
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport, commonly called LSU Health Shreveport, is a public health sciences institution whose history centers on medical education in north Louisiana. Its School of Medicine welcomed its first class in 1969, expanding opportunities to train physicians in the region.
The institution subsequently developed graduate biomedical education and allied health programs alongside medicine. That history explains an important distinction for applicants: LSU Health Shreveport is not the LSU flagship campus in Baton Rouge or Louisiana State University Shreveport, a separate university in the same city.
LSU Health Shreveport organizes its academic programs through three schools: the School of Medicine, the School of Graduate Studies, and the School of Allied Health Professions. Its programs concentrate on health care and biomedical science rather than a broad range of undergraduate majors.
The School of Medicine offers the Doctor of Medicine degree and clinical training. Graduate Studies supports advanced study and research in biomedical fields. Allied Health Professions includes programs in areas such as medical laboratory science, physician assistant studies, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. Credentials and prerequisites differ substantially: an applicant to a bachelor's-level allied health program should not assume that the medical school's admissions process applies to them.
LSU Health Shreveport is in Shreveport, Louisiana, where its academic and clinical activities are closely connected to the city's health care setting. That location can be relevant to students whose programs require laboratory work, patient care, or supervised clinical training.
Shreveport is an urban center in northwest Louisiana, near the Texas and Arkansas borders. Students planning to commute or relocate should consider not only trips to their usual classroom but also travel to any assigned clinical site. Program schedules and placements may make transportation needs different from those at a primarily classroom-based college.
LSU Health Shreveport's stated purpose brings together education, research, and patient care, with particular attention to health needs in Louisiana and the surrounding region. Its educational mission is therefore tied to training health professionals and biomedical researchers, not just awarding degrees.
For a prospective student, that mission has practical consequences: many programs combine coursework with laboratories, clinical experiences, or research. The institution is a public health sciences center, not a religiously affiliated college. Its mission describes institutional priorities; applicants should evaluate the requirements and training opportunities of their particular program separately.
Name of the institution
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-ShreveportLevel of institution
Four or more yearsControl of institution
PublicSetting type
City: MidsizeInstitutional Category
Degree - granting, primarily baccalaureate or aboveInstitution size category
1,000 - 4,999Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation confirms that the school meets quality standards and is required for students to receive federal financial aid.
Bachelor's degree
Master's degree
Doctor's degree - research/scholarship
Doctor's degree - professional practiceData last updated on November 2, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.