Xavier University of Louisiana Scholarships (2026–2027)
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Last Updated on November 1, 2026- Tuition, housing, and average family net price
- Automatic merit ranges and qualifier benchmarks
- Flagship and hidden-gem awards
- Honors and stacking strategy
📊 Admissions Snapshot
- Acceptance Rate: ~67%
- Middle 50% ACT: 18-24
- Middle 50% SAT: 950-1150
- Average GPA: 3.57
Xavier is the only Catholic HBCU in the country, and for decades it has sent more Black graduates on to finish medical school than just about any college in America. That science focus shows up everywhere: about a third of all bachelor’s degrees are in biology, and chemistry, psychology, and public health are close behind. Three out of four freshmen come from outside Louisiana, and everyone pays the same tuition, so there is no out-of-state markup to plan around.
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📌 Xavier University of Louisiana at a Glance
- The scholarship date comes first. Xavier’s preferred scholarship date is December 1, months ahead of its March 1 preferred application date. Scholarships are decided from the admission application, so a late application means a smaller pool.
- Xavier money can shrink when other grants show up. Xavier caps the total of its own scholarships plus federal grants, state awards like TOPS, and waivers at the direct bill (tuition, fees, room and board). If the total runs over, Xavier trims its piece. TOPS and Pell help families with partial awards, but they don’t pile on top of a full ride.
- Keeping the money takes more than grades. To renew, your student needs a 3.1 GPA, 30 credits finished every year, full-time status, and a new FAFSA every year, even for merit-only awards. A GPA between 3.0 and 3.09 cuts the award to 75 percent for good.
- No superscore. Xavier uses the highest single ACT or SAT composite it receives by August 1. Students who apply without scores must send an essay and a resume instead.
- There is no published scholarship chart. Xavier doesn’t post GPA or score cutoffs, so the dollar amount shows up in the admission packet. Run the net price calculator before you fall in love.
FAQ
Is this college test-optional? Yes, for admission. Xavier University of Louisiana is test-optional for admission, but scholarships can work differently (see the next question).
Do you need test scores for scholarships at Xavier University of Louisiana? Test-optional for admission and scholarships, but Xavier says merit is based on GPA and test scores, so strong scores help. No superscore: the highest single composite received by August 1 counts.
What is the middle 50% ACT/SAT? ACT: 18-24; SAT: 950-1150.
Average net price? About $17,162/year after aid.
Does this school use waivers/reciprocity? No. It is a private school, so everyone pays the same rate.
Xavier Exponential Honors Program: https://www.xula.edu/xavier-exponential/
Xavier University of Louisiana Scholarships: https://www.xula.edu/financialaid/academic-scholarships/index.html
JW Carmichael Pre-Medical Scholarship Criteria: https://www.xula.edu/financialaid/scholarships/jwc-scholarship/jwc-scholarship-criteria.html
CollegeScorecard / Admissions: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/
💰 Cost of Attendance at Xavier University of Louisiana: 2026–2027 Rates
Figures verified against official sources in November 2026.
📅 Planning for 2027–2028? These are the 2026–2027 rates, the newest Xavier University of Louisiana has published. Colleges usually release next year's costs in the spring, and we update this page when they do.
Budgeting tip: costs typically rise 2% to 5% a year. For 2027–2028, plan on roughly $800 to $2,100 more than the total below.
✔ Same price for every student, no matter which state you live in.
| Tuition & mandatory fees | $30,234 |
| Housing & meals (typical) | $11,395 |
| Total billed cost | $41,629 |
Average federal net price: $17,162 per year. This is what first-time, full-time students who received grant aid paid after grants and scholarships, based on the most recent federal data. It counts books and living costs, so it can run higher than the billed total above. Families who got no grants are not in this average, so many middle-income families pay more. New to Net Price & SAI? Read our guide.
- Tuition: $13,835 a semester for full-time Arts and Sciences and pre-pharmacy students (12 to 18 credits).
- Required fees: about $1,181 a semester (technology, the XU Gold Book Bundle for course materials, health and wellness, student activity, ID), plus a one-time $173 orientation fee and a $29 yearbook charge in the fall.
- Student health insurance: $2,327 a year. Xavier’s fee sheets note this charge can be waived with other eligible coverage, so check the waiver deadline with Student Accounts.
