McNeese State University

What McNeese State University does

McNeese State University is a public, four-year university founded in 1939 and operated as part of the University of Louisiana System. Headquartered at a 122-acre main campus in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and spanning 79 buildings over approximately 1,560 acres, it offers associate, baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral degrees across six academic colleges — Agricultural Sciences; Business; Education; Liberal Arts; Nursing and Health Professions; and Science, Engineering, and Mathematics — serving a student body drawn from across Louisiana, the U.S., and over 50 countries. The university maintains SACSCOC Level V regional accreditation and is Louisiana's only holder of an ABAI-accredited Applied Behavior Analysis program; its 1981-founded MFA in Creative Writing is the oldest in the state.

Its differentiated infrastructure centers on the LNG Center of Excellence, a 23,000+ square-foot facility opened April 20, 2026, that serves as North America's hub for liquefied natural gas education and training and houses the National Center of Excellence for LNG Safety designated by U.S. DOT PHMSA. Supporting facilities include the SEED Center, CAMPP meat processing center, three working farms, the 65-acre Doland Athletics Complex, the Lether E. Frazar Memorial Library, and KBYS 88.3 FM radio station.

Revenue is generated through tuition and fees (in-state $9,448/year, out-of-state $10,448/year, international $11,448/year), on-campus housing and dining ($9,300–$11,700/year), state appropriations through the University of Louisiana System, federal financial aid disbursement ($34M+ annually), and grants/donations — including a $2.8M U.S. Department of Commerce grant, $4M from the McNeese Foundation, $2.2M U.S. DOE grant, and $5M from Woodside Energy. The go-to-market motion combines rolling admissions, campus visits and Preview Days, high school and community college outreach, athletic recruitment, and an international student office, supported by McNeese Online for fully online degrees.

Name

McNeese State University

Legal name

McNeese State University

Website

https://mcneese.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

McNeese State University is a public University of Louisiana System school founded in 1939 in Lake Charles, Louisiana, offering associate-through-doctoral degrees across six colleges and operating North America's LNG Center of Excellence. It serves students from over 50 countries, with funding from tuition, state appropriations, federal grants, and industry partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Comprehensive Graduate & Professional Schools (EDAHAAAF)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Undergraduate education
• Graduate education
• Workforce development
• Continuing education

Headquarters

HQ city

Lake Charles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Primary revenue from tuition and fees charged to students. In-state tuition is $9,448/year, out-of-state is $10,448/year, and international is $11,448/year. Additional fees apply for health insurance ($500/year for international students).
2. State Appropriations: Public university receiving state funding through the University of Louisiana System.
3. Grants and Donations: The LNG Center of Excellence was funded through a $2.8 million Department of Commerce grant, $4 million McNeese Foundation investment, and contributions from Woodside Energy, Port of Lake Charles, City of Lake Charles, Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, and H.C. Drew Estate.
4. Housing and Dining: On-campus housing ranges from $9,300-$11,700/year; the university awards over $34 million in federal financial aid annually through grants, work-study, and student loans.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

McNeese State University is a public university in Lake Charles, Louisiana, that delivers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs across six colleges. It also provides specialized workforce training through its LNG Center of Excellence and offers continuing education and professional development aligned to regional industry demand.

Product overview

McNeese State University is a comprehensive public university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs across six academic colleges. The institution operates specialized centers including the LNG Center of Excellence (a 23,000+ sq ft facility for liquefied natural gas training and research) and the National Center of Excellence for LNG Safety designated by federal authorities. The university provides academic programs ranging from liberal arts and business to nursing, engineering, and agricultural sciences, along with certificate programs including an LNG post-baccalaureate certificate in partnership with GTI Energy. Additional offerings include performing arts (McNeese Theatre, MFA in Creative Writing), athletics programs, and community services through the SBDC and other outreach initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Degree Programs Bachelor's degree programs delivered across six colleges, providing foundational undergraduate education for first-time freshmen, transfer students, and adult learners.
• Graduate Degree Programs Master's degree programs offered across the six colleges, serving working professionals and recent undergraduates pursuing advanced study and career advancement.
• Doctoral Degree Programs Doctoral programs supporting research-oriented and terminal-degree study, providing the highest level of academic credentialing offered by the university.
• LNG Center of Excellence Specialized center providing Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) industry workforce training, designed for students and incumbent workers entering or advancing in the regional energy sector.
• Continuing Education and Professional Development Continuing education, professional development, and industry-aligned training programs for working adults, incumbent workers, and community learners.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15th consecutive year ranked as a top regional university in the South by U.S. News & World Report
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship and core.

