TL;DR

Colleges in New Mexico: median public in-state tuition $2,235 (-59.5% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $41,944 (-22.8% vs U.S.) employment-outcome proxy 82.1% working & not enrolled at 8 years median graduate debt $11,356 (-15.5% vs U.S.) 80,490 students enrolled statewide.

Key Facts

  • Total college enrollment: 80,490 students
  • Median public in-state tuition: $2,235 (-59.5% vs U.S.)
  • Median earnings 10 years after entry: $41,944 (-22.8% vs U.S.)
  • Working & not enrolled (8-yr cohort proxy): 82.1% (-5.8 pp vs U.S.)
  • Median net price: $5,908 (-40.7% vs U.S.)
  • Median student debt at graduation: $11,356 (-15.5% vs U.S. $13,432); regional median $11,012. Debt rank: #14 nationally of 48 (lower debt = better rank); #3 in Southwest of 4
  • Average completion rate (institutions in state): 37.0%
  • Median first-year retention (full-time, 4-yr): 66.1%
  • Earnings rank: #51 nationally (higher median 10-yr earnings = better rank)
  • Employment-outcome rank: #41 nationally (higher working share = better rank)
  • Tuition rank: #2 of 48 states (lower sticker = better rank)
  • Student debt rank: #14 nationally of 48; #3 in Southwest of 4 (lower debt = better rank)

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Overview

Higher education in New Mexico includes public research universities, private colleges, and community colleges serving transfer students and workforce training. About 80,490 students enrolled statewide in federal data, with median public in-state tuition near $2,235. Major campuses include University of New Mexico-Main Campus and New Mexico State University-Main Campus. The tables below compare costs, completion, earnings, debt, and employment outcomes for 28 reporting campuses against U.S. and Southwest medians.

New Mexico vs regional & national benchmarks

Medians aggregate institution-level College Scorecard fields unless noted. Enrollment is total undergraduate headcount summed across reporting campuses.

State versus regional and national education metrics
Geography In-state tuition Net price Median debt Completion rate Enrollment
New Mexico (NM)$2,235$5,908$11,35637.0%80,490
Southwest (region median)$3,686$8,683$11,01241.8%1,988,707
United States$5,512$9,967$13,43250.3%14,484,370

Earnings & employment outcomes: New Mexico vs benchmarks

Scorecard does not publish formal job-placement rates. We use the share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled (working ÷ working + not working) as a federal employment-outcome proxy. 2-yr and 3-yr default rates are federal cohort default shares (0–1 scale). We show 2-yr default as the primary benchmark; 3-yr default appears only when enough campuses report non-suppressed values (otherwise —). 3-yr repayment progress is the share of completers making progress on loans after 3 years. Sample: bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200. Medians pool campus-level values.

Earnings and employment outcome benchmarks
Geography Median earnings (10 yr) Working & not enrolled (8 yr) Retention (FT yr 1) 2-yr default 3-yr default 3-yr repayment progress Debt ÷ earnings
New Mexico (NM)$41,94482.1%66.1%12.5%65.0%0.42
Southwest (region median)$51,83889.1%69.0%7.2%68.7%0.40
United States$54,32387.9%76.3%5.0%73.7%0.41

New Mexico vs peer states (Southwest region)

Peer states are other campuses in the same Scorecard region, chosen by similar total enrollment.

Peer comparison table
State In-state tuition Net price Median debt Completion Enrollment Earnings (10 yr) Working (8 yr)
New Mexico (NM)$2,235$5,908$11,35637.0%80,490$41,94482.1%
Oklahoma (OK)$6,285$10,956$15,93640.1%157,080$45,93088.8%
Arizona (AZ)$2,358$11,852$9,50038.6%511,703$50,71981.6%
Texas (TX)$3,555$8,031$10,66745.2%1,239,434$54,27489.8%
United States$5,512$9,967$13,43250.3%14,484,370$54,32387.9%

Outcomes by sector in New Mexico

Median campus-level metrics within each ownership type (public, private nonprofit, private for-profit).

Sector Campuses Median earnings (10 yr) Working share (8 yr) Retention 2-yr default 3-yr default 3-yr repayment
Public7$39,09582.7%70.3%14.7%66.5%

Educational attainment context (New Mexico)

U.S. Census ACS 2024 — adults age 25+.