- Housing and meals: the hall matters. A double in St. Michael or St. Katharine Drexel runs $5,564.50 a semester, St. Martin dePorres $6,275, and the Living Learning Center $6,275 to $7,600. Xavier also places some students in University of New Orleans housing ($6,502 to $7,184). Add an $88 housing fee and $45 laundry fee each semester, and a $300 room reservation deposit ($100 of it is nonrefundable).
Xavier is private, so a student from Atlanta or Chicago pays exactly what a student from Metairie pays. There’s no out-of-state fee to waive and no regional tuition deal like the Academic Common Market. Louisiana students do get one extra lever: TOPS and the GO Grant can be used here.
FAQ: Cost of Attendance at Xavier University of Louisiana
Do out-of-state students pay more at Xavier?
No. Xavier charges every undergraduate the same tuition, which is a big reason roughly three in four freshmen come from outside Louisiana.
Does Xavier take part in the Academic Common Market or other tuition exchanges?
No. Those programs are for public universities. Since Xavier has one price for everybody, there’s nothing to discount.
What do families really pay after aid?
The federal average net price is about $17,162 a year, after grants and scholarships but before loans. By family income it ranged from about $14,405 for families earning under $30,000 to about $24,096 for families over $110,000.
Can Louisiana students use TOPS at Xavier?
Yes. TOPS pays a flat amount at private colleges. For 2026-27 at Xavier that’s $5,718 (Opportunity), $6,118 (Performance), $6,518 (Honors), or $8,500 (Excellence) a year. Just remember the direct-cost cap: once Xavier money, TOPS, and federal grants cover the full bill, Xavier trims its own award.
Why is the bill higher than the tuition number?
Required fees add roughly $2,500 in the first year, and health insurance adds $2,327 unless you waive it with other coverage. Housing and meals are billed separately and depend on the residence hall.
Will the cost go up after freshman year?
Usually a little. Federal data shows Xavier’s tuition and fees rose about 3 percent between 2024-25 and 2025-26. Full-tuition scholarships are pegged to the Arts and Sciences tuition rate, but partial awards are set dollar amounts, so plan for small yearly increases.
https://www.xula.edu/fiscal-services/office-of-student-accounts/office-of-student-accounts-tuition-fees-residential-housing-and-other-costs.html
https://www.xula.edu/fiscal-services/office-of-student-accounts/oofsa-assets/forms-2026-2027/cas_pre-pharm-2026-2027.pdf
https://www.xula.edu/fiscal-services/office-of-student-accounts/oofsa-assets/forms-2026-2027/room-and-board-costs-2026-2027.pdf
https://www.xula.edu/academics/academic-scholarship-policy.html
https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=160904
📅 Xavier Scholarship Timeline (Simple Version)
- December 1: Preferred scholarship date. Every Xavier academic award, from the partial scholarship up to Board of Trustees, is decided from the admission application.
- December 15: Priority date for the Exponential Honors Program (students are invited to apply).
- February 1: FAFSA priority date for fall 2027. Xavier also requires a FAFSA on file every year to keep academic scholarships.
- August 1: Last day a new ACT or SAT score can count.
Parent rule of thumb: treat December 1 as the real deadline, even though Xavier will keep accepting applications well into spring.
Automatic Merit Scholarships at Xavier University of Louisiana
Note: Xavier gives one academic scholarship per student, and the bigger named awards replace the partial one rather than stacking on it. State aid like TOPS and federal Pell Grants do combine with Xavier money, but only up to the direct bill (tuition, fees, room and board).
Automatic Merit FAQs (Xavier University of Louisiana)
Do I need a separate application for the Xavier Academic Scholarship?
No. Xavier reviews every admitted freshman automatically from the admission application.
What GPA or test score do I need?
Xavier doesn’t publish cutoffs or dollar amounts. For context, last fall’s freshman class averaged a 3.57 GPA, and students who sent the ACT mostly scored between 18 and 24.
When do we find out how much it is?
The amount comes with the admission packet. Xavier usually decides within about 10 business days of a complete application, and the packet follows a couple of weeks later.
Does Xavier superscore the ACT or SAT?
No. Xavier uses the highest single composite score it receives by August 1.
Can my student get a scholarship without sending test scores?
Yes, test-optional students are still considered. But Xavier says merit is based on GPA and test scores, so a solid score usually helps. Students who apply without scores must send an essay and a resume.
What does it take to keep the scholarship?
A FAFSA every year, full-time enrollment, a 3.1 cumulative GPA, and 30 credits finished each year. AP, transfer, and summer credits count toward the credit total. Falling to a 3.0 to 3.09 GPA cuts the award to 75 percent permanently, and dropping below 3.0 ends it.
