Louisiana Tech University, often referred to as Louisiana Tech or LA Tech, is a coeducational (coeducation) public (public university) research university located in Ruston (Ruston, Louisiana), Louisiana. Designated as a Tier 3 National University, Louisiana Tech is the highest ranking academic institution in the University of Louisiana System as per the 2010 U.S. News & World Report college rankings (College and university rankings#U.S. News & World Report College and University rankings). As a designated space grant (National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program) college, member of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, and Carnegie Doctoral/Research University (Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education), Louisiana Tech exhibits a broad range of research with ongoing projects funded by agencies such as NASA, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Defense (United States Department of Defense).

In 1894 during the Second Industrial Revolution, the General Assembly of Louisiana (Louisiana State Legislature) established The Industrial Institute and College of Louisiana to be located in Ruston. Its original mission was to educate students in practical industries for the purpose of developing an industrial economy in post-Reconstruction (Reconstruction era of the United States) Louisiana. In 1898, the state constitution changed the school?s name to Louisiana Industrial Institute and subsequently Louisiana Polytechnic Institute in 1921 to reflect its evolution from a trade school to a larger and more capable technical institute (institute of technology). Although unofficially called Louisiana Tech since the 1920s, the schools name was officially changed to Louisiana Tech University in 1970 to reflect the institutions expanded roles and academic offerings as a research university.

Louisiana Tech enrolled 11,289 students in 6 academic colleges for the 2009-10 academic year.LA Tech is attended by students from 46 states and 68 countries.Louisiana Tech operates on the quarter system while awarding semester hours: three quarters (fall, winter, spring) equal two semesters at other universities. Louisiana Tech operates a satellite campus at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, and also maintains a strong Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Detachment 305 The University is perhaps best known for its engineering programs and its athletics (Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and Lady Techsters), especially mens football and womens basketball.

Louisiana Tech fields 16 varsity NCAA Division I (Division I (NCAA)) sports teams (7 mens, 9 womens teams) and has been a member of the Western Athletic Conference since 2001. The Lady Techsters basketball (Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters basketball) team has won three national championship titles (1981, 1982, 1988) and made 13 Final Four appearances.