Hobbs, New Mexico Colleges: Costs & Earnings (2026 stats)

Last updated: June 4, 2026 Source: College Scorecard

TL;DR

Colleges in Hobbs, New Mexico: median public in-state tuition $9,055 (+64.3% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $45,389 (-16.5% vs U.S.) employment-outcome proxy 83.1% working & not enrolled at 8 years median graduate debt $16,308 (+22.9% vs U.S.) 2,521 students enrolled statewide.

Key Facts

  • Institutions in this profile: 2 campuses
  • Total college enrollment: 2,521 students
  • Median public in-state tuition: $9,055 (+64.3% vs U.S.)
  • Median earnings 10 years after entry: $45,389 (-16.5% vs U.S.)
  • Working & not enrolled (8-yr cohort proxy): 83.1% (-4.9 pp vs U.S.)
  • Median net price: $11,726 (+17.6% vs U.S.)
  • Median student debt at graduation: $16,308 (+22.9% vs U.S. $13,271); regional median $11,004
  • Average completion rate (institutions in state): 17.0%
  • Median first-year retention (full-time, 4-yr): 55.1%

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Overview

Colleges and universities in Hobbs serve students across New Mexico with associate, bachelor's, and graduate pathways. 2 reporting campuses in this city profile, with about 2,521 students enrolled in federal data, and median in-state tuition near $9,055. Tables below compare costs, completion, earnings, and standout institutions against Hobbs, New Mexico and U.S. medians from the College Scorecard.

Hobbs vs New Mexico & 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
Hobbs, New Mexico$9,055$11,726$16,30817.0%2,521
New Mexico (state median)$2,235$5,908$11,35637.0%80,152
United States$5,512$9,969$13,27150.3%14,468,221

Earnings & employment outcomes: Hobbs, 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
Hobbs, New Mexico$45,38983.1%55.1%12.0%—62.5%0.47
New Mexico (state median)$41,94482.1%66.1%12.5%—65.0%0.42
United States$54,38488.0%76.4%5.0%—73.7%0.41

Other cities in New Mexico (3+ campuses)

Other cities in the same state with at least three reporting campuses.

Peer comparison table
City In-state tuition Net price Median debt Completion Enrollment Earnings (10 yr) Working (8 yr)
Hobbs, New Mexico$9,055$11,726$16,30817.0%2,521$45,38983.1%
Albuquerque$2,060$15,620$9,50050.9%34,545$37,18481.4%
Las Cruces$5,252$8,889$17,09555.2%17,247$39,06782.7%
Santa Fe$5,920$12,570$7,99934.8%4,161$34,74577.1%
Las Vegas$4,445$9,716$11,39926.2%1,874$45,93786.1%
Las Vegas$4,445$9,716$11,39926.2%1,874$45,93786.1%
Roswell$4,723$4,108$11,000N/A1,631N/AN/A
Roswell$4,723$4,108$11,000N/A1,631N/AN/A
United States$5,512$9,969$13,27150.3%14,468,221$54,38488.0%

Top college in Hobbs, 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.

  1. Rank 1, Entry-Level Earnings, $40,282, University of the Southwest

    University of the Southwest

    Private nonprofit · 346 enrolled · Hobbs

Top college in Hobbs, 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.

  1. Rank 1, Early-Career Earnings, $47,402, University of the Southwest

    University of the Southwest

    Private nonprofit · 346 enrolled · Hobbs

Top college in Hobbs, 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.

  1. Rank 1, 10-Yr ROI, $119,000, University of the Southwest

    University of the Southwest

    Private nonprofit · 346 enrolled · Hobbs

Most affordable college in Hobbs, 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.

  1. Rank 1, Net Price, $16,927, University of the Southwest

    University of the Southwest

    Private nonprofit · 346 enrolled · Hobbs

In-state tuition: Hobbs, New Mexico vs benchmarks

Sticker price

Hobbs, New Mexico median in-state tuition is $9,055, +64.3% vs the U.S. median.

Student debt: Hobbs, New Mexico vs benchmarks

Borrowing

Median debt at graduation in Hobbs, New Mexico is $16,308 (+22.9% vs U.S. median $13,271). Regional median: $11,004.

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

Payoff

Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Hobbs, New Mexico center around $45,389 (-16.5% vs U.S.).

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

Employment outcome proxy: Hobbs, 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 83.1% at the median Hobbs, New Mexico campus (-4.9 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

Hobbs, New Mexico median public in-state tuition is $9,055, about +64.3% vs the national median. Versus the Southwest region, tuition is +145.7%.

Median graduate debt is $16,308 (+22.9% above the U.S. median of $13,271). Low sticker prices do not always mean low borrowing—living costs, time-to-degree, and aid mix matter.

Earnings, employment & retention

Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in Hobbs, New Mexico are $45,389, about -16.5% vs the U.S. campus median ($54,384).

The median campus reports 83.1% of its 8-year cohort as working and not enrolled—our closest federal proxy to a placement rate. The U.S. campus median is 88.0% (-4.9 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 55.1% vs a U.S. median of 76.4%—a leading indicator for completion and time-to-degree.

Loan repayment indicators at the median campus: 2-yr default 12.0% (U.S. 5.0%); 3-yr repayment progress 62.5% (U.S. 73.7%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.

Completion & workforce context

Average institution-level completion rate across all sectors in Hobbs, New Mexico is 17.0% (national institution average about 50.3%).

Frequently Asked Questions

How many colleges are in Hobbs?

This city profile covers 2 campuses in Hobbs, New Mexico with College Scorecard cost or outcomes data.

How much does college cost in Hobbs?

Median in-state tuition in Hobbs is $9,055 and median net price is $11,726. For New Mexico overall, medians are $2,235 and $5,908; U.S. medians are $5,512 and $9,969.

What do graduates earn in Hobbs?

Median 10-year earnings for campuses in Hobbs is $45,389 vs $41,944 for New Mexico and $54,384 nationally.

What is student debt like for Hobbs colleges?

Median completer debt in Hobbs is $16,308 vs $11,356 for New Mexico and $13,271 nationally.

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

Among 2 campuses in Hobbs, New Mexico, 2 campuses with at least 25% Hispanic enrollment in College Scorecard demographics—a common Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) eligibility proxy; examples include New Mexico Junior College and University of the Southwest.

Sources & related