
Southeastern Louisiana University is a public university in Hammond, Louisiana, whose roots go back to a local junior college founded in 1925. It began as Hammond Junior College under educator Linus A. Sims, whose name is now associated with the university's main library.
The institution became Southeastern Louisiana College after joining Louisiana's public higher-education system and gained university status in 1970. Its development from a junior college into a regional university helps explain its present mix of undergraduate education, graduate programs, and professional preparation.
Southeastern Louisiana University offers undergraduate and graduate study across the arts, business, education, health professions, sciences, and technology. Its academic organization includes the colleges of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; Business; Education; Nursing and Health Sciences; and Science and Technology.
Students can pursue fields such as accounting, biology, communication, computer science, criminal justice, education, engineering technology, nursing, psychology, and social work. The university also offers graduate study in selected fields. Applicants should distinguish admission to the university from entry into a particular program: nursing, teacher preparation, and other professionally oriented programs may have additional requirements, clinical placements, or progression standards.
For students comparing majors, the academic catalog is the most useful place to check the credential offered, required courses, and whether a program includes a separate application or admission stage.
Southeastern Louisiana University's main campus is in Hammond, in southeastern Louisiana. Hammond's location gives students access to a smaller-city setting while placing New Orleans and Baton Rouge within the broader region.
Commuting is a significant part of the campus experience: reported figures indicate that roughly 73% of students commute. First-year students are permitted to register and park a car on campus, though parking rules and permit charges should be checked before arrival. Students considering an off-campus address should account for travel time as well as rent.
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport is a useful regional airport for students traveling by air. Its distance from Hammond means travelers should arrange ground transportation rather than assume an airport-to-campus shuttle.
Southeastern Louisiana University describes its purpose as serving the educational, cultural, and economic needs of southeastern Louisiana. As a public regional university, it combines undergraduate teaching with graduate education, professional preparation, and service to its surrounding communities.
That stated mission helps explain the university's broad selection of majors and its emphasis on preparing students for work in fields such as education, health care, and business. A prospective student can assess how well a particular program serves that purpose by examining its curriculum, required practical experience, and available student support - not by treating a mission statement as an outcome measure.
Name of the institution
Southeastern Louisiana UniversityLevel of institution
Four or more yearsControl of institution
PublicSetting type
City: SmallInstitutional Category
Degree - granting, primarily baccalaureate or aboveInstitution size category
10,000 - 19,999School type
UniversityMain student body
CoeducationalCalendar system
SemestersFoundation year
1925Southeastern Louisiana University 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.
Certificate of less than 1 year
Associate's degree
Bachelor's degree
Postbaccalaureate certificate
Master's degree
Post-master's certificate
Doctor's degree - research/scholarship
Doctor's degree - professional practiceData last updated on November 5, 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.