The McNeese State Cowboys, ranked No. 12 coming into the 2025 NCAA March Madness tournament, knocked off the No. 5 ranked Clemson Tigers in a massive upset. This was the first and perhaps the biggest upset of the opening round, as not many people had the Cowboys getting past the Tigers.
McNeese is currently entering their fourth NCAA tournament, and with this win, it has officially picked up one win in the March Madness tournament in school history. With everyone talking about McNeese State, is it a historically black college or university?
Is McNeese State a Historically Black College or University?
Coming off their first tournament win, the McNeese State Cowboys and its fans are celebrating a great deal today. However, they have to look ahead to a big challenge on Saturday with the No. 4 ranked Purdue Boilermakers. With McNeese State coming off a big win against No. 5 ranked Clemson, can lightning strike twice?
Established in 1939 as Lake Charles Junior College, the college adopted its new name in 1970 from John McNeese, a local early educator in the Lake Charles, Louisiana, area. What started as a junior college with an initial enrollment of just 62 students has evolved into a comprehensive university offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
With a total enrollment of 6,500 students, McNeese State is clearly a significant college in the Louisiana region. However, is it a historically black college or university? In short, no. While the institution is not identified as a historically black college or university, it has a rich history of providing education to African American students.
According to the McNeese State’s 2020-21 fact book, African American students make up 22.2% of the students on campus. This makes them the second-largest demographic group at the institution. This is a significant number that tells of the university’s commitment to providing opportunities to African American students.
So, with all of this known, what makes this not a historically black college or university? The answer is in the school’s history, purpose, and mission statement. Historically, HBCU colleges were founded to primarily serve African Americans with their education needs, who were denied access to other colleges due to racial reasons like segregation and discrimination.
McNeese State was founded as a junior college to serve the “region’s educational needs.” In laymen’s terms, there was no specific focus on African American students, so it can’t be considered a historically black college or university.
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While McNeese State may not be a historically black college or university, it still plays a pivotal role in providing education to the African American community. While white, non-Hispanic people make up 44.3% of the campus population, African Americans are the second-largest demographic in the student body, and that should not be understated.
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