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State profile · 45 colleges · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Colleges in New Mexico

Colleges in New Mexico from PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset, compared on acceptance, cost, and 10-year former-student earnings.

45
Colleges
$38,880
Avg 10-yr earnings (35 of 45)
74.8%
Avg acceptance

Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.

New Mexico · the picture in one line

New Mexico's 35 of 45 colleges that report earnings average $38,880 in 10-year former-student earnings - 43rd highest of 56 states and territories that report.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

#43
of 56 states by avg former-student earnings
$76,489
top earnings - New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
74.8%
avg acceptance (7 reporting)
28 / 3 / 14
public / nonprofit / for-profit

Best earnings-to-cost value among New Mexico colleges with reported figures: New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology.

New Mexico · enrollment ≠ earnings

In New Mexico, University of New Mexico-Main Campus leads by undergraduate enrollment (17,244 students, #1 of 33) but ranks #8 of 33 on 10-year median earnings ($44,792), while New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology tops earnings at $76,489 (#1 of 33) with 995 students (#14 of 33). The biggest campus is not always the highest-paying outcome.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

17,244
University of enrollment #1
$76,489
New Mexico earnings #1
#1
Enrollment rank of earnings leader
#8
Earnings rank of enrollment leader

Enrollment is IPEDS fall headcount; earnings are Scorecard 10-year medians for federally aided former students. Different populations, not one ROI ratio.

Enrollment of New Mexico's #1 campuses by size vs earnings

Same unit (undergraduate students) for both named leaders.

students

What this shows University of New Mexico-Main Campus is largest by enrollment; New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology leads on 10-year earnings at $76,489.

Source IPEDS via College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

This page aggregates colleges and universities in New Mexico returned by PlainCollege's U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard snapshot. It combines IPEDS-derived institutional fields with Treasury-derived earnings published for federal-aid recipients. Coverage includes public flagships, regional comprehensives, community and technical colleges, private nonprofit institutions, and for-profit schools.

The state-aggregate statistics below include all reporting institutions in New Mexico as a single denominator, community colleges, public universities, private nonprofits, and for-profit institutions are pooled. State averages are therefore useful for high-level framing (in-state tuition is X, average admission rate is Y, average earnings are Z) but should not be read as representative of any specific sector or institution. Drill into individual school profiles for the full picture: admissions, costs (sticker and net), federal-aid usage, completion, retention, demographics, and earnings outcomes 6 and 10 years after enrollment.

The Scorecard data used here was retrieved in March–July 2026. That retrieval window is not the measurement year: tuition and enrollment fields retain their source reporting periods, while 10-year institution earnings describe federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year, a decade after entry.

Largest Colleges in New Mexico by Enrollment

IPEDS Fall enrollment via College Scorecard.

students

What this shows Enrollment size reflects institutional scale, not quality or on-campus experience - a large school here can still be a small, selective program relative to its state peers.

Source IPEDS As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Highest Earnings, 10-Year Median: New Mexico

U.S. Treasury earnings linkage via College Scorecard.

USD

What this shows Former-student earnings vary by program mix and local labor market as much as by the school itself; this comparison does not isolate a school's causal effect.

Source College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

The ROI lens

New Mexico colleges: earnings vs. cost

New Mexico colleges, positioned by earnings vs net price Two-by-two quadrant chart: x-axis median earnings 10 years after enrollment, y-axis average net price after financial aid. Each dot is a college, colored by completion within 150% of normal time (garnet ≥65%, amber 45-64%, red <45%). Net price increases upward, earnings increase rightward, so: bottom-right = best value (low cost, high earnings); top-right = premium (high cost, high earnings); bottom-left = community college tier (low cost, modest earnings); top-left = cost challenge (high cost, low earnings). Currently plotting 14 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. New Mexico colleges, positioned by earnings vs net price COST CHALLENGE PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $22K $80K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $3K $16K Avg Net Price ($) University of New Mexico-Main Campus: $45K earn · $15K net · 54% grad University of New … Central New Mexico Community College: $37K earn · $5K net · 30% grad Central New Mexico… New Mexico State University-Main Campus: $39K earn · $9K net · 54% grad New Mexico State U… New Mexico State University-Dona Ana: $39K earn · $6K net · 17% grad New Mexico State U… San Juan College: $37K earn · $6K net · 34% grad San Juan College Santa Fe Community College: $38K earn · $11K net · 24% grad Santa Fe Community… Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus: $39K earn · $5K net · 42% grad New Mexico Junior College: $34K earn · $7K net · 42% grad Western New Mexico University: $39K earn · $9K net · 34% grad New Mexico Highlands University: $46K earn · $15K net · 26% grad Clovis Community College: $34K earn · $3K net · 38% grad Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell Campus: $39K earn · $4K net · 30% grad Navajo Technical University: $26K earn · $5K net · 16% grad New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology: $76K earn · $10K net · 57% grad Grad rate (4yr) ≥65% 45-64% <45%
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

