McNeese State University
Lake Charles, Louisiana · Also known as McNeese · Website
$46,453
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$46,453
median earnings, 10 years after starting
McNeese State University is a public 4-year college in Lake Charles, Louisiana with 5,005 undergraduates and 573 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $12,493 a year (tuition and fees $8,489 in-state, $9,989 out-of-state). It admits 78% of applicants and 47% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $46,453 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $23,000 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$12,493
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$8,489
Out-of-state $9,989
Admission rate
78%
US median 78%
Completion rate
47%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$23,000
About $244 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$46,453
Rank 1,830 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $12,493
- Tuition in-state
- $8,489
- Tuition out-of-state
- $9,989
- Cost of attendance
- $22,810
- Students with a need-based grant
- 35%
- Students with federal loans
- 32%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $10,482
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $11,067
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $11,640
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $16,190
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $18,250
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $7,290 in 2015-16 to $8,489 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 78%
- Average SAT
- 1,087
- SAT reading, middle
- 525
- SAT math, middle
- 555
- ACT, middle
- 22
- Undergraduates
- 5,005
- Graduate students
- 573
- Part-time students
- 9.5%
- Women
- 62%
- Students per teacher
- 20
- Completion rate
- 47%
- Retention rate
- 68%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 69
- Endowment
- $20.9M
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 1,830 of 5,094 US colleges and 26 of 94 in Louisiana (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | LA median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $12,493 | $14,810 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $8,489 | $9,181 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 78% | 78% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 47% | 57% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 68% | 71% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $23,000 | $13,136 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $38,713 | $27,631 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $46,453 | $32,992 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 62% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 63% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
69 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 156 | $24,377 | $35,282 | $45,669 | $53,072 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 131 | $23,011 | $77,239 | $85,928 | $88,910 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 93 | $23,850 | $44,262 | $60,532 | $68,257 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 70 | $16,750 | $27,193 | $51,257 | $54,562 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 58 | $16,705 | $37,650 | $45,658 | $44,125 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 58 | $23,936 | $26,414 | $37,416 | $50,706 |
| Agriculture, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 50 | $18,000 | $37,887 | $43,901 | $53,676 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingOnlineMaster's | Master's | 50 | $40,664 | $112,712 | $120,313 | $120,193 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 44 | $24,685 | $34,178 | $46,223 | $55,378 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 42 | $20,736 | $28,276 | Withheld | $57,214 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsOnlineMaster's | Master's | 38 | Withheld | $70,148 | $74,948 | $103,485 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 35 | $18,683 | $46,774 | $67,331 | $76,194 |
| Mechanical EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 34 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Computer ScienceBachelor's | Bachelor's | 33 | Withheld | Withheld | $64,834 | $107,009 |
| Engineering, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 32 | $25,554 | $75,566 | $107,319 | $89,359 |
| SociologyOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 29 | $31,539 | $30,183 | $47,592 | $52,657 |
| Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 26 | $22,250 | $25,131 | $47,166 | $56,359 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsOnlineMaster's | Master's | 25 | $36,052 | $40,955 | $59,792 | $66,714 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 24 | $22,316 | $44,225 | $48,195 | $47,382 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 22 | Withheld | $57,964 | $59,777 | $70,786 |
| MarketingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 20 | Withheld | Withheld | $44,589 | $69,303 |
| Chemical EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 18 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessOnlineMaster's | Master's | 17 | $30,128 | $49,184 | $60,071 | $62,033 |
| Psychology, GeneralOnlineMaster's | Master's | 17 | $35,378 | $57,570 | $79,341 | $64,711 |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 16 | Withheld | Withheld | $43,828 | $48,590 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: Louisiana on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Louisiana
- Homes: Homes for sale in Louisiana
Questions and answers
How much does McNeese State University cost?
$12,493 a year is the average net price at McNeese State University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $8,489 for in-state students and $9,989 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $22,810. Families earning under $30,000 pay $10,482 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at McNeese State University?
78% of applicants are admitted to McNeese State University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,087 and the middle ACT score is 22. The median admission rate of colleges in Louisiana is 78%.
How much do McNeese State University graduates earn?
$46,453 a year is the median pay of former McNeese State University students who work, 10 years after they started ($38,713 after 6 years). That ranks 1,830 of 5,094 US colleges and 26 of 94 in Louisiana. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's) at $112,712.
How much student debt do McNeese State University graduates have?
$23,000 is the median federal student loan debt of McNeese State University graduates, about $244 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 32% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at McNeese State University?
47% of first-time, full-time students at McNeese State University finish within 6 years. 68% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at McNeese State University?
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (156 bachelor's graduates), Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (131 bachelor's graduates), Business Administration, Management and Operations (93 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 69 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.