1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. McNeese State University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # McNeese State University LA · Medium public institution · Overall rank #504 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/mcneese-state-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/mcneese-state-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/mcneese-state-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/mcneese-state-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/mcneese-state-university/similar/) ## Affordability is the strongest pillar at McNeese State University, and [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the university #504 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for McNeese State University is a public university in Lake Charles, Louisiana, where the largest degree families are Health Professions and Business. Affordability is well above average. Graduates earn less than the model predicts for students like them. The model attributes an addition to the factors it measures and a subtraction to the remainder it cannot explain. The lowest income band pays well below the published cost, and Pell students complete within a few points of the overall rate. Access and mobility are both above average. The admission rate is below the median for comparable institutions, and most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study. A student drawn to Health Professions should know that the largest program, Nursing, is also one of the best-paid. ## McNeese State University at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 78.3% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 47.0% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $53,563 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $11,640 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $23,000 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $13,410 ## McNeese State University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) McNeese State University is a public university in Lake Charles, Louisiana, enrolling 5,005 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits near the middle of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. The university admits 78.3% of applicants, a rate below the 85.9% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Among full-time first-year students, 68.4% return for a second year, compared with a peer median of 73.7%. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for that same first-time, full-time cohort is 47.0%, against a peer median of 49.1%. An estimated 24.8% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the graduation rate describes a specific group rather than the full student body. The six-year rate counts only those who start here full time and does not capture the outcomes of students who transfer in. The four pillars sit fairly close together, with affordability the strongest at the 80th percentile and return the weakest at the 33rd percentile. Access and mobility fall in between, at the 69th and 71st percentiles respectively. Affordability is the strongest pillar in the Azimuth profile for McNeese State University, at the 80th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Mobility and access are close behind, in the 71st and 69th percentiles. Return is the weakest of the four, at the 33rd percentile. 34.6% of undergraduates at McNeese State University are Pell Grant recipients. Enrolled students who submitted SAT scores showed a middle 50% spanning 940 to 1,198. The middle 50% of ACT scores spanned 18 to 23. Pell recipients complete at 42.8% within six years. That figure is 4.2 percentage points below the rate for the entering cohort as a whole. Azimuth ranks McNeese State University #459 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks McNeese State University #428 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $4,099 less than the model expects for similar students. [How value-added outcomes are assessed](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) · [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) McNeese State University rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #504 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 71 **Access & reach** National percentile: 69 **[Affordability](/school/mcneese-state-university/cost/)** National percentile: 80 **[Return on investment](/school/mcneese-state-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 33 01 / McNeese State University briefing ## [McNeese State University cost & financial aid](/school/mcneese-state-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) McNeese State University sets a published cost of attendance of $22,810 for the standard budget. Tuition and fees run $8,489 for residents of Louisiana and $9,989 for students from outside the state. Room and board add $10,644. At this university, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $12,493. Aid reduces the sticker price by $10,317 on average. Aid covers about 45% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. That net price sits $1,575 below the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth ranks the university #278 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That places the affordability pillar in the 80th percentile. The published cost of attendance at McNeese State University is $22,810. Azimuth ranks the university #278 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $10,482, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $11,640, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $18,250. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $7,768. In-state tuition and fees are $8,489, and out-of-state students pay $9,989. The average aid recipient saves $10,317 off the sticker price. The average net price across all aid recipients is $12,493, which is $1,575 below the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Borrowers who finish carry a median of $23,000 in federal student loans. That is $1,771 above the peer median of $21,229. 76.1% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $13,410 in [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $261 a month. It estimates what a family at a given income might pay and borrow, using the same federal data. Your family income Choose a household income range to see estimated net price. $0–30K$30–48K$48–75K$75–110K$110K+ Reported average annual net price · $48–75K**$11,640** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at McNeese State University Federal-loan borrowers who complete at McNeese State University leave with a median of $23,000. Among comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median is $21,229, making the university's figure $1,771 above it. Parent borrowers are a separate population, with median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing of $13,410. McNeese State University records a median of $53,563 four years after completion for federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled. That is $3,738 below the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth places that median at the 28th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $4,099 less than the model expects for similar students. That outcome falls at the 39th percentile. Earnings scenarios are estimated from the program mix, not observed groups. They span a typical path of $53,563, a downside of $42,215 and an upside of $91,865. Those who borrow and finish hold a median of $23,000 in federal debt, $1,771 above the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $261 a month if repaid over ten years. For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $13,410. