38.0
54%of homes rented · LA 33%
$1,061median rent · 0% below the state
HammondHammond, LA
Cost of living$1,061/mo median rentCSafetyCrime reported to the FBID−HealthCDC estimatesDJobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundC−HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Hammond’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income C−

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 28.6% of Hammond residents are below the poverty line, 26.8% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 8 points either way). 44% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living C

The Cost grade counts the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent, leaving it out only where students are a quarter of residents or more. Here they are 21%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health D

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Hammond’s median age is 27.7 (Louisiana 38.0), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety D−

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Hammond

It is public. Every other college is more than 15 miles from Hammond.

5 mi10 mi15 miSoutheastern Louisiana UniversityHammond
University or collegeCommunity college
Southeastern Louisiana UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 12,898 on campus · In Hammond99%admitted$13knet price45%graduate$46kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $48–75k, where Hammond’s median household income ($48,166) falls.

Southeastern Louisiana UniversityIn Hammond · sticker $23,604$12,380a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Hammond: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Southeastern Louisiana University
Southeastern Louisiana University45% graduate$46k earnings$22k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Hammond

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Southeastern Louisiana University, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Business 21%Health professions 16%Liberal arts 12%Psychology 6%Parks & recreation 6%Education 6%Everything else 34%

Biggest programs

Business Administration, Management and Operations207 graduates a year
$52k4 yrs out
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities188 graduates a year
$43k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing147 graduates a year
$77k4 yrs out
Psychology, General118 graduates a year
$38k4 yrs out
Biology, General111 graduates a year
$50k4 yrs out
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness102 graduates a year
$49k4 yrs out
Marketing99 graduates a year
$53k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods81 graduates a year
$47k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Hammond

Is Hammond a college town?

Yes. 21 of every 100 Hammond residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Louisiana. Southeastern Louisiana University has 12,898 students on campus, next to 24,032 residents.

What colleges are in Hammond?

Southeastern Louisiana University is inside the city. Northshore Technical Community College is 34.2 miles away in Lacombe.

Why is Hammond’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 28.6% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 26.8% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 8 points).

What is the closest community college to Hammond, and what does it cost?

Northshore Technical Community College in Lacombe, 34.2 miles away. Tuition and fees are $4,299 a year for Louisiana residents; the federal net price, $10,773, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Southeastern Louisiana University?

Southeastern Louisiana University admitted 99% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Hammond. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →