Finance and Financial Management Services at McNeese State University

McNeese State's finance program shows an unusual pattern: graduates start above Louisiana's median at $49,216, but their earnings drop to $42,641 by year four—a 13% decline that's worth understanding. The good news is that first-year earnings place this program solidly in the middle of Louisiana's finance offerings (60th percentile), outearning programs at UL Lafayette and Southeastern Louisiana. The starting salary also covers the modest $27,860 in debt comfortably, with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.57 that beats most programs nationally.

However, the sample size here is quite small—under 30 graduates—which means these numbers could shift significantly with just a few data points. The earnings decline over four years is particularly concerning and unusual for finance graduates, whose salaries typically rise with experience. This could reflect specific industries or job markets rather than the program itself, but with such a small sample, it's hard to know.

For Louisiana families, this represents a low-cost entry into finance that starts competitively within the state, though it trails considerably behind LSU and especially Tulane. The real question is what drives that earnings drop—if your child plans to stay in the Lake Charles area, research local career trajectories for finance graduates before committing.