Alena Allen
The combined student enrollment at Louisiana’s two public law schools declined by 114, or 7.4%, over the past two years, in contrast to the steady enrollment gains of the state’s public medical schools, a new study says.
But the individual enrollments at the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University and the Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge tell different stories, according to the recent study by the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana (PAR). Over the past two years, Southern University Law’s enrollment dropped by 135 students, while the LSU Law Center posted a gain of 21, the Aug. 28 report titled “Professional Education in Louisiana” states.
“Although enrollment in medical schools has increased, overall enrollment in these Louisiana professional schools has declined over the last three years,” the report says. “This drop in professional degree seekers aligns with national and regional trends of declining higher education enrollment.”
The PAR report charted only the enrollments of public higher education institutions as reported to the Louisiana Board of Regents, the agency that oversees public colleges and universities. It excluded such private schools such as the Tulane University Law Center and Loyola New Orleans Law School.
But according to Lawhub.org, the Tulane Law Center went from an enrollment of 624 in the 2014-2015 academic year to 614 in 2024-2025, a 1.6% drop. And enrollment at the Loyola Law Center stood at 602 in 2014-2015, compared to 615 in 2024-2025, a 2.2% increase, Lawhub reported.
Over the same period, the LSU Law Center went from an enrollment of 582 to 627, an increase of 7.7%, according to the Lawhub numbers.
Alena M. Allen, the LSU Law dean and law professor, said the law school’s upward trajectory in enrollment over the past decade was due to a number of reasons.
“Our admissions team has fueled remarkable growth, supported by an innovative social media campaign designed by our marketing and communications team to align with the admissions cycle,” Allen told the Louisiana Record in an emailed statement. “The LSU brand, and LSU Law in particular, has never been stronger. Our incoming classes boast the highest academic credentials in a decade, our current U.S. News & World Report ranking of No. 84 is the best in more than 10 years and our graduates are securing jobs at record rates.”
The numbers reflect the expanding impact and growing national reputation of LSU Law, he added.
Southern University Law did not respond to a request for comment about the PAR report.
The combined enrollments of the two public law schools peaked in the 2022-23 school year, but they saw declines in the two following years, according to the PAR study, which charted the enrollments for post-baccalaureate programs in the legal and medical fields, including schooling for dental and pharmacy careers.
“The Southern University Law Center enrolled a nine-year high of 931 students in 2022, but enrollment has since dropped to 796 students,” the report said. “The LSU Law Center has increased enrollment over the last seven years, adding an average of 15 students to its rolls every year since 2017.”
