Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsPublic

McNeese State University

Lake Charles, Louisiana·Public, 4-year or above·Southeast·mcneese.edu
6-yr Graduation
47%
+5.5pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Total enrollment
6,241
peer median 7,382
Avg net price
$12,493
-$696 vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
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Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
3,902
3,902 candidates competed
Admitted
3,054
78.3% acceptance rate
Enrolled
1,166
38.2% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
47%+5.5pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
4-year graduation
25%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
46%
Full-time retention
68%

Pell equity

15.3pp gap
Pell recipients
38%203 of 540
Non-Pell (all)
53%432 of 810
Subsidized loan, no Pell
44%110 of 250
No Federal Aid
58%322 of 560

Non-Pell students graduate at a 15.3-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 58 Title IV programs, 25 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 33 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
58
Passing
25
43.1% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

58programs
  • Passing25 · 43.1%
  • No Data33 · 56.9%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
2
Watch
3
Safe
20
No data
33

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

25
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Master's Degree · Education
+5.3%
$48,679 vs $46,221
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+8.3%
$34,891 vs $32,203
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
+16.2%
$37,416 vs $32,203
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Master's Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
+17.1%
$60,071 vs $51,310
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Master's Degree · Security And Protective Services
+23.1%
$59,792 vs $48,555
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+36.1%
$43,828 vs $32,203
Agriculture General
Bachelor Degree · Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, And Related Sciences
+36.3%
$43,901 vs $32,203
Marketing
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+38.5%
$44,589 vs $32,203

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

21
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
64%
$23,935 debt · $37,416 earn
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
64%
$22,156 debt · $34,891 earn
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Master's Degree · Security And Protective Services
59%
$35,132 debt · $59,792 earn
Sociology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
58%
$27,806 debt · $47,592 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
52%
$25,000 debt · $48,195 earn
Communication and Media Studies
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
50%
$23,575 debt · $47,166 earn
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Bachelor Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
50%
$22,691 debt · $45,669 earn
Agriculture General
Bachelor Degree · Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, And Related Sciences
49%
$21,348 debt · $43,901 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Accredited since 1954Next review Dec 2027

Programmatic accreditations · 11

Action history · 22

  1. Jul 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Didactic Program in Dietetics
  2. Jul 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Dietetics (DIETI) - Dietetic Internship
  3. Jun 2024Heightened Monitoring or Focused Review
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  4. Jun 2023Heightened Monitoring or Focused Review
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  5. Dec 2022Heightened Monitoring or Focused Review
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$10,482
$30–48k$11,067
$48–75k$11,640
$75–110k$16,190
$110k+$18,250

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$12,493
-$696vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs median $13,189
Federal loans
32.1%
In-state tuition
$8,489
Out-of-state
$9,989

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 2,561 students received $14.6M in Pell grants, alongside $17.4M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
2,561
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$14.6M
$14,624,192 total
Direct Loans
$17.4M
3,605 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

2k
20
2k
21
2k
22
2k
23
3k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$5.7M
1,547 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$7.5M
1,727 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$3.2M
226 loan awards
Parent PLUS$968K
105 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 1,368 borrowers who entered repayment, 46 (3.3%) defaulted within three years above the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
3.3%
+1.0pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
1,368
Defaulted
46
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
13.6%
2017
12.4%
2018
8.3%
2019
3.3%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at McNeese State

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs52
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

1,048 total completions
01Liberal Arts
23222.1%
02Health Professions
21720.7%
03Business
19818.9%
04Parks/Recreation
807.6%
05Engineering
696.6%
06Psychology
636.0%
07Agriculture
565.3%
08Security/Protective
555.2%
09Biological Sciences
403.8%
10Education
383.6%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
6,241
12-mo unduplicated
6,973
Undergraduate
6,366
Graduate
607

Gender split

Men
37%2,591
Women
63%4,382

Race / ethnicity composition

White
60.9%
Black
19.1%
Non-resident
7.4%
Hispanic
5.0%
Two or more
4.3%
Asian
1.8%
Unknown
1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
372
217 M · 155 W
Women athletes
41.7%
Athletic aid
$4.5M
Total student aid
Budget
$18.5M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$2.7M
$1.8M
Recruiting expense
$208K
$119K
Head-coach salaries
$347K
$68K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 9

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
98 M · 83 W
$1.2M
Football
117 M ·
$5.3M
Baseball
41 M ·
$975K
Soccer
· 36 W
$564K
Basketball
15 M · 15 W
$4.3M
Softball
· 25 W
$901K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
3.30
20 offenses · 6,060 students

3-year trend

2.482 yrs ago2.091 yr ago3.30Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
49
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
1
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

Burglary
18
Rape
2

By location

20total
  • On campus20

Includes 6 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
0
Stalking
0 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs05
Liquor08

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
20.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
235

McNeese State vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions McNeese State selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectMcNeese State University
47%6,241$12,493Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
36%44.9%5,150$19,809Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
45%92.5%8,523$13,606Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
38%50.5%10,749$7,022Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
45%99.3%14,426$13,154Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
33%91.6%5,217$13,224Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Peer group median42%91.6%7,382$13,189

Institutions like McNeese State

Explore the federal data for institutions in McNeese State's comparison group.

McNeese State Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness
Address
4205 Ryan St, Lake Charles, LA 70605

The office coordinates the outcomes assessment process to ensure assessment and continuous improvement for academic programs and administrative units.

Visit IR office page

Frequently asked questions about McNeese State University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about McNeese State.

What is the graduation rate at McNeese State University?

McNeese State University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 47% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend McNeese State University?

McNeese State University reports a total enrollment of 6,241 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at McNeese State University?

The average net price at McNeese State University is $12,493 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at McNeese State University?

McNeese State University's yield rate is 38.2%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is McNeese State University located?

McNeese State University is located in Lake Charles, Louisiana 70605.

Who runs Institutional Research at McNeese State University?

McNeese State University's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.

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