Colorado Mesa vs. McNeese

Should I go to Colorado Mesa University or McNeese State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Colorado Mesa or McNeese is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Colorado Mesa University vs. McNeese State University comparison
Colorado Mesa University McNeese State University College 3 College 4
Colorado Mesa University McNeese State University
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Overview

 Colorado Mesa McNeese
Location Grand Junction, CO Lake Charles, LA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 8,905 6,230
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #886 #890
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mesastate.edu mcneese.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Colorado Mesa McNeese
Tuition (In State) $8,261 $5,147
Tuition (Out of State) $21,983 $6,647
Room & Board $11,522 $9,878
Avg Net Price $15,085 $10,154
Avg Grant Aid $9,209 $9,540
% Receiving Grant Aid 87% 88%

Admission

 Colorado Mesa McNeese
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,810 3,554
Admitted 8,021 2,532
Acceptance Rate 81.8% 71.2%
Enrolled % 21.8% 41.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.28 3.36
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Easy Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 18/25 18/24
SAT Range 930/1180 970/1180
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline

Academics

 Colorado Mesa McNeese
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (26%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (7%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (5%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (22%)
  • Health Professions (17%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Engineering (5%)

Outcomes

 Colorado Mesa McNeese
Graduation Rate 25% 37%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $40,000 $44,000
Making Student Loan Payments 48% 49%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,750 $20,238
Median Loan Payment $224 $209

Diversity

 Colorado Mesa McNeese
% Men 47% 38%
% Women 53% 62%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 70% 67%
% Black 3% 18%
% Hispanic 17% 3%
% Native American 1% 1%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 1% 7%
% Unknown Race 2% 0%

Students

 Colorado Mesa McNeese
% In-State 83% 84%
% Out-of-State 16% 8%

Campus

 Colorado Mesa McNeese
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Colorado Mesa University is larger than than McNeese based on total student enrollment (8,905 students vs. 6,230 students)

Colorado Mesa vs. McNeese Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Colorado Mesa or McNeese?

  • Colorado Mesa University is 60.5% more expensive to attend than McNeese for in-state tuition ($8,261.00 vs. $5,147.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 230.7% higher at Colorado Mesa than McNeese State University ($21,983.00 vs. $6,647.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at McNeese State University than Colorado Mesa ($10,154 vs. $15,085)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at McNeese State University are 16.6% lower than costs at Colorado Mesa University ($9,878 vs. $11,522)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at McNeese State University than Colorado Mesa University (88% vs. 87%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by McNeese State University students is 3.6% larger than aid received Colorado Mesa University ($9,540 vs. $9,209)

Colorado Mesa vs. McNeese Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Colorado Mesa or McNeese? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between McNeese or Colorado Mesa .

  • The average SAT score at McNeese State University (1029) is 77 points higher than at Colorado Mesa (952)
  • Incoming McNeese students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at Colorado Mesa (20)
  • Accepted freshman McNeese students have a 0.08 point higher average high school GPA (3.36) than students at Colorado Mesa (3.28)
  • Colorado Mesa has a higher acceptance rate (81.8%) than McNeese (71.2%)

Colorado Mesa vs. McNeese Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Colorado Mesa or McNeese? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between McNeese and Colorado Mesa.

  • The graduation rate at McNeese is higher than Colorado Mesa University (37% vs. 25%)
  • Graduates from McNeese State University earn on average $4,000 more per year than Colorado Mesa graduates after ten years. ($44,000 vs. $40,000)
  • McNeese State University students graduate with a $1,512 lower median federal student loan debt than Colorado Mesa graduates. ($20,238 vs. $21,750)
  • McNeese graduates are paying $15 less per month on federal student loans than Colorado Mesa graduates. ($209 vs. $224)
  • More McNeese graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Colorado Mesa students, three years after graduation. (49% vs. 48%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/