Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for McNeese State University, Western Kentucky University, Alabama A & M University. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | McNeese StateLake Charles, LA | Western KentuckyBowling Green, KY | Alabama ANormal, AL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 78.3% | 93.9% | 58.0% |
| SAT middle 50% | 940–1198 | 840–1050 | 810–1040 |
| Average net price | $12,49334.6% on Pell grants | $10,99030.5% on Pell grants | $17,62163.0% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $8,489 in-state · $9,989 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $11,652 in-state · $27,000 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $10,024 in-state · $18,634 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 47.0% | 55.6% | 24.0% |
| First-year retention | 68.4% | 78.3% | 69.9% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 34.6% | 30.5% | 63.0% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $46,453 | $43,889 | $40,628 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $23,000 | $22,095 | $31,000 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 18:1 | 18:1 | 19:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 5,005 | 12,155 | 6,124 |
| Consensus percentile | 61Lower is better | 61Lower is better | 61Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 44 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 64 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 29 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | McNeese State | Western Kentucky | Alabama A |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #78 of 135Regional univ. (South)Regional Universities (South) · 2026 | #363 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #97 of 135Regional univ. (South)Regional Universities (South) · 2026 |
| Forbes | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| Washington Monthly | #1284 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #486 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #1048 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | Not ranked by this source | #482 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | Not ranked by this source |
| Niche | #1077 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #886 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #1107 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
Students comparing McNeese State University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Western Kentucky University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Alabama A & M University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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