NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University’s bachelor’s program in addiction studies has been ranked fourth in the country by OnlineU.com.

OnlineU focuses on providing prospective students with data highly relevant to them which includes proven outcomes of real alumni. To provide this, the site ranks colleges and universities by their 10-year return on investment, using salary and debt data that is specific to the program and degree level at each school. NSU’s addiction studies alumni had an impressive 10-year ROI, resulting in your placement among the nation’s top online schools.

This is the fifth consecutive year a higher education website has ranked Northwestern State’s addiction studies program as one of the top five in the nation.

“The Addiction Studies program and faculty are humbled and honored to have been recognized as the fourth best program in the country,” said Joseph Biscoe, associate professor of addiction studies and director of the Louisiana Addiction Technology Transfer Center. “This demonstrates the increasing need for this growing field.  We will continue to strive to educate and prepare individuals to become trained professionals in the area of addiction.”

Return on investment (ROI) uses alumni earnings and debt data to project the potential long-term financial benefit of earning an online degree in the addiction studies field. The cheapest degree isn’t always the best investment over time. ROI amounts are based on data reported by the U.S. Department of Education. Tuition amounts are manually researched in order to determine costs specific to online degrees.

Substance abuse and addiction counselors play a critical role in addiction recovery, and many find this to be an extremely fulfilling career. These professionals work one-on-one with clients, providing critical support to help people recover from drug and alcohol addictions as well as chemical dependencies. New research on addiction and treatment has led judicial systems to rely more on counseling services, and people continue to seek treatment on their own. As a result, employment rates for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors are projected to grow by 25 percent by 2029.

Information on the Bachelor of Science in Addiction Studies is available at psychology.nsula.edu.