By Office of Marketing and Communications

McNeese State University’s enrollment for the fall 2024 semester increased by 3% to 6,243 students. In the fall of 2023 enrollment was 6,061.

“We have 6,243 reasons to celebrate,” said Dr. Wade Rousse, president of McNeese State University. “This is the first 3% enrollment increase in more than 10 years!”

First-time freshman enrollment is up by 10.4% over the fall of 2023, graduate student enrollment is up by 7% and transfer student enrollment is up by 26.6%. Rousse said faculty and staff worked together this summer to recruit and bring in more students.

The College of Nursing and Health Professions leads the other colleges with 1,385 undergraduate students, a 10.1% increase. The Burton College of Education has the second-largest increase, with 617 undergraduate students, a 6.9% increase.

“We are continuing to review the enrollment process to make it as frictionless as possible,” Rousse said. “And we are evaluating what we offer to ensure that we have dynamic programs in place that ultimately get our students jobs.”

McNeese continues to be nationally recognized for faculty and student accomplishments, including high passage rates on national licensure exams, acceptance into medical and professional schools and career return on investment. Enrollment has been on the decline, especially after COVID and the hurricanes in 2020.

“I truly believe we can stop the enrollment decline,” Rousse said. “Nationally, the enrollment picture is kind of scary, but I believe McNeese has so much to offer Southwest Louisiana that we can change our direction. And today we celebrated our first step.”