New Orleans

Education

Most education in the state of Louisiana was provided through private schools until Reconstruction. In fact, New Orleans' Creole population often sent their children to be educated abroad in France. It was not until Huey Long's administration, when spending for education increased significantly and free textbooks were supplied, that education became a high priority for the state.

Desegregation of Louisiana schools actually started in New Orleans. Integration of New Orleans public schools began in 1960; two years later, the archbishop of New Orleans required that all Catholic schools under his jurisdiction be desegregated.

In 1996, the parish was ranked as the thirty-third-largest school district in the nation with an enrollment of 85,064 students.

In 1999, there were 274 public and 135 private elementary schools, 53 public and 29 private high schools in New Orleans. There were also three public and five private four-year universities, two community colleges, two medical schools, two law schools, and two theological seminaries. Among the post-secondary institutions, the most well-known include Loyola University of Louisiana and Tulane University, two of the most distinguished private universities in the South, Dillard University, the University of New Orleans, and Southern University of New Orleans.