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Vital Statistics: Education & Training


Overview

Virtually every kind of training and research required by business and industry can be obtained from a higher education institution in the Baton Rouge region. More than 54,000 students attend six two- and four-year colleges and universities in the area. Outstanding resources include Louisiana State University (LSU) and Southern University, providing technical training, research and development opportunities, and an educated workforce.

Educational links to business include LSU’s Center for Advanced Microstructures and Devices (CAMD), the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, and the Louisiana Agricultural Experimental Station. Southern University offers educational links to business through the health research center, the center for social research, as well as through other programs.

As a base for its outstanding higher education system, the area’s K through 12 school systems offer quality primary and secondary education. Over 50% of students graduating from the area’s public and private high schools advance their education through full-time attendance at two or four-year colleges.
In addition to the public school systems, private and parochial schools are available throughout the greater Baton Rouge area.

Louisiana is the number one scoring state in the country in standards and accountability (98 of 100 points) and is also number one in its efforts to improve teacher quality (94 of 100). (Quality Counts Study, Education Week, January 2006)

In 2005, Louisiana ranked ninth in the country for the number of teachers receiving national certification. The state ranks 14th for overall number of nationally certified teachers. (National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, November 2005)

Public Schools

There are 203 public schools in the Baton Rouge MSA with a total enrollment of 100,203 students, employing 6,864 teachers.

Student/Teacher Ratio
Ascension 14:1
East Baton Rouge 15:1
East Feliciana 15:1
Iberville 13:1
Livingston 15:1
Point Coupee 14:1
St. Helena 16:1
West Baton Rouge 13:1
West Feliciana 12:1
Nine-Parish Region/MSA 15:1

Source: Louisiana Department of Education,
153rd. Annual Financial and Statistical Report,
2003-2004 edition, June 2005

ACT Average Scores
District Name 2005
Ascension 20.2
East Baton Rouge 19.4
East Feliciana 15.4
Iberville 18.0
Livingston 20.3
Point Coupee 17.0
St. Helena 15.4
West Baton Rouge 19.5
West Feliciana 20.0
Nine-Parish Region/MSA 18.3

Source: American College Test (ACT) data file
Louisiana Department of Education, Office of Management and Finance
Division of Planning, Analysis and Information Resources
August 2005

Private and Parochial Schools

There are 62 non-public schools in the Baton Rouge MSA with an enrollment of 25,408. For a full list, please click here.

Public and Private Schools Awards and Recognition:

  • East Baton Rouge public: Baton Rouge High - National Blue Ribbon School, Magnet Schools of America School of Distinction; Baton Rouge Visual and Performing Arts Center- four star accountability distinction; University Lab School – 1 of 10 schools in state with a 5 star rating; 8 consistently higher-performing elementary school designations from the National Center for Educational Accountability
  • Livingston public: 2nd highest district performance score in the state; 2nd highest enrollment growth in Louisiana (3%)*
  • Ascension public: 12th highest district performance score in the state; named best school system management and highest enrollment growth (4%) in Louisiana*
  • Private: National Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence - CatholicHigh School, St. Joseph’s Academy

* Out of 64 parishes

Higher Education and Technical Training

Click here for full list of schools in the Baton Rouge region and their contact information

Quick Profile
Colleges/Universities 2008 Enrollment
Baton Rouge Community College 6,500
Louisiana State University 26,000
Louisiana Technical College 2,600
Our Lady of the Lake College 2,000
River Parishes Community College 1,100
Southern University 8,000
Secondary Vocational Programs 2003-2004
Ascension 6700
East Baton Rouge 24300
East Feliciana 4800
Iberville 2500
Livingston 7500
Point Coupee 1550
St. Helena 1300
West Baton Rouge 2100
West Feliciana 950
Post-Secondary Schools 2003-2004
Ascension Technical Institute 219
Baton Rouge Regional Technical Institute 1067
Florida Parishes Technical Institute 370
Folkes Technical Institute, East Feliciana 137
Jumonville Memorial Area Technical Inst., Pointe Coupee 364
Westside Technical Institute, Iberville 412

Source: State Department of Education, Research and Statistics

Louisiana State University is a public four-year university with approximately 33,000 students. About 90% of LSU’s professors and instructors have doctoral or terminal degrees. The student-to-faculty ratio is about 29 to 1. LSU has fourteen colleges and schools, offering 71 undergraduate degree programs, 78 master degree programs, 53 doctoral programs, as well as non-degree pre-professional programs in health services. Programs include:

  • agriculture
  • art & design
  • arts & sciences
  • basic sciences
  • business
  • coast & environment
  • continuing education
  • education
  • engineering
  • library & information science
  • mass communication
  • music & dramatic arts
  • social work
  • veterinary medicine

Louisiana State University was recognized as the “Most Diverse University” and the largest producer of African-American chemistry PhD’s in the Kaplan/Newsweek Hot Colleges List. (Newsweek, September 2003, http://www.msnbc.com/news/955658.asp)

LSU is one of only 25 universities designated as both a Land Grant and Sea Grant institution. The Land Grant program was created more than a century ago to develop agricultural resources. The Sea Grant program focuses on national coastal and marine resources.

Both the LSU men’s and women’s basketball teams made it to the Final Four in 2006.

