Xavier University of Louisiana: The Full Story of a Trailblazing Institution

A Unique American Identity 🇺🇸

Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA) is a school of singular distinctions, starting with its unique identity as America’s only Historically Black and Catholic University. For nearly a century, Xavier has carved out a legacy of academic excellence, social justice, and profound impact that belies its relatively small size of around 3,300 students.

The story of Xavier is one of mission meeting mastery—a powerful commitment to serving the underrepresented Black population while opening its doors to all races and creeds. Today, its student body is approximately 71.6 percent Black, with about 19 percent identifying as Catholic, reflecting a diverse community united by a shared pursuit of knowledge and a commitment to service.

The STEM Powerhouse: Quality Over Quantity 🔬

Despite its moderate enrollment, Xavier stands as a nationally recognized leader in the STEM and health sciences fields. This is perhaps XULA’s most celebrated modern distinction:

• Medical School Pipeline: Xavier produces more African American students who graduate from medical school each year than any other university in the United States.
• Pharmacy Excellence: Its College of Pharmacy is consistently ranked as one of the top producers of African American pharmacists nationwide.

This incredible success is rooted in the “winning Xavier formula”: a “quality not quantity” approach. The moderate enrollment fosters a close-knit academic environment, which lends itself to a low faculty-to-student ratio of 13-to-1. This encourages crucial faculty-student interaction, providing students with enhanced opportunities for mentorship, collaborative classroom projects, and high-level undergraduate research. In fact, more than half of Xavier’s students currently major in the natural or health sciences, with Biology, Chemistry, and Pharmacy being particularly popular.

A Holistic Curriculum for a Just Society 📚

Xavier’s commitment extends far beyond the lab. The university provides an unbeatable combination of traditional classroom study, hands-on research, and vital service-learning opportunities across a broad spectrum of disciplines.

Diverse Academic Offerings

From liberal arts-based programs in Art, Business, Education, Psychology, and Political Science to recent additions like Bioinformatics, Data Science, Neuroscience, Crime and Social Justice, and Jazz Studies, XULA prepares students to be well-rounded global citizens.

The Core Curriculum

The university’s 40-hour credit core curriculum seamlessly integrates Xavier’s rich legacy with a contemporary liberal arts education. Students are constantly challenged to think critically and innovatively, progressing through foundational courses in communication and quantitative skills, to exploration courses that delve into human behavior, African American heritage, issues of faith, and the natural world. The culminating Engagement level and Senior Capstone empower students to engage holistically with complex issues, preparing them to be life-long learners and global leaders. This mission-guided preparation is clear in the results: more than 30 percent of Xavier students go on to graduate or professional school.

The Xavier Difference: Collaborative Culture 🤝

One of the defining trademarks separating Xavier students from those at other institutions is the unique culture of collaboration over competition.

Rather than competing against one another academically, XULA students are encouraged to study together, support each other, and, if necessary, teach each other. This is considered a critical barometer of a student’s mastery—knowing a concept well enough to effectively teach it to someone else. This supportive environment nurtures the intellect and feeds the soul, creating a powerful network that lasts well beyond graduation.

A History Forged in Faith and Justice 🙏

Xavier’s powerful mission is inextricably linked to its founding vision by a true American pioneer, Saint Katharine Drexel.

The Foundress’s Vision

Mother Katharine Drexel, a former Philadelphia socialite who founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament (SBS), devoted her life and immense personal fortune to the education of African Americans and Native Americans.

• 1915: Drexel opened a high school in New Orleans, followed by a Normal School (for teachers) two years later, offering one of the few professional fields open to Black women at the time.
• 1925: Xavier University of Louisiana became a reality with the establishment of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The College of Pharmacy followed in 1927.
• 1932: The university moved to its current, iconic campus, constructing the U-shaped, gothic Administration Building, which remains a city landmark today.

Drexel’s goal was clear: to raise leaders who would become educators and evangelizers themselves, contributing to “the promotion of a more just and humane society.” Canonized as a Roman Catholic Saint in 2000, her legacy continues to guide the university.

Resilience and Modern Governance

Today, while the SBS Sisters maintain a vital presence on campus, Xavier is governed by an independent, lay/religious Board of Trustees. Dr. C. Reynold Verret, who took the helm in 2015, continues the university’s forward trajectory.

Xavier’s history is also marked by incredible resilience. The university was hard-hit in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina, with much of the campus flooding. However, a massive $130 million renovation effort, including the construction of the state-of-the-art Pharmacy Pavilion, Convocation Center, and St. Katharine Drexel Chapel, ensures no traces of that tragic event remain, embodying the school’s persistent spirit.

Campus Life and Affordability 🏟️

Located in a quiet, bungalow-dotted neighborhood near the heart of New Orleans, XULA’s campus offers an enclosed green space that mutes the surrounding urban feel.

The university remains committed to accessibility:

• Tuition and room and board compare favorably with other private institutions.
• A remarkable 87 percent of Xavier’s undergraduates who applied for need-based financial aid qualified for it.

On the field, XULA is a member of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC), affiliated with the NAIA. It fields teams in basketball, cross country, tennis, track and field, and women’s volleyball.

Xavier University of Louisiana continues to shine as a beacon of academic rigor and social purpose, living up to its founding mission by developing the next generation of leaders and contributing to a more just and humane world.

Categories

• College & University

Features

• Air conditioning
• Certified
• Free Parking
• Wireless Internet

Regions

• New Orleans, LA.

Location