U.S. median for this major: $85,212.
College Scorecard field of study; 88 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 30% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $27,000.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $22,810. College Scorecard.
McNeese State University Nursing: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses McNeese State University's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $10,482 | $46,330 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $11,067 | $48,916 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $11,640 | $51,449 | 1.0 years |
| $75–110k | $16,190 | $71,560 | 1.3 years |
| $110k+ | $18,250 | $80,665 | 1.5 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (34% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Nursing graduates 4 years after graduating ($85,928) minus $32,488 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in LA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $53,440 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.
Nursing at Louisiana colleges
Every Louisiana college we cover that reports Nursing graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants. Colleges marked "mostly 2-year" or "bachelor's & associate" award more associate degrees than bachelor's; their bachelor's programs often serve working adults finishing a degree (for example, nurses completing a BSN), so their graduates' earnings can run higher than those of students starting college at 18.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Louisiana at Lafayette | $91,270 | $27,000 | $13,530 | 53% |
| 2 | Herzing University-New Orleansbachelor's & associate | $91,010 | $43,985 | $21,269 | 15% |
| 3 | Dillard University | $90,661 | — | $22,094 | 43% |
| 4 | Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University | $88,618 | $39,565 | $18,552 | 45% |
| 5 | Louisiana State University-Alexandria | $87,651 | $28,143 | $7,065 | 34% |
| 6 | Southern University and A & M College | $86,838 | $39,678 | $20,077 | 27% |
| 7 | Southern University Law Center | $86,838 | $39,678 | — | — |
| 8 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana | $86,608 | $25,638 | $13,606 | 43% |
| 9 | McNeese State University | $85,928 | $26,100 | $12,493 | 47% |
| 10 | University of Holy Cross | $83,877 | $43,500 | $15,635 | 49% |
| 11 | University of Louisiana at Monroe | $83,058 | $23,550 | $13,466 | 54% |
| 12 | Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-New Orleans | $81,519 | $29,750 | — | — |
| 13 | Nicholls State University | $79,428 | $25,631 | $12,947 | 54% |
| 14 | Southeastern Louisiana University | $77,367 | $26,500 | $13,154 | 45% |
| 15 | Louisiana Christian University | $76,252 | $41,492 | $13,113 | 44% |
4 more Louisiana colleges offer Nursing but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Nursing graduates
Registered nurse
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.6% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Medical and Health Services Managers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +24.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at McNeese State University, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About McNeese State University
- Acceptance rate: 78% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 47% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $46,453
- Full cost breakdown · all 32 majors · overview
Related majors at McNeese State University
- Public Health—
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$59,777
McNeese State University Nursing questions
How much do McNeese State University Nursing graduates earn?
Nursing graduates of McNeese State University earn a median $85,928 four years after graduating and $77,239 one year after. The U.S. median for Nursing graduates across 858 colleges is $85,212.
How much debt do McNeese State University Nursing graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Nursing graduates of McNeese State University is $26,100, about 30% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $27,000.
Is McNeese State University a good school for Nursing in Louisiana?
On pay, Nursing graduates of McNeese State University earn $85,928 four years out, $680 below the median for the same major across 15 Louisiana colleges ($86,608) and $716 above the U.S. median ($85,212). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does McNeese State University rank for Nursing in Louisiana?
Of 15 Louisiana colleges reporting Nursing graduate earnings, McNeese State University ranks 9th; among the 14 that mostly award bachelor's degrees it ranks 8th. The highest is University of Louisiana at Lafayette at $91,270.
What jobs do Nursing graduates get?
A common career is registered nurse, with a median wage of $90,690 in the Lake Charles, LA area and $97,550 nationally. Others include medical and health services managers.
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “McNeese State University Nursing: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/mcneese-state-university/majors/nursing (College Scorecard and BLS data).