LSU’s Business & Technology Center received the Randall M. Whaley Incubator of the Year Award, the highest award for incubator excellence. (National Business Incubation Association, May 2005)

Southern University is a comprehensive institution offering two associate degree programs, 42 bachelor degree programs, 19 master degree programs, and five doctoral programs. The University is part of the only historically black Land Grant university system in the United States.

Baton Rouge Community College opened in 1995 and was established as a State of Louisiana open-admission, two-year comprehensive community college serving an eight-parish area surrounding Baton Rouge. Students may earn associate degrees in five fields including math and science, liberal arts, and business and technology.

Louisiana Technical College has 40 campuses throughout Louisiana, including six located within the Baton Rouge region. LTC offers approximately 80 programs allowing students to earn an associate degree in applied science, a technical diploma, a certificate of technical studies, or a technical competency area. The Accrediting Commission of the Council on Occupational Education accredits each individual campus of LTC.

Our Lady of the Lake College is an independent Catholic college with an enrollment of around 2,000 students. Students can earn associate and bachelor's degrees in nursing, health sciences, humanities, behavioral sciences, and arts and sciences. Master degree programs in nursing, anesthesiology, and physician’s associate studies are also available.

River Parishes Community College serves an 8-parish region and is located in Sorrento, LA. Students can earn an associate degree in liberal arts, general studies, or general science.

The institutions of higher learning in the region offer educational links to business through the following programs and research centers:

CAMD Center at LSU – CAMD is a high-tech synchrotron research center. Its role is to provide equipment, expertise, and infrastructure for research and development in the area of microstructures and microdevices.

Pennington Biomedical Research Center – Pennington Biomedical Center focuses on nutritional research and preventative medicine. Research includes six key areas: functional foods, obesity, nutrition and chronic diseases, health and performance enhancement, education, and nutrition and the brain. Pennington employs more than 70 faculty members and over 425 physicians, scientists, and support personnel.

Click here for a list of research facilities in the Baton Rogue Metro Area.

Higher Education Contacts

Louisiana State University
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
110 T. Boyd Hall
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
(225) 578-1175 Phone (225) 578-4433 Fax
Web site: http://www.lsu.edu
Email: admissions@lsu.edu

Southern University
Southern University A & M College
Baton Rouge, LA 70813
(225) 771-4500 Phone
Web site: http://www.sus.edu

Louisiana Community and Technical College System
822 Neosho Avenue
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
(225) 219-8700 Phone (LCTCS) 8770 (LTC)
(225) 219-8710 Fax (LCTCS) 8779 (LTC)
Web site: http://www.lctcs.state.la.us
Email: lctcs@lctcs.state.la.us

Baton Rouge Community College
5310 Florida Boulevard
Baton Rouge, LA 70806
(225) 216-8700 Phone
Web site: http://www.brcc.cc.la.us

River Parishes Community College
7384 John LeBlanc Blvd.
Sorrento, LA 70778
(225) 675-8270 Phone (225) 675-5478 Fax
Web site: www.rpcc.cc.la.us

Louisiana Technical College
Baton Rouge Campus
3250 North Acadian Thruway East
Baton Rouge, LA 70805
(225) 359-9204 Phone (225) 359-9296 Fax
Web site: http://www.brti.tec.la.us

Louisiana Technical College
Jumonville Campus
P.O. Box 725, 605 Hospital Road
New Roads, LA 70760
(225) 638-8613 or 8614 Phone (225) 342-4516 Fax
Web site: http://www.jumonvillecampus.com

Louisiana Technical College
Westside Campus
P.O. Box 733, 59125 Bayou Road
Plaquemine, LA 70765-0733
(225) 687-6392 or 342-8228 Phone
(225) 342-8229 Fax
Web: http://www.westsidecampus.com

Louisiana Technical College
Florida Parishes Campus
P.O. Box 1300, 100 College Street
Greensburg, LA 70441
(225) 222-4251 or 4351 Phone
(225) 222-6064 Fax
Web site: http://www.floridaparishescampus.com

Research Facilities List

Private Sector Facilities

  • Albemarle Technical Center
  • Coastal Environmental, Inc.
  • Enviro-Med Laboratories
  • Environmental Remediation, Inc.
  • ExxonMobil R&D Laboratories
  • High Density Polyethylene Laboratory
  • Louisiana Applied Science & Technology Laboratory (Dow USA)
  • Louisiana Co-Op Fishery Research Unit – Baton Rouge
  • Process Development Center (Albemarle Corporation)
  • West-Paine Laboratories

Louisiana State University

  • Center for Advanced Microstructures and Devices (CAMD)
  • Center for Coastal, Energy and Environmental Resources
  • Hazardous Waste Research Center
  • Institute for Recyclable Materials
  • Louisiana Transportation Research Center
  • Office of Sea Grant Development
  • Pennington Biomedical Research Center
  • Ports and Waterways Institute
  • Remote Sensing and Image Processing Laboratory

LSU Agricultural Center

  • Louisiana Agricultural Experimental Station
  • Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service

Southern University

  • Center for Energy and Environmental Studies
  • Center for International Development Programs
  • Center for Small Farm Research
  • Center for Social Research
  • Health Research Center

Other Public Sector Facilities

  • Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Research (USDA)
  • Livingston Data Center
  • Louisiana Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit (U.S. Department of the Interior)
  • Louisiana Research Park (Bonne Carre)
  • NOAA/National Marine Fisheries Service (U.S. Commerce Department)
  • Soil and Water Research (USDA)
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