UALR vs. McNeese

Should I go to University of Arkansas at Little Rock or McNeese State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UALR 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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University of Arkansas at Little Rock vs. McNeese State University comparison
University of Arkansas at Little Rock McNeese State University College 3 College 4
University of Arkansas at Little Rock McNeese State University
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Overview

UALR McNeese
Location Little Rock, AR Lake Charles, LA
Setting Midsize City Small City
Enrollment 8,197 6,230
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #686 #890
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ualr.edu mcneese.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UALR McNeese
Tuition (In State) $5,729 $5,147
Tuition (Out of State) $16,320 $6,647
Room & Board $9,162 $9,878
Avg Net Price $11,173 $10,154
Avg Grant Aid $10,494 $9,540
% Receiving Grant Aid 92% 88%

Admission

UALR McNeese
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,568 3,554
Admitted 2,193 2,532
Acceptance Rate 61.5% 71.2%
Enrolled % 25% 41.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.36
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Easy Easy
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 18/24 18/24
SAT Range 970/1220 970/1180
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline Aug 17, 2025

Academics

UALR McNeese
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (21%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (6%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (22%)
  • Health Professions (17%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Engineering (5%)

Outcomes

UALR McNeese
Graduation Rate 21% 37%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $38,000 $44,000
Making Student Loan Payments 51% 49%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,500 $20,238
Median Loan Payment $211 $209

Diversity

UALR McNeese
% Men 39% 38%
% Women 61% 62%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 52% 67%
% Black 27% 18%
% Hispanic 7% 3%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 9% 3%
% International 2% 7%
% Unknown Race 0% 0%

Students

UALR McNeese
% In-State 90% 84%
% Out-of-State 10% 8%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Arkansas at Little Rock is larger than than McNeese based on total student enrollment (8,197 students vs. 6,230 students)

UALR vs. McNeese Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UALR or McNeese?

  • University of Arkansas at Little Rock is 11.3% more expensive to attend than McNeese for in-state tuition ($5,729.00 vs. $5,147.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 145.5% higher at UALR than McNeese State University ($16,320.00 vs. $6,647.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at McNeese State University than UALR ($10,154 vs. $11,173)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Arkansas at Little Rock are 7.8% lower than costs at McNeese State University ($9,162 vs. $9,878)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Arkansas at Little Rock than McNeese State University (92% vs. 88%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Arkansas at Little Rock students is 10% larger than aid received McNeese State University ($10,494 vs. $9,540)

UALR vs. McNeese Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at McNeese State University (1029) is 39 points higher than at UALR (990)
  • Incoming McNeese students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at UALR (21)
  • Accepted freshman UALR students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.42) than students at McNeese (3.36)
  • McNeese has a higher acceptance rate (71.2%) than UALR (61.5%)

UALR vs. McNeese Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UALR 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 UALR.

  • The graduation rate at McNeese is higher than University of Arkansas at Little Rock (37% vs. 21%)
  • Graduates from McNeese State University earn on average $6,000 more per year than UALR graduates after ten years. ($44,000 vs. $38,000)
  • McNeese State University students graduate with a $262 lower median federal student loan debt than UALR graduates. ($20,238 vs. $20,500)
  • McNeese graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than UALR graduates. ($209 vs. $211)
  • More UALR graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former McNeese students, three years after graduation. (51% vs. 49%)

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