# McNeese State University

Public college in Lake Charles, LA. IPEDS ID 159717.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/mcneese-state-university · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/mcneese-state-university.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 78% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $12,493 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 47%; beats 56% of LA colleges and 36% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $46,453; beats 36% of LA colleges and 30% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $13,000

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $10,482 |
| 30-48k | $11,067 |
| 48-75k | $11,640 |
| 75-110k | $16,190 |
| 110k+ | $18,250 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, in-state. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.42 years on average (34% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $46,453 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $32,488 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in LA (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $10,482 | $46,330 | 3.3 years |
| 30-48k | $11,067 | $48,916 | 3.5 years |
| 48-75k | $11,640 | $51,449 | 3.7 years |
| 75-110k | $16,190 | $71,560 | 5.1 years |
| 110k+ | $18,250 | $80,665 | 5.8 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $22,810 in-state; about $24,310 out-of-state
- Tuition and fees: $8,489 in-state, $9,989 out-of-state
- Housing and meals: $10,596; books: $1,300

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 490–610; SAT math: 450–588; ACT: 18–23 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 3,294 applicants, 2,225 admitted, 1,063 enrolled; test scores required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 78%, ACT 18–23 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 68%, ACT 18–24 (IPEDS Admissions)

## Majors (32 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering | $75,566 | $107,319 | $27,249 |
| Nursing | $77,239 | $85,928 | $26,100 |
| Accounting | $46,774 | $67,331 | $20,500 |
| Computer Science | not reported | $64,834 | not reported |
| Finance | $49,216 | $62,705 | $27,860 |
| Business Administration | $44,262 | $60,532 | $25,466 |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | $57,964 | $59,777 | not reported |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $27,193 | $51,257 | $19,014 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $44,225 | $48,195 | $22,500 |
| Sociology | $30,183 | $47,592 | $35,375 |
| Communications | $25,131 | $47,166 | $22,625 |
| Criminal Justice | $34,178 | $46,223 | $27,000 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $35,282 | $45,669 | $27,000 |
| Marketing | not reported | $44,589 | not reported |
| Agriculture | $37,887 | $43,901 | $19,500 |
| English | not reported | $43,828 | not reported |
| Psychology | $26,414 | $37,416 | $25,000 |
| Studio Art | $31,226 | $34,891 | $23,615 |
| Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chemical Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mechanical Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Linguistics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biology | $28,276 | not reported | $20,869 |
| Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Nutrition Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Political Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Music | $36,305 | not reported | $23,250 |
| Medical Laboratory Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Public Health | not reported | not reported | $29,750 |
| History | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Business Administration → Management analyst: median wage $97,810 (Lake Charles, LA), $95,540 (LA), $101,860 (U.S.)
- Nursing → Registered nurse: median wage $90,690 (Lake Charles, LA), $80,230 (LA), $97,550 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).