National context

How New Mexico ranks among the states

New Mexico's average 10-year earnings of $38,880 place it in the 23rd percentile among all 56 states and territories tracked by the College Scorecard.

New Mexico: average former-student earnings vs. every state

State-average 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$38,880 Top 77% higher than 23% of 56 states & territories

$24,000–$28,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Below this entry. $28,000–$32,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $32,000–$36,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Below this entry. $36,000–$40,000: 12 states & territories (21%). This entry sits in this band. $40,000–$44,000: 14 states & territories (25%). Above this entry. $44,000–$48,000: 10 states & territories (18%). Above this entry. $48,000–$52,000: 7 states & territories (13%). Above this entry. $52,000–$56,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Above this entry. $56,000–$60,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Above this entry. NM $24,000 $60,000 every state, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $4K-wide band; taller bars hold more states & territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

New Mexico vs. every state, at a glance
EarningsAffordabilityOptionsAccess

Each axis is this state's percentile among all states & territories on that metric (Earnings/Affordability/Options/Access) -- not a composite grade, just four independent comparisons in one shape.

School type matters

How school type shapes earnings in New Mexico

Average 10-year former-student earnings by institution type. Program mix, selectivity, student background, and local labor markets all contribute to the observed gaps, so read this beside each school's own figures.

Average former-student earnings by school type - New Mexico

Mean of per-school 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

avg earnings

What this shows Keeping schools within one state reduces some regional variation, but this descriptive comparison does not control for program mix, selection, or student background.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
45
Total Schools
$5,529
Avg In-State Tuition (30 of 45)
74.8%
Avg Acceptance Rate (7 of 45)
$38,880
Avg Median Earnings (35 of 45)
28 Public 3 Private NP 14 For-Profit
Ownership Breakdown

What the IPEDS Data Shows for Colleges in New Mexico

PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset contains 45 postsecondary institutions in New Mexico. The ownership mix is 28 public institutions, 3 private nonprofits, and 14 private for-profit schools. Public institutions often report lower in-state tuition because state appropriations subsidize the published price, while private nonprofits may show higher sticker prices partly offset by institutional aid.

Cost and selectivity signals vary widely even within a single state. The average in-state tuition among the 30 of 45 New Mexico institutions that report one is $5,529, and the average admission rate among the 7 that report one sits at 74.8%. Admission rates from IPEDS exclude open-enrollment institutions, which is why community colleges and many for-profits show as unreported rather than at 100 percent. Looking at the table, the acceptance-rate column is blank for schools that don’t screen applicants, a meaningful distinction when evaluating selectivity alongside earnings.

Institution-level earnings connect cost to one observed outcome. Among the 35 of 45 New Mexico colleges that report 10-year median earnings, federally aided former students show a mean of $38,880, based on Treasury-derived records published through the Scorecard. Because earnings depend heavily on field of study, student background, and local labor markets, state-level averages should be read alongside each school’s program mix. The table sorts institutions with reported IPEDS enrollment so users can compare acceptance rates, enrollment scale, and median earnings side by side.