• Louisiana Office of State ParksminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2026Partner in the $5 million Woodside Energy habitat restoration project at Sam Houston Jones State Park. McNeese conducts research through a living laboratory program as part of the six-year initiative to restore over 800 acres of forest habitat.
• RES (Ecological Restoration Firm)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2026Ecological restoration firm partnering with McNeese on the Woodside Energy-funded habitat restoration project at Sam Houston Jones State Park, where university students conduct research.
• Woodside EnergyflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 April 2026Woodside Energy is a founding donor and key partner in the LNG Center of Excellence at McNeese. The company has operated in Louisiana for over 17 years and made a $17.5 billion commitment to Southwest Louisiana. The partnership includes scholarship support, exclusive engagement opportunities for students interested in the LNG industry, and collaborative environmental projects including a $5 million habitat restoration initiative at Sam Houston Jones State Park where McNeese conducts research through a living laboratory program.
• Port of Lake CharlescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 April 2026Founding donor for the LNG Center of Excellence, contributing to the establishment of McNeese's specialized facility for liquefied natural gas education and training. The partnership supports workforce development in the LNG sector for Southwest Louisiana.
• City of Lake CharlescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 April 2026Founding donor for the LNG Center of Excellence, supporting regional economic development through education and workforce training in the liquefied natural gas industry.
• Calcasieu Parish Police JurycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 April 2026Founding donor for the LNG Center of Excellence, contributing to the development of specialized LNG training facilities and programs in the region.
• Woodside Energy LNGcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 March 2026Woodside Energy LNG hosts McNeese students pursuing LNG Business Certificates at the LNG Americas Summit and Exhibition in Lake Charles. Students attend panel discussions and participate in private lunch with Woodside executives for career insights and professional advice.
• GTI EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 January 2026GTI Energy and McNeese formed a strategic education partnership to create a post-baccalaureate certificate in LNG engineering. The program aims to advance workforce readiness, safety, and innovation in the LNG industry, focusing on meeting growing workforce demand in Southwest Louisiana and along the U.S. Gulf Coast. The partnership seeks to position McNeese's LNG academic curriculum and workforce development initiatives as world-renowned.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Southeastern Louisiana University: UL System peer institution with comparable enrollment scale, applied and professional program mix, and similar tuition and fee structure.
• Lamar University: Texas-based regional public university of comparable scale with strong engineering and applied-technology programs, often ranked in the same USNWR South regional tier.
• Nicholls State University: UL System peer regional university in Louisiana, comparable on tuition, enrollment, and a mix of health, business, and applied sciences programs.
• University of Louisiana at Lafayette: Fellow University of Louisiana System peer institution offering comparable undergraduate through doctoral programs, similar regional-public positioning and tuition model, with overlapping research and STEM emphasis.
• Northwestern State University of Louisiana: Louisiana public university of similar size and regional standing, sharing the same governing system and offering a comparable mix of associate, bachelor's, and graduate programs.
• Louisiana Tech University: Public research university in Louisiana with similarly sized enrollment, comprehensive graduate programs, and a comparable focus on engineering and applied sciences, making it the closest academic peer in the state.
• Stephen F. Austin State University: Texas regional public comprehensive university with overlapping program portfolio and similar Carnegie/SACSCOC classification, frequently positioned in the same USNWR South regional rankings.
• University of Louisiana at Monroe: Member of the same University of Louisiana System with overlapping program mix, comparable tuition, and similar regional South USNWR classification.

Broad incumbents

• University of Houston: Larger Texas public research university with a substantially broader energy and engineering curriculum; competes for the same Gulf Coast workforce and LNG/energy talent pool that underpins McNeese's LNG Center strategy.
• University of Southern Mississippi: Larger, more research-intensive Gulf Coast public university with comprehensive graduate programs, overlapping STEM and specialty offerings, often ranked higher but operating within the same regional-recruitment footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/mcneesestateu
• Xx.com/mcneese
• Facebookfacebook.com/117613080437
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mcneese-state-university

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about McNeese State University