  • Bachelor's degree or higher: 31.0% of adults 25+
  • Some college, no degree (ACS): 22.58%

Program completions produced in New Mexico (IPEDS 2024)

Award completions by CIP family — supply-side context for nursing, cosmetology, and other pathways. Not placement rates.

Program areaCompletionsInstitutions
Registered Nursing (CIP 51.38)1,50622
Cosmetology (CIP 12.04)1,18215
Computer Science (CIP 11.01)51020
Business (CIP 52.01)3409

State workforce wages (BLS OEWS May 2024)

Context for graduate earnings — not a unemployment rate for recent grads (CEW state series not in repo).

  • All occupations median annual wage: $45,870
  • Education occupations (SOC 25-xxxx) median: $70,200

Program-level earnings in New Mexico (Scorecard)

  • Median 1-yr post-completion program earnings (across reporting campuses): $76,323
  • Median 4-yr post-completion: $93,859
  • Campuses with program earnings data: 10

Public 4-year in-state tuition trend: New Mexico

Median published in-state tuition, public 4-year institutions. Source: College Scorecard multi-year pull.

Top 7 colleges in New Mexico by graduation rate (150% time)

Ranked by 150% time completion rate (4-year bachelor's-predominant institutions, enrollment ≥ 500). Higher rate = more students finishing within 150% of normal time.

Top 7 colleges in New Mexico by employment outcome (8 yrs after entry, working & not enrolled)

Ranked by share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled — a federal outcome proxy, not a verified job-placement rate. Enrollment ≥ 500.

Top 4 most selective colleges in New Mexico (lowest admission rate)

Ranked by lowest admission rate (most selective first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500 and a reported admission rate.

Top 10 colleges in New Mexico by entry-level earnings (1 yr post-completion, program)

Ranked by median program-level earnings one year after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; reflects completers in reported CIP programs, not all entrants.

Top 10 colleges in New Mexico by early-career earnings (4 yr post-completion, program)

Ranked by median program-level earnings four years after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; program cohort, not institution-wide median.

Top 7 colleges in New Mexico by mid-career earnings (6 yrs after entry)

Ranked by median earnings six years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.

Top 7 colleges in New Mexico by 8-year earnings (8 yrs after entry)

Ranked by median earnings eight years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.

Top 7 colleges in New Mexico by long-term earnings (10 yrs after entry)

Ranked by median earnings ten years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.

Top 10 colleges in New Mexico by 10-year ROI

Ranked by 10-year return on investment (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200 and a computed ROI in the EDsmart dataset.

Top 10 most affordable colleges in New Mexico (net price)

Ranked by lowest average net price (most affordable first). Uses overall net price, or mid-income bracket net price for public schools when available. Enrollment ≥ 300.

Top 7 colleges in New Mexico by first-year retention (full-time)

Ranked by first-year, full-time retention rate (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.

In-state tuition: New Mexico vs benchmarks

Sticker price

New Mexico median in-state tuition is $2,235, -59.5% vs the U.S. median.

Student debt: New Mexico vs benchmarks

Borrowing

Median debt at graduation in New Mexico is $11,356 (-15.5% vs U.S. median $13,432). Regional median: $11,012. Rank: #14 nationally of 48 (lower debt = better rank); #3 in Southwest of 4.

Median earnings (10 years out): New Mexico vs benchmarks

Payoff

Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in New Mexico center around $41,944 (-22.8% vs U.S.).

Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.

Employment outcome proxy: New Mexico vs benchmarks

Working & not enrolled

The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 82.1% at the median New Mexico campus (-5.8 pp vs U.S.).

Percent of 8-year cohort working and not enrolled (not a formal placement rate).

Analysis & insights

EDsmart Data aggregates institution-level College Scorecard data for this profile. Highlights below compare local medians to U.S. and regional benchmarks.

Costs & borrowing

New Mexico median public in-state tuition is $2,235, about -59.5% vs the national median. Versus the Southwest region, tuition is -39.4%.

Median graduate debt is $11,356 (-15.5% below the U.S. median of $13,432, and +3.1% vs the Southwest regional median of $11,012). Low sticker prices do not always mean low borrowing—living costs, time-to-degree, and aid mix matter.

