Northwestern State University is a public four-year university primarily situated in Natchitoches, Louisiana, with a nursing campus in Shreveport and a general campus in Fort Polk/Leesville. Commonly abbreviated NSU or N'western (La.). Its mascot is Vic the Demon, and its athletic teams go by the Demons. It is a part of the University of Louisiana System.

Founded in 1884 as the Louisiana State Normal School to train teachers. NSU was the first school in Louisiana to offer degree programs in nursing and business education.

NSU was one of the first six colleges to enter into NASA's Joint Venture Program ("JOVE"). Students working with JOVE created experiments for a 1996 Space Shuttle Columbia shuttle mission.

NSU also hosts Louisiana's designated honors college in the liberal arts and sciences, called the Louisiana Scholars' College.

NSU currently offers more than 50 degree programs and complete accreditation of all of its accreditable degree programs. Fall 2002 total enrollment was 10,159, a record high. NSU also claims more than 70,000 alumni.

Its student-run weekly newspaper is called the Current Sauce. Its annual student-run yearbook is called the Potpourri. Its annual student-run literary magazine is called the Argus. There is also a student-run radio station, KNWD The Demon 91.7FM, and a faculty-administrated and student-operated local television station, NSU22.

NSU hosts the annual Miss Northwestern-Lady of the Bracelet pageant each spring. The winner of that pageant qualifies to compete in the Miss Louisiana pageant, a qualifying event for the Miss America competition.

Singer/songwriter Jim Croce died in a plane crash hours after finishing a 1973 concert on the NSU campus.

NSU's literary magazine is called The Argus. It is student-run, and published during the spring semester. The magazine content is provided by competitions in various fields of writing and artwork.