1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [McNeese State University](/school/mcneese-state-university/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # McNeese State University Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated September 30, 2026 [Overview](/school/mcneese-state-university/)[Cost & aid](/school/mcneese-state-university/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/mcneese-state-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/mcneese-state-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/mcneese-state-university/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do McNeese State University graduates earn? The reported median is $53,563 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $57,301 as its benchmark; the difference is \-$3,738 per year. 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. 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. An estimated 27.2% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix rather than observed enrollment. Because four-year earnings cover completers who are working and not enrolled, those continuing their education are outside that earnings snapshot. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $53,563 **Rank for difference from expectations** 39th percentile Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **McNeese State University reported median** $53,563 **Peer schools comparable schools · $3,738 above McNeese State University** $57,301 **Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $4,099 above McNeese State University** $57,662 School and program earnings use pooled 2017–18 and 2018–19 completion cohorts, measured in 2022 and 2023 and expressed in 2024 dollars. [How the model works](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). ## How could earnings differ from the median? The planning scenarios range from $42,215 to $91,865, around the reported median of $53,563. Compare the lower scenario with [McNeese State University borrowing and monthly payments](/school/mcneese-state-university/cost/) to see how a smaller income could change your plan. Modeled from the school’s program mix; not salary percentiles or a forecast for one graduate. Earnings four years after completion Planning rangeReported median **Lower estimate** $42,215 **Median · reported** $53,563 **Higher estimate** $91,865 Downside shows a lower-earning scenario based on the college’s mix of programs; upside shows a higher-earning scenario. Typical is the school’s reported median four years after completion. These are planning scenarios, not a forecast of your salary or percentiles of individual graduates. [Why the downside matters](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) explores the risk hidden by medians, using older ten-year entrant data. [Read about the move to four-year earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). ## Do McNeese State University graduates earn more than expected? Azimuth models what we would expect graduates to earn based on who the college enrolls, how selective it is and its local economy. The difference between that expectation and reported earnings is what Azimuth calls [value added](/methodology/#value-added). McNeese State University graduates’ reported earnings are $4,099 below that expectation, the 39th percentile for this measure. Unlike a peer comparison, it adjusts for who enrolls. The breakdown separates the contribution attributed to observed factors from the remaining difference. Neither component establishes how much attending McNeese State University caused a student to earn. [Read how expected earnings are estimated](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). 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. ## Which fields at McNeese State University report the highest earnings? 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. Liberal Arts and General Studies is next in size, with 112 degrees and median earnings of $45,669. 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. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Engineering, General** $107,319 **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing** $85,928 **Accounting and Related Services** $67,331 **Computer Science** $64,834 **Finance and Financial Management Services** $62,705 **Business Administration, Management and Operations** $60,532 **Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions** $59,777 **Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness** $51,257 [Explore McNeese State University program cohorts and field ranks](/school/mcneese-state-university/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix show a downside of $42,215, a typical outcome of $53,563, and an upside of $91,865. The spread is wide: Engineering graduates reach $107,319 four years out, while the lowest-earning large program, Psychology, sits at $37,416. The variation by field is substantial. 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. ## Data & methodology Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/). Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).