Student debt rank: #14 nationally of 48 (lower debt = better rank); #3 in Southwest of 4 (1 = lowest median debt).

On published in-state tuition, New Mexico ranks #2 nationally (1 = lowest median sticker among states with data).

Earnings, employment & retention

Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in New Mexico are $41,944, about -22.8% vs the U.S. campus median ($54,323).

The median campus reports 82.1% of its 8-year cohort as working and not enrolled—our closest federal proxy to a placement rate. The U.S. campus median is 87.9% (-5.8 pp). Formal job-placement statistics are not published in Scorecard; treat this as a comparative outcome indicator, not a hire guarantee.

First-year, full-time retention at the median campus is 66.1% vs a U.S. median of 76.3%—a leading indicator for completion and time-to-degree.

Loan repayment indicators at the median campus: 2-yr default 12.5% (U.S. 5.0%); 3-yr repayment progress 65.0% (U.S. 73.7%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.

Nationally, New Mexico ranks earnings #51 and employment proxy #41 on these outcome medians (1 = best).

Top employment-outcome campuses in this extract include New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (89.7%), New Mexico Highlands University (86.1%), University of New Mexico-Main Campus (83.7%), New Mexico State University-Main Campus (82.7%), Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus (81.5%), Western New Mexico University (80.3%), Brookline College-Albuquerque (79.1%)—useful anchors for local reporting on where graduates are most often working rather than still enrolled.

Completion & workforce context

Within New Mexico, sector medians diverge: Public median 10-yr earnings $39,095 (7 campuses). Public campuses often dominate enrollment while private nonprofits can show higher earnings medians at selective institutions.

Average institution-level completion rate across all sectors in New Mexico is 37.0% (national institution average about 50.3%).

National Student Clearinghouse data cite roughly 264,616 residents with some college but no credential in New Mexico (YoY change 1.00%). That stock of incomplete credentials sits alongside the completion and employment metrics above.

City profiles in this state

Metro and city aggregates for places with at least three reporting campuses in the College Scorecard.

FAQ

How much does college cost in New Mexico?

Median in-state tuition among reporting campuses in New Mexico is $2,235 and median net price is $5,908. U.S. medians are $5,512 (tuition) and $9,967 (net price). New Mexico tuition is about -59.5% vs the national median; net price is -40.7%.

What is typical student debt for graduates in New Mexico?

Median federal loan debt among completers in New Mexico is $11,356 vs a U.S. median of $13,432 (New Mexico ranks #14 nationally for median debt among states.)

What do graduates earn in New Mexico?

Median earnings 10 years after entry for New Mexico campuses reporting to the College Scorecard is $41,944 vs $54,323 nationally. Six-year medians are $33,694.

What share of New Mexico graduates are working after college?

The federal employment-outcome proxy used on this site (8-year cohort working and not enrolled) has a median of 82.1% in New Mexico vs 87.9% nationally.

How many colleges are in New Mexico?

This profile aggregates 28 campuses with cost or outcomes data in New Mexico and roughly 80,490 total reported enrollment.

How many public vs. private colleges are in New Mexico?

Among campuses with outcomes in the College Scorecard extract: 7 public, 0 private nonprofit, and 0 private for-profit institutions.

What are the top colleges in New Mexico?

Rankings on this page are drawn from College Scorecard medians; standouts include highest 150%-time graduation rate: New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology; highest 10-year earnings: New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology; lowest net price among large campuses: Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus. See the ranked lists below for full details.

Are there HBCUs, Hispanic-serving, tribal, or religious colleges in New Mexico?

Among 45 campuses in New Mexico, 3 tribal colleges (IPEDS TRIBAL flag), including Navajo Technical University, Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development, and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute; 35 campuses with at least 25% Hispanic enrollment in College Scorecard demographics—a common Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) eligibility proxy; examples include Pima Medical Institute-Albuquerque, Olympian Academy of Cosmetology, and Central New Mexico Community College.

How does New Mexico compare to its Census region?

New Mexico is in the Southwest region. Regional median in-state tuition is $3,686 and median debt is $11,012 vs $2,235 tuition and $11,356 debt in New Mexico.

Sources & related