Can TOPS and the Xavier scholarship be used together?
Yes, up to the direct bill. If the Xavier award plus TOPS, Pell, and other grants would add up to more than tuition, fees, and room and board, Xavier lowers its own piece.
Are international students eligible?
Yes. International students can receive Xavier merit scholarships up to full tuition, but they can’t receive federal aid.
https://www.xula.edu/financialaid/academic-scholarships/index.html
https://www.xula.edu/academics/academic-scholarship-policy.html
https://www.xula.edu/admissions/undergraduate-admission/firsttimefreshmen/index.html
https://www.xula.edu/financialaid/index.html
🏆 Flagship Scholarships (Competitive Scholarships)
✅ Can You Stack Scholarships at Xavier?
| Aid Type | Stacks with Xavier Merit? | Xavier Parent Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Xavier Academic Scholarship | One per student | Your student gets one Xavier academic award, not a combination. |
| Trustees, Presidential, Drexel, Francis | Replaces | A full award takes the place of the partial scholarship. It isn’t added on top. |
| TOPS and GO Grant | Yes, up to the bill | Great with a partial award. With a full award, Xavier trims its share so the total doesn’t pass tuition, fees, and room and board. |
| Federal Pell Grant | Yes, up to the bill | Same cap. Pell fills the gap until the direct bill is covered. |
| JW Carmichael, Riversville | Usually | These are later-year awards. Students must report other aid, and the cap still applies. |
| Outside private scholarships | Ask first | Xavier’s cap names its own, federal, and state money. Ask Financial Aid how a big outside check would be applied before you count on it. |
Here’s the honest math. For a Louisiana family with a full-tuition Xavier award, TOPS mostly helps pay for housing rather than adding new money. For a family with a partial Xavier award, TOPS and Pell can close a big chunk of the gap.
❓ Flagship / Competitive Scholarship FAQs
Is there a separate application for Board of Trustees or Presidential?
No. Both are picked from the admission application. Xavier may ask top candidates for more information, so watch your email and the applicant portal after you apply.
What scores do these awards take?
Xavier doesn’t publish cutoffs anymore. An older catalog listed a 3.8 GPA with a 28 ACT (1250 SAT) for Board of Trustees and a 3.8 GPA with a 26 ACT (1170 SAT) for Presidential. That’s a useful yardstick, not a guarantee.
What’s the difference between Board of Trustees and Presidential?
Board of Trustees covers tuition, required fees, and room and board, which makes it Xavier’s full ride. Presidential covers tuition and required fees, so housing and meals are still on you.
Who qualifies for the Saint Katharine Drexel and Norman C. Francis scholarships?
Drexel is for the valedictorian or salutatorian of a U.S. Catholic high school. Francis is for the valedictorian or salutatorian of a public high school in Orleans or Jefferson Parish. Both cover tuition and required fees.
Can international students win these?
Board of Trustees and Presidential, yes. Drexel and Francis are not on Xavier’s list of awards open to international students.
Does a full-tuition award cover pharmacy school later?
No. Xavier’s full scholarships cover up to the Arts and Sciences tuition rate. That covers pre-pharmacy, but the Doctor of Pharmacy program is billed at its own, higher rate.
https://www.xula.edu/financialaid/academic-scholarships/index.html
https://www.xula.edu/academics/academic-scholarship-policy.html
https://www.xula.edu/international-ed/applying-undergrad-students.html
Exponential Honors Program at Xavier University of Louisiana
Xavier’s honors option is the Exponential Honors Program, a campus-wide program open to any major. Its courses are built around the Black intellectual tradition, and it adds research, study abroad, and coaching for national fellowships. Admission is competitive, and students are invited to apply based on their admission application.
- How students are chosen: high school GPA, ACT or SAT scores, class rank, community service, honors, and the strength of the honors application.
- Priority date: December 15. Later applications are reviewed on a rolling basis while spots last.
- Cost: no program fee.
- Second door: strong students can also be invited in as rising sophomores.
Honors Scholarships & Funding
This institution does not offer designated Honors College scholarships at this time.
Here’s the part families should know up front: getting into Exponential doesn’t add any tuition money. Xavier says honors admission doesn’t change your scholarship. The program’s funding pays for honors activities like research and study abroad, not your bill. The one honors-linked scholarship is the Riversville Scholar award ($15,000 a year for Pell-eligible students invited after freshman year), which the Riversville Foundation pays, so it’s listed with the outside money in the Hidden Gems section.