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $261 a month if repaid over ten years. [How Financial GPS measures payment burden](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) · [The four risk-and-reward zones](/analysis/4-zones-of-college-risk-and-reward/) Financial GPS ### What does repayment look like? **Institution median student debt** $23,000 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $13,410 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $261/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $170/mo Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s. Payment assumptions Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. [Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=mcneese-state-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/mcneese-state-university/cost/) 02 / McNeese State University briefing ## [McNeese State University career outcomes & earnings](/school/mcneese-state-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $53,563. That places the university at the 28th percentile nationally. The figure is $3,738 below the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $4,099 less than the model expects for similar students. That puts the gap at the 39th percentile. Azimuth places the university at the 33rd percentile for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $5,216. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $9,315. Earnings four years after graduation at McNeese State University sit below the peer median, and the program mix points to a wide range of possible outcomes. Measured among 1,142 completers, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $53,563 four years after finishing. That median falls $3,738 below the $57,301 mark set by comparable institutions (same type and size). Among nonprofit four-year institutions, that figure lands in the 28th percentile. Earnings scenarios implied by the program mix run from $42,215 on the downside to $91,865 on the upside, with a typical scenario of $53,563. The program mix indicates that an estimated 27.2% of graduates continue to graduate study. Four years after completion, federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled show median earnings of $53,563, at the 28th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That median falls $3,738 below the $57,301 figure for comparable institutions (same type and size). [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) McNeese State University #984 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. They earn about $4,099 less than the model expects for similar students. That result is at the 39th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $5,216. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $9,315. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $602. Degrees awarded at the university cluster in health professions, business and liberal arts, with STEM fields making up a smaller part of the mix. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix run from a downside of $42,215 to an upside of $91,865. An estimated 27.2% of graduates continue on to graduate study, based on the program mix. The earnings scenarios show a wide spread: the downside scenario is $42,215 and the upside is $91,865. These are scenarios estimated from the program mix, not observed groups of graduates. At the upper end, Engineering graduates earn $107,319 four years after completion, from 32 degrees awarded. Nursing, the largest program, reports $85,928 on 134 degrees. Accounting follows at $67,331. At McNeese State University, debt for completers runs $1,771 above the peer median for comparable institutions, while earnings fall short of the model's expectation. Graduates earn about $4,099 less than the model expects for similar students. Borrowers who finish hold a median of $23,000 in federal debt. Private loans are not included in that figure. Repaying that median if repaid over ten years would mean an estimated $261 a month. Parents who borrow through Parent PLUS hold a separate median of $13,410. Earnings land below the model's prediction and debt sits above the peer median; return is the weakest pillar, while affordability is the strongest. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$5,216 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$9,315 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** \-$4,099 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. [Read the full outcomes brief](/school/mcneese-state-university/outcomes/) 03 / McNeese State University briefing ## [McNeese State University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/mcneese-state-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) McNeese State University admits 78.3% of applicants. The median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is 85.9%, so the university is somewhat more selective than its peer group. SAT: approximate enrolled-student range **Admission rate** 78.3% **Approximate lower endpoint** 940 **Reported average** 1087 **Approximate upper endpoint** 1198 Enrolled students who submitted scores. This range is not an admission cutoff. The endpoints add section percentiles; they are not verified composite-score percentiles. A separate SAT-equivalent average is not plotted as a median. Source: College Scorecard; sum of section 25th/75th percentiles; enrolled score-submitters. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/mcneese-state-university/admissions/) 04 / McNeese State University briefing ## [What are the largest majors at McNeese State University?](/school/mcneese-state-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) The highest-earning programs at McNeese State University are not the ones awarding the most degrees. Engineering graduates earn a median of $107,319 four years after completion, from 32 degrees awarded a year. Nursing, by contrast, accounts for 134 degrees a year and its graduates earn $85,928. Liberal Arts and General Studies awards 112 degrees and its median sits at $45,669. The spread is wide: the highest-earning field pays more than twice what the lowest-earning among the largest programs does. A student choosing a major here is choosing an earnings outcome, and the two do not always line up with the size of the department. Health Professions accounts for 19.3% of bachelor's degrees awarded, with Business second at 16.7%. The largest single program is Nursing, at 134 degrees a year, and its graduates earn a median of $85,928 four years after completion. The best-paid program is a much smaller one. Engineering graduates earn $107,319 four years out, from 32 degrees a year. Accounting and Computer Science have medians of $67,331 and $64,834, from fewer than three dozen degrees each. Health Professions accounts for 19.3% of bachelor's degrees awarded at McNeese State University, with Business next at 16.7% and Liberal Arts & General Studies at 11.1%. The university has 18 programs with published four-year earnings data. The largest single program is Nursing, at 134 degrees a year. Graduates earn a median of $85,928 four years after completion, which is 0.97x the national median for the field. Liberal Arts and General Studies is the second-largest, with 112 degrees awarded and median earnings of $45,669. The highest-earning program is a much smaller one. Engineering graduates earn $107,319 four years out, from 32 degrees a year. That is 1.20x the national median for its field. The earnings spread across the largest programs is wide. Nursing and Psychology sit at opposite ends of the earnings scale, and the highest-earning program, Engineering, awards fewer than a quarter as many degrees as the largest program with published earnings. Across all fields, 13.7% of degrees are in STEM. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 134 degrees awarded** $85,928 **Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities 112 degrees awarded** $45,669 **Business Administration, Management and Operations 90 degrees awarded** $60,532 **Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness 70 degrees awarded** $51,257 **Biology, General 51 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Psychology, General 49 degrees awarded** $37,416 Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings. [Read the full majors brief](/school/mcneese-state-university/majors/) 05 / McNeese State University briefing ## [What colleges are similar to McNeese State University?](/school/mcneese-state-university/similar/)[\[15\]](#hub-data-note-peers) Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. [How matching works](/school/mcneese-state-university/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with McNeese State University. Admissions peerLamar University86.4% admitted+ Comparison with McNeese State University | Measure | McNeese State University | Lamar University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $53,563 | $66,816+$13,253 vs McNeese State University | | Average annual net price | $12,493 | $9,366\-$3,127 vs McNeese State University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 78.3% | 86.4% | [Explore Lamar University →](/school/lamar-university/) Higher-admission alternativeLouisiana State University at Alexandria92.1% admitted+ Comparison with McNeese State University | Measure | McNeese State University | Louisiana State University at Alexandria | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $53,563 | $51,983\-$1,580 vs McNeese State University | | Average annual net price | $12,493 | $7,065\-$5,428 vs McNeese State University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 78.3% | 92.1% | Nearby alternativeUniversity of Louisiana at LafayetteNearby option · LA+ Comparison with McNeese State University | Measure | McNeese State University | University of Louisiana at Lafayette | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $53,563 | $58,638+$5,075 vs McNeese State University | | Average annual net price | $12,493 | $13,530+$1,037 vs McNeese State University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 78.3% | 87.0% | [Explore University of Louisiana at Lafayette →](/school/university-of-louisiana-at-lafayette/) Higher-earnings alternativeHoly Family University$82,892 earnings+ Comparison with McNeese State University | Measure | McNeese State University | Holy Family University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $53,563 | $82,892+$29,329 vs McNeese State University | | Average annual net price | $12,493 | $13,143+$650 vs McNeese State University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 78.3% | 71.0% | [Explore Holy Family University →](/school/holy-family-university/) Lower-cost alternativeLouisiana State University at Alexandria$7,065 average net price+ Comparison with McNeese State University | Measure | McNeese State University | Louisiana State University at Alexandria | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $53,563 | $51,983\-$1,580 vs McNeese State University | | Average annual net price | $12,493 | $7,065\-$5,428 vs McNeese State University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 78.3% | 92.1% | Similar profileUniversity of Louisiana at MonroeMatched across several measures+ Comparison with McNeese State University | Measure | McNeese State University | University of Louisiana at Monroe | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $53,563 | $53,715+$152 vs McNeese State University | | Average annual net price | $12,493 | $13,466+$973 vs McNeese State University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 78.3% | 84.8% | [Explore University of Louisiana at Monroe →](/school/university-of-louisiana-at-monroe/) Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable. [Read the full similar schools brief](/school/mcneese-state-university/similar/) ## Data scope & methodology Structured payloads generated September 27, 2026 · Governed hub narrative September 28, 2026 · Governed spoke corpus September 28, 2026 Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection. Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them. Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects. Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. [Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations](/methodology/) · [About College Azimuth](/about/) Read the analysis behind [value-added earnings](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) and the [change to four-year graduate earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com. ## Data notes & source fields Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the [U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/files/InstitutionDataDocumentation.pdf); notes with a different source link it below. 1. **Admission rate.** Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability. Source fields: `ADM_RATE` 2. **Six-year completion.** First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree. Source fields: `C150_4` 3. **Four-year institutional earnings.** Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion. Source fields: `MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` 4. **Median federal student debt.** Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students. Source fields: `GRAD_DEBT_MDN` 5. **National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks.** Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ. Source fields: `Azimuth rankings` [College Azimuth · Ranking methodology](/methodology/) 6. **Annual net price by family income.** Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers. Source fields: `NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV` 7. **Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration.** Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance is 150% of the federal poverty guideline for one person, for the year the API serves. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. The parent table is the 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS as a share of household income above 200% of the guideline for a household of three: under 6% Safe, 6–10% Caution, over 10% High pressure. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations. Source fields: `PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations` [College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) 8. **Downside and upside earnings; yellow band.** The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median. Source fields: `Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios` [College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) 9. **Value added and its components.** Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. Source fields: `Azimuth statistical model` [College Azimuth · Value-added methodology](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) 10. **SAT score range and reported midpoint.** Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range. Source fields: `SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG` 11. **First-year retention.** Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions. Source fields: `RET_FT4` 12. **Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots.** Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity. Source fields: `EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE` [College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/assets/FieldOfStudyDataDocumentation.pdf) 13. **Pell recipients.** Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year. Source fields: `PCTPELL` 14. **Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group.** This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns. Source fields: `1 − PFTFTUG1_EF` 15. **Peer earnings and signed differences.** Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure. Source fields: `Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` [College Azimuth · Comparison methodology](/methodology/) [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)