When students decide whether ULM is worth the cost, the answer often depends on their major and perspective. As an international student, I have seen how Cost-of-attendance (COA), job opportunities and career goals shape that decision. Because these factors come into play, I believe a degree at ULM is mostly worth it.
Take junior computer science major Prasun Chhetri, who started in computer science at ULM but transferred to University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) after his freshman year. With a COA of about $4,000 per semester and little chance of an on-campus job, he felt stuck.
“I couldn’t get an internship my freshman year, and most campus jobs were restricted to domestic students,” Prasun said.
He believes a UTA degree carries more value in computer science compared to ULM, and for him, transferring was the best option.
Despite this I find myself agreeing more with sophomore computer science major Ankit Ghimire. His COA is around $5,000, and even with an on-campus job, he relies on family loans to cover most of his fee. Still, he is not planning to transfer.
“If you have the right skills, the degree itself doesn’t matter as much in today’s tech world,” he said.
I know a lot of juniors and seniors at ULM who landed internships last summer. Those companies did not ask what school they went to or what their GPA was; they wanted to see skills.
COA is not just something that applies to computer science majors. Sophomore chemistry major Sanish Adhikari has a $4,000 COA, and sees ULM’s science programs as a bargain.
“The chemistry degree here is one of the best I found in the country,” he said.
Working in a professor’s lab gives him valuable experience and makes his degree feel worth every dollar.
So, is ULM worth it? In majors like chemistry, students often find strong opportunities to grow and value the quality of their degree. In computer science, I believe the degree itself is less important than the effort you put into gaining skills and experience. If you can do that, an undergraduate degree at ULM can be worth it.
