McNeese State University
McNeese State University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
McNeese State University Featured Rankings
- #2 Best Online Associate Degree Programs in Louisiana
- #6 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Louisiana
- #6 Best Online MBAs Louisiana
- #7 Louisiana's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #7 Louisiana's Best Online Colleges 2026
- #8 Best Public Colleges in Louisiana 2026
- #9 Most Affordable Colleges in Louisiana 2026
- #12 Best Colleges in Louisiana
About McNeese State University
According to Wikipedia, McNeese State University is a public university in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Founded in 1939 as Lake Charles Junior College, it was renamed McNeese Junior College after John McNeese, an early local educator. The present name was adopted in 1970. McNeese is part of the University of Louisiana System and is classified as a Master's University. The selective admissions university consists of six colleges and the Doré School of Graduate Studies. McNeese is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and all programs of study are accredited by their respective national boards.
McNeese State University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,294 | 78% | 68% | 47% | 1069 | 20 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does McNeese State University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $9,084 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $9,708 |
| 30K - 48K | $8,834 |
| 48K - 75K | $9,793 |
| 75K - 110K | $12,797 |
| 110K+ | $17,205 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do McNeese State University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former McNeese State University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $50,152 a year, and 89% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
McNeese State University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 6,776 | 6,211 | 565 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is McNeese State University?
McNeese State University is located at 4205 Ryan St, Lake Charles, LA 70605.
How Safe is McNeese State University?
Like every college that receives federal student aid, McNeese State University publishes an annual security report with its campus crime statistics and safety policies. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, McNeese State University has a violent crime rate of 0.03% and a property crime rate of 0.29%. Lake Charles has a violent crime rate of 0.62% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 2.49%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is McNeese State University Known For?
McNeese State University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Engineering
- Communications
- Nursing
- Criminal Justice
- Literature
- Mathematics
- Chemistry
- History
- Education
- Biology
- Social Work
- Medical
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Computer Science
McNeese State University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much McNeese State University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
McNeese State University ranks #577 in the U.S. and #3369 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesMcNeese State University ranks #668 in the U.S. and #2501 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesMcNeese State University ranks #670 in the U.S. and #1750 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesMcNeese State University ranks #720 in the U.S. and #1351 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesMcNeese State University ranks #722 in the U.S. and #2169 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesMcNeese State University ranks #735 in the U.S. and #2974 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesMcNeese State University ranks #815 in the U.S. and #3641 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesMcNeese State University ranks #983 in the U.S. and #3079 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesMcNeese State University ranks #1032 in the U.S. and #4420 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesMcNeese State University ranks #1482 in the U.S. and #6094 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesMcNeese State University ranks #1607 in the U.S. and #4151 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesMcNeese State University ranks #1746 in the U.S. and #6008 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesMcNeese State University ranks #1935 in the U.S. and #8207 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesMcNeese State University ranks #1999 in the U.S. and #5307 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesMcNeese State University ranks #2207 in the U.S. and #6492 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesMcNeese State University ranks #2293 in the U.S. and #8822 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesWho Are McNeese State University's Most Influential Alumni?
McNeese State University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Criminal Justice, Nursing, and Literature. Here are some of McNeese State University's most famous alumni:
- Joe Dumars
- An American basketball player and executive.
- Adam Johnson
- A Novelist, short story writer.
- Michael Ray Charles
- An American artist.
- Erin Entrada Kelly
- An American author.
- Bobby Kimball
- An American singer and songwriter.
- Doug Kershaw
- An American musician.
- Bob Howry
- An American baseball player.
- John Thomson
- A Starting pitcher.
