McNeese Announces Enrollment Increase for Spring 2026 

McNeese State University’s enrollment for the spring 2026 semester is up by 5.2% over spring 2025, the fourth semester with an increase and the highest spring enrollment increase in 16 years. 

“Since the fall of 2024, we have been prioritizing enrollment and supporting our students and we are gratified to see these efforts lead to success,” said Dr. Kedrick Nicholas, interim president of McNeese. “We are celebrating this win while continuing our work and looking forward to continued success.” 

Undergraduate enrollment increase, without including dual enrollment students, is 6.2%. Continuing undergraduate enrollment is up by 7.7%. Last spring the increase was 3.1%, representing an accelerated growth of 4.6%. This means more students have been retained and are persisting to earn their degrees. Nicholas explained that not only are students working another semester towards a degree, but new students are also realizing a degree from McNeese can open doors to an amazing career.  

The College of Nursing and Health Professions leads the other colleges with a 12.7% enrollment increase, followed by the College of Business with an 8% increase. McNeese’s overall online enrollment increased by 12.8%. 

In 2024, McNeese executive leadership team developed a five-year strategic plan with the focus on increasing enrollment, creating a thriving environment for students, enhancing external and internal collaborations and expanding support for faculty and staff. Dr. Nicholas shared a progress report on the strategic plan with faculty and staff recently.  

“Near the end of the 2025 calendar year, our executive leadership team began to produce a report to share with employees, students, and other stakeholders the progress we have made on the 2024-2029 strategic plan,” Nicholas said. “We have made great strides in enrollment and supporting our students. The report’s results are not perfect, but we must remember that every year of the plan will provide the opportunity to take a leap forward. We grow as we learn.” 

According to the report, this is the fourth semester with an increase in enrollment, first year students are being supported like never before and students are benefiting from incredible partnerships. 

This fall McNeese introduced the First-Year Experience (FYE) that offers dedicated support for first-time freshmen with mentors and exclusive events designed to help students succeed in college. The FYE office is a space where students are welcome to study, meet, and relax and it’s conveniently located in the Frazar Memorial Library close to tutoring in the Center for Learning and Student Success. McNeese received a $2.2 million Title III Strengthening Institutions Program grant from the U.S. Department of Education to create FYE. 

One of McNeese’s core values is collaboration, and collaborating with the community, business, industry and other high education institutions leads to more opportunities for our students. McNeese recently signed an agreement with GTI Energy to partner in preparation for a liquefied natural gas engineering post-baccalaureate certificate. The Department of Biology partnered with Firestone, Woodside LNG and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to create a Cajun Prairie lab for students. Agriculture students at two of the McNeese farms are working with local beef producers to follow the progress of their livestock. Many of the colleges and departments have advisory councils made up of professionals and industry experts to advise them on curriculum and industry needs. 

McNeese continues to be 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.  

“These wins didn’t happen by accident,” Nicholas said. “Our leadership team made a very specific plan and our entire campus believed in and embraced the plan, and we are pleased with the results, thus far. It’s a great time to be a McNeese Cowboy!”