USC Upstate vs McNeese State

In this comprehensive comparison, we delve into the distinct characteristics of University of South Carolina-Upstate and McNeese State University, providing valuable insights for prospective students seeking the ideal academic environment. While both institutions share a commitment to academic excellence, they offer unique experiences shaped by their acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the detailed table below to discover the nuances that set these universities apart, helping you make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	McNeese State University	University of South Carolina-Upstate
Overview
Location	Lake Charles, Louisiana	Spartanburg, South Carolina
Campus setting	City: Small	Suburb: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	69.0%	61.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	68.8%	75.7%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $20	Undergraduate: $45 Graduate: $45
SAT range	990 - 1170	950 - 1150
ACT range	20 - 24	19 - 23
Students submitting SAT score	9.0%	26.0%
Students submitting ACT score	92.0%	19.0%
Total number of applicants	2,599	2,893
Total number of admissions given out	1,787	2,190
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,020	597
Yield rate	57.1%	27.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $24,802 Out of state: $32,840	In state: $28,648 Out of state: $39,610
Average net price	$10,487	$14,816
Tuition	In state: $5,147 Out of state: $13,185	In state: $11,208 Out of state: $22,170
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,526 Meal plan: $3,818	Room/dormitory: $5,614 Meal plan: $3,714
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	94.0% Average amount $10,030	96.0% Average amount $8,974
Students receiving federal student loan	30.0% Average amount $4,643	62.0% Average amount $5,480
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $9,603	4.0% Average amount $8,248

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	5,893 Men 38.6% Women 61.4%	4,981 Men 32.7% Women 67.3%
Graduate students	561 Men 25.0% Women 75.0%	457 Men 13.6% Women 86.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	6.3%	8.2%
International students	5.2%	1.2%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Suburb: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	1,037	1,055
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Louisiana Texas California Mississippi Indiana	South Carolina Georgia North Carolina Florida Texas

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Liberal Arts Engineering Kinesiology & Leisure Studies	Health Professions Education Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences Psychology
Students to faculty ratio	19:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	42.2%	47.4%
Dropout rate	23.6%	19.2%
Transferred out	30.0%	31.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $96,390 Year 2: $96,345 Year 3: $105,678 Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,056 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $76,973 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,639 Year 2: $58,104 Year 3: $60,913 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $49,618 Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $60,301 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $54,252 Year 3: $58,599 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $47,302 Year 2: $48,139 Year 3: $47,981 Psychology, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $47,245 Year 2: $44,835 Year 3: $46,186 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $46,673 Year 3: $44,792 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $40,269 Year 2: $43,240 Year 3: $44,695 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,474 Year 2: $38,829 Year 3: $42,799	Engineering-Related Fields (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,614 Year 2: $59,124 Year 3: $70,562 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $61,719 Year 2: $57,512 Year 3: $60,107 Information Science/Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,885 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $52,577 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,033 Year 2: $45,500 Year 3: $50,407 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,902 Year 2: $37,088 Year 3: $43,565 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $28,960 Year 3: $37,957 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,958 Year 2: $32,439 Year 3: $37,264 History (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $21,254 Year 2: $32,284 Year 3: $37,102 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $32,772 Year 3: $35,463 Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,350 Year 2: $23,649 Year 3: $33,671

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