Louisiana State University

Baton Rouge, LA · founded 1860 · 37,000 students · public research university · SEC

Known for: A flagship public research university renowned for its spirited football culture in Death Valley, vibrant tailgating, and strong programs in coastal and environmental studies due to its Louisiana location.

Rankings

U.S. News national: #185
QS World: #651
Times Higher Education: #601
Forbes: #267

Top programmes

Business
Engineering
Coastal & Environmental Science
Law
Veterinary Medicine
Mass Communication

Notable alumni

Shaquille O'Neal — NBA Hall of Famer, sports analyst
Hubert Humphrey — Former U.S. Vice President
James Carville — Political strategist and commentator
Joanne Woodward — Academy Award-winning actress
Bill Conti — Oscar-winning composer ('Rocky' theme)
Alan Thicke — Actor, television host
Odell Beckham Jr. — NFL wide receiver
John Bel Edwards — Former Governor of Louisiana

Traditions

Tailgating in 'Death Valley'
Mike the Tiger's habitat visit
Calling the LSU Golden Band from Tiger Stadium
Friday Night at the Chimes (bar tradition)

If Louisiana State University were…

As a food: Gumbo with a dark roux — Rich, complex, takes time to get right, and deeply tied to Louisiana culture. LSU is unapologetically Southern—layered with tradition, a little messy, intensely flavorful, and best experienced with a crowd and a cold bee
As an athlete: Shaquille O'Neal — Larger-than-life LSU legend, dominant in his era, charismatic and fun-loving but serious when it counts. LSU has that same big personality—loud, proud, occasionally chaotic, but undeniably talented when the lights are br
As a person alive today: Reese Witherspoon — Southern belle with serious ambition, charming and socially savvy but tougher than she looks. LSU has that same duality—party school reputation on the surface, but strong academics and research underneath for those who d
As a historical figure: Huey P. Long — Louisiana's populist Kingfish, charismatic and controversial, built LSU into a major university during his governorship. The school still carries that outsized ambition and political savvy—scrappy, resourceful, and never
As a movie or TV show: Animal House — Legendary party atmosphere, Greek life dominance, chaotic energy barely contained by authority, but somehow everyone graduates and succeeds anyway. LSU's reputation precedes it—work hard, play harder, and make memories y
As a US president: Bill Clinton — Southern charm, populist appeal, known for enjoying the good life (food, music, people), politically savvy, and more substantive than critics admit. LSU is fun-loving but effective—it gets results while everyone else is
As a city: New Orleans — An hour down I-10, but spiritually LSU's sister city—festive, food-obsessed, culturally rich, a little sweaty and chaotic, where the party never really stops. Both are uniquely Louisiana, fiercely proud, and impossible t
As an element: Sodium — Highly reactive, essential to life, explosive when mixed with water, and present in everything flavorful (salt). LSU is reactive and intense—game days are explosive, the culture is deeply seasoned, and it's an essential
As a car: 1985 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am — Loud, fast, and unapologetically fun—LSU brings SEC football, Death Valley roar, and Saturday nights that smell like crawfish and bourbon. It's pure Southern performance culture with a Tiger Stadium V8 rumble and a diplo

Campus life

Known for an energetic, festive atmosphere deeply tied to Louisiana culture, with a massive Greek life presence and legendary game-day tailgating. The campus is a short drive from Baton Rouge's music and food scene.

The film, scored

This profile answers “if Louisiana State University were a movie or TV show?” with National Lampoon's Animal House (1978). Legendary party atmosphere, Greek life dominance, chaotic energy barely contained by authority, but somehow everyone graduates and succeeds anyway. LSU's reputation precedes it—work hard, play harder, and make memories you'll lie about to your kids. It sits in the 75th percentile on rankquant, which re-centres every critic score on the reviewer who gave it, so a percentile means position against peers rather than a raw star average. The full film & TV catalogue ranks the rest the same way.