Santa Fe, New Mexico Colleges: Costs & Earnings (2026 stats)
TL;DR
EDsmart Data analysis of 2024 College Scorecard data for Santa Fe, New Mexico shows: median public in-state tuition $5,920 (+7.4% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $34,745 (-36.0% vs U.S.) employment-outcome proxy 77.1% working & not enrolled at 8 years median graduate debt $7,999 (-40.5% vs U.S.) 4,161 students enrolled statewide.
Key Facts
- Institutions in this profile: 7 campuses
- Total college enrollment: 4,161 students
- Median public in-state tuition: $5,920 (+7.4% vs U.S.)
- Median earnings 10 years after entry: $34,745 (-36.0% vs U.S.)
- Working & not enrolled (8-yr cohort proxy): 77.1% (-10.8 pp vs U.S.)
- Median net price: $12,570 (+26.1% vs U.S.)
- Median student debt at graduation: $7,999 (-40.4% vs U.S. $13,432); regional median $11,012
- Average completion rate (institutions in state): 34.8%
- Median first-year retention (full-time, 4-yr): 76.4%
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Overview
EDsmart Data summarizes higher-education outcomes for campuses in Santa Fe, New Mexico—costs, debt, enrollment, completion, earnings, and standout institutions—against New Mexico and U.S. medians from the College Scorecard.
Santa Fe vs New Mexico & national benchmarks
Medians aggregate institution-level College Scorecard fields unless noted. Enrollment is total undergraduate headcount summed across reporting campuses.
| Geography | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion rate | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Fe, New Mexico | $5,920 | $12,570 | $7,999 | 34.8% | 4,161 |
| New Mexico (state median) | $2,235 | $5,908 | $11,356 | 37.0% | 80,490 |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,967 | $13,432 | 50.3% | 14,484,370 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: Santa Fe, 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.
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Fe, New Mexico | $34,745 | 77.1% | 76.4% | 9.0% | — | 80.5% | N/A |
| New Mexico (state median) | $41,944 | 82.1% | 66.1% | 12.5% | — | 65.0% | 0.42 |
| United States | $54,323 | 87.9% | 76.3% | 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.
| City | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion | Enrollment | Earnings (10 yr) | Working (8 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Fe, New Mexico | $5,920 | $12,570 | $7,999 | 34.8% | 4,161 | $34,745 | 77.1% |
| Albuquerque | $2,060 | $15,620 | $8,250 | 50.9% | 34,545 | $37,184 | 81.4% |
| Las Cruces | $5,252 | $8,889 | $17,095 | 55.2% | 17,247 | $39,067 | 82.7% |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,967 | $13,432 | 50.3% | 14,484,370 | $54,323 | 87.9% |
Top 10 colleges in Santa Fe, 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.
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Rank 1, Entry-Level Earnings, $29,835, Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development
Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development
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Rank 2, Entry-Level Earnings, $23,029, St. John's College
St. John's College
Top 10 colleges in Santa Fe, 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.
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Rank 1, Early-Career Earnings, $31,541, Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development
Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development
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Rank 2, Early-Career Earnings, $30,778, St. John's College
St. John's College
Top 10 colleges in Santa Fe, 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.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr ROI, $78,434, St. John's College
St. John's College
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Rank 2, 10-Yr ROI, $51,838, Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development
Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development
Top 10 most affordable colleges in Santa Fe, 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.
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Rank 1, Net Price, $12,570, Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development
Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development
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Rank 2, Net Price, $26,674, St. John's College
St. John's College
In-state tuition: Santa Fe, New Mexico vs benchmarks
Sticker price
Santa Fe, New Mexico median in-state tuition is $5,920, +7.4% vs the U.S. median.
Student debt: Santa Fe, New Mexico vs benchmarks
Borrowing
Median debt at graduation in Santa Fe, New Mexico is $7,999 (-40.5% vs U.S. median $13,432). Regional median: $11,012.
Median earnings (10 years out): Santa Fe, New Mexico vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Santa Fe, New Mexico center around $34,745 (-36.0% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: Santa Fe, 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 77.1% at the median Santa Fe, New Mexico campus (-10.8 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
Santa Fe, New Mexico median public in-state tuition is $5,920, about +7.4% vs the national median. Versus the Southwest region, tuition is +60.6%.
Median graduate debt is $7,999 (-40.5% below the U.S. median of $13,432). 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 Santa Fe, New Mexico are $34,745, about -36.0% vs the U.S. campus median ($54,323).
The median campus reports 77.1% 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% (-10.8 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 76.4% 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 9.0% (U.S. 5.0%); 3-yr repayment progress 80.5% (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 Santa Fe, New Mexico is 34.8% (national institution average about 50.3%).
FAQ
How many colleges are in Santa Fe?
EDsmart Data analysis: this city profile covers 7 campuses in Santa Fe, New Mexico with College Scorecard cost or outcomes data.
How much does college cost in Santa Fe?
EDsmart Data analysis: median in-state tuition in Santa Fe is $5,920 and median net price is $12,570. For New Mexico overall, medians are $2,235 and $5,908; U.S. medians are $5,512 and $9,967.
What do graduates earn in Santa Fe?
EDsmart Data analysis: median 10-year earnings for campuses in Santa Fe is $34,745 vs $41,944 for New Mexico and $54,323 nationally.
What is student debt like for Santa Fe colleges?
EDsmart Data analysis: median completer debt in Santa Fe is $7,999 vs $11,356 for New Mexico and $13,432 nationally.
Are there HBCUs, Hispanic-serving, tribal, or religious colleges in Santa Fe?
EDsmart Data analysis: among 7 campuses in Santa Fe, New Mexico, 1 tribal college (IPEDS TRIBAL flag), including Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development; 3 campuses with at least 25% Hispanic enrollment in College Scorecard demographics—a common Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) eligibility proxy; examples include Santa Fe Community College, Vogue College of Cosmetology-Santa Fe, and Glitz School of Cosmetology - Santa Fe Campus.
Sources & related
- New Mexico college profile
- All college profiles
- National benchmarks
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard
- Download: JSON