With the fall 2025 semester in full swing, McNeese State University is celebrating a 5% increase in enrollment over last year, following years of declining enrollment.
“Our analysis goes back to 2009, when McNeese enrolled around 9,000 students,” McNeese State University President Wade Rousse said. “By fall 2023, that number had fallen to about 6,000. There were obvious outside pressures — hurricanes, COVID, and other challenges — but the truth is, the decline started long before those events.”
Rousse said the university didn’t previously have a clear plan that put enrollment front and center. However, once a plan was created and committed to 16 months ago, the university began to see real momentum in reversing the trend.
In fact, 2024 was the first year since 2018 that the university saw any sort of increase, as it went from 6,061 students in 2023 to 6,243.
This fall, McNeese enrollment rose by 5% to 6,556 students.
“Enrollment growth means greater financial stability, which is critical for McNeese’s long-term success,” Rousse said. “But it’s also energizing to walk across campus and see so many students, to hear their stories, and to witness their dreams taking shape. It’s a reminder that our mission is to deliver life-changing educational opportunities, and that work is incredibly rewarding.”
Rousse said the increase after 14 years of declining enrollment started after McNeese administrators acknowledged the problem and were honest that what they had been doing was no longer working. The university developed its aforementioned strategic plan with stabilizing enrollment being the top priority.
“We streamlined operations, reorganized the university, and created a new organizational chart built around measurable goals,” Rousse said. “Today, every employee can explain how their work supports recruitment, retention or career placement for our students. That shared sense of accountability has created a culture of determination, and we’re thrilled to see it paying off.”
Rousse said in a Monday news release that, along with the increase in enrollment, the university has its largest first-time freshman class in many years, with a 13.3% increase over 2024.
“Even our dorms are full for the first time in over two decades,” Rousse said in the release. “You can feel the energy and excitement across campus.”
In the release, Rousse said that faculty and staff played an important role in showcasing the campus, its diverse programs, and academic reputation.
The university’s “winning culture,” illustrated by the men’s basketball team’s back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, was also noted as a contributor to the momentum.
Rousse said that to continue building the university’s enrollment, McNeese will keep executing its plan.
“That means building excitement through our outward-facing programs, ramping up marketing, making the enrollment process as smooth as possible, and strengthening student retention,” Rousse said. “Just as important, we’ll continue tracking job placement rates and starting salaries for our graduates. Sustained growth depends on one thing above all else – ensuring McNeese graduates are landing good jobs.”
To retain new students, McNeese launched a First Year Experience program this year that is designed specifically to boost retention.
“We know that student involvement during the freshman year is the single most important factor in keeping students on track,” Rousse said. “This program is built to make sure our newest Cowboys are engaged and connected from day one.”
The university is also hoping that its new student union, opening at the end of 2025, with study and meeting areas, a ballroom for events and a new cafeteria, will assist in enrollment and retention.
“Our goal is to make McNeese the premier regional university in Louisiana and Southeast Texas, and we are well on our way,” Rousse said in the release.