All Schools in New Mexico

School Name City Type Enrollment Acceptance Rate 10yr Earnings
University of New Mexico-Main Campus Albuquerque Public 17,244 95.2% $44,792
Central New Mexico Community College Albuquerque Public 15,203 - $36,869
New Mexico State University-Main Campus Las Cruces Public 11,946 89.0% $39,067
New Mexico State University-Dona Ana Las Cruces Public 5,177 - $39,067
San Juan College Farmington Public 4,304 - $36,513
Santa Fe Community College Santa Fe Public 3,369 - $38,005
Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus Portales Public 3,357 91.7% $38,550
New Mexico Junior College Hobbs Public 2,175 - $34,233
Western New Mexico University Silver City Public 2,026 - $39,095
New Mexico Highlands University Las Vegas Public 1,451 - $45,937
Clovis Community College Clovis Public 1,309 - $34,020
Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell Campus Roswell Public 1,300 - $38,550
Navajo Technical University Crownpoint Public 1,124 - $26,364
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Socorro Public 995 44.5% $76,489
Northern New Mexico College Espanola Public 926 - $38,112
University of New Mexico-Gallup Campus Gallup Public 808 - $44,792
New Mexico State University-Alamogordo Alamogordo Public 591 - $39,067
Pima Medical Institute-Albuquerque Albuquerque For-Profit 562 - $30,917
Brookline College-Albuquerque Albuquerque For-Profit 542 - $29,576
University of New Mexico-Valencia County Campus Los Lunas Public 525 - $44,792
Southeast New Mexico College Carlsbad Public 469 - -
Luna Community College Las Vegas Public 423 - $32,461
Mesalands Community College Tucumcari Public 411 - $32,272
University of New Mexico-Taos Campus Ranchos de Taos Public 377 - $44,792
Eastern New Mexico University Ruidoso Branch Community College Ruidoso Public 377 - $38,550
St. John's College Santa Fe Private NP 368 53.1% $44,985
Carrington College-Albuquerque Albuquerque For-Profit 357 - $36,718
New Mexico State University-Grants Grants Public 356 - $39,067
University of the Southwest Hobbs Private NP 346 - $45,389
Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development Santa Fe Public 334 97.5% $24,505
New Mexico Military Institute Roswell Public 331 52.6% $57,410
University of New Mexico-Los Alamos Campus Los Alamos Public 218 - $44,792
Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute Albuquerque Public 215 - $27,660
Aveda Institute-New Mexico Albuquerque For-Profit 161 - -
Glitz School of Cosmetology Las Cruces For-Profit 124 - -
Paul Mitchell the School-Albuquerque Albuquerque For-Profit 119 - $33,273
Avenue Academy A Cosmetology Institute Albuquerque For-Profit 96 - -
Vogue College of Cosmetology-Santa Fe Santa Fe For-Profit 55 - -
A Better U Beauty Barber Academy Albuquerque For-Profit 46 - -
Glitz School of Cosmetology - Santa Fe Campus Santa Fe For-Profit 35 - -
Urban Academy of Beauty Rio Rancho For-Profit 0 - $33,273
Southwestern College Santa Fe Private NP - - -
Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine Las Cruces For-Profit - - -
Southwest University of Naprapathic Medicine Santa Fe For-Profit - - -
UEI College-United Education Institute-Albuquerque Albuquerque For-Profit - - $30,848

Featured Colleges in New Mexico

Quick picks from this state – compare two schools side by side

University of New Mexico-Main Campus
Albuquerque, NM
17,244 students
Central New Mexico Community College
Albuquerque, NM
15,203 students
New Mexico State University-Main Campus
Las Cruces, NM
11,946 students
New Mexico State University-Dona Ana
Las Cruces, NM
5,177 students
San Juan College
Farmington, NM
4,304 students
Compare University of New Mexico-Main Campus vs Central New Mexico Community College →

Explore more New Mexico data

Highest-earning colleges → Best value colleges → ROI calculator → Compare states →

Guides & Resources

Is College Worth It?

A data-driven answer using earnings and cost data.

How to Compare Colleges

A framework for picking schools with data, not rankings alone.

Financial Aid & Net Price

How net price differs from sticker price and financial aid.

Understanding College Earnings Data

How Scorecard earnings figures are measured and their limits.

About This Data

According to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, PlainCollege's current snapshots were retrieved in March–July 2026. This state's institution-level figures come from the July retrieval, including IPEDS-derived characteristics. Earnings represent median income 10 years after enrollment for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year, using U.S. Treasury-derived records published through the Scorecard.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

What this means for New Mexico applicants

  • New Mexico has 45 colleges in PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset, spanning community colleges, public flagships, and private institutions.
  • Average reported admission rate across New Mexico colleges is 74.8% - individual schools vary widely, check each profile for its own rate.
  • State-level averages pool every reporting institution together; run a specific school's numbers before assuming the state figure applies to it.Use the ROI calculator

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or educational advice. State-level averages pool every reporting institution and do not predict any individual school's outcome.

Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. State-level rollups are computed directly from College Scorecard and IPEDS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.