- Early access to selective research, internships, and study abroad
- Funding for research and for study abroad
- Advising for national fellowships and awards
- A speaker series and an annual honors retreat
- A senior honors thesis or capstone and the honors designation at graduation
Honors FAQs (Xavier University of Louisiana)
Is there an honors college at Xavier?
Xavier has an honors program, not a separate honors college. It’s called the Exponential Honors Program.
Can my student just sign up?
No. Students are invited to apply based on their admission file, and the priority date is December 15.
Does honors come with a scholarship?
No. Honors admission doesn’t change a student’s scholarship and adds no tuition money. The Riversville Scholar award is the exception, for invited Pell-eligible students with a 3.8 GPA after freshman year.
What if my student isn’t invited as a freshman?
There’s a second chance. Rising sophomores can be invited into the program and take four honors or Black intellectual tradition courses to graduate with the designation.
Does the program cost anything?
No. There’s no honors fee.
https://www.xula.edu/xavier-exponential/
https://www.xula.edu/admissions/undergraduate-admission/firsttimefreshmen/index.html
⭐ College Specialty
Xavier is small, about 3,100 students, but it punches far above its size in one area: getting students into medicine and the health professions. Founded by Saint Katharine Drexel, it’s the only historically Black Catholic university in the country, and its science departments are the engine of the place. Biology alone accounts for about a third of all bachelor’s degrees.
Premed and the Path to Medical School. Xavier has long led the nation in Black graduates who go on to finish medical school, according to reports from the Association of American Medical Colleges. In October 2026, the new Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine, built with Ochsner Health, earned preliminary accreditation. It’s the only HBCU medical school in the Gulf South, and its first class starts in summer 2027.
- Pharmacy: Xavier’s College of Pharmacy has been accredited since 1939 and graduates around 100 Doctor of Pharmacy students a year. Undergraduates start in pre-pharmacy at the regular Arts and Sciences rate.
- Biology, Biochemistry, Neuroscience, and Chemistry: the most popular majors on campus, with heavy research and lab work starting early.
- Early-admission medical school agreements: Xavier has deals with a list of medical schools, including LSU Health New Orleans, that let strong students secure a medical school seat before senior year.
- Psychology and Public Health: large majors that feed graduate programs in counseling, speech pathology, and public health, several of which Xavier offers itself.
- National fellowships: Xavier was named a Fulbright HBCU Institutional Leader in 2024, and its first Truman Scholars came from the Exponential Honors Program in its centennial year.
🔗 Official Xavier University of Louisiana Links
Use Xavier’s official pages below to check admissions details, scholarship rules, costs, and key data. Always go by these pages for final deadlines, award terms, and anything that may have changed since this guide was updated.
-
Freshman Admissions & Requirements:
https://www.xula.edu/admissions/undergraduate-admission/firsttimefreshmen/index.html -
Xavier Scholarships:
https://www.xula.edu/financialaid/academic-scholarships/index.html -
Scholarship Renewal Policy:
https://www.xula.edu/academics/academic-scholarship-policy.html -
Financial Aid & FAFSA Priority Dates:
https://www.xula.edu/financialaid/index.html -
Tuition, Fees & Housing Costs:
https://www.xula.edu/fiscal-services/office-of-student-accounts/office-of-student-accounts-tuition-fees-residential-housing-and-other-costs.html -
Net Price Calculator:
https://xula.clearcostcalculator.com/student -
Exponential Honors Program:
https://www.xula.edu/xavier-exponential/ -
JW Carmichael Pre-Medical Scholarship:
https://www.xula.edu/financialaid/scholarships/jwc-scholarship/jwc-scholarship-criteria.html -
Common Data Set & Institutional Research:
https://www.xula.edu/opira/institutional-research-decision-support.html
✅ Wrapping It Up
Big picture? Xavier is a place built to turn hardworking students into doctors, pharmacists, and scientists, and it has the track record to prove it, now with its own medical school next door. The money side works a little differently than at most schools. There’s no scholarship chart, every award is decided from the admission application, and Xavier caps the total so its aid, TOPS, and Pell never run past the bill.
So here’s the game plan. Apply by December 1, send your best single test score, and file the FAFSA every single year. Then treat freshman year like it counts, because at Xavier it does. A 3.1 keeps the scholarship you came in with, and a strong first year can open the door to the premed and Riversville money waiting on the other side.
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