Here are the best colleges and universities in New Mexico. Our list will help you find the right kind of school for you.
New Mexico has 23 higher learning establishments to choose from, and a tuition range of $1,000-$8,000 in the public sphere makes this state one of the most affordable in the nation. The University of New Mexico, located in Albuquerque, has a student population just over 20,000 and an affordable cost of $8,000. The school is known for its health sciences and business programs.
New Mexico also has four tribal colleges and universities, including the largest tribal college in the country, Navajo Technical University. Students can complete programs in animal science, early childhood multicultural education, and industrial engineering. In addition, New Mexico provides two loan forgiveness programs, one for health professionals and one for public service attorneys. Those working in designated shortage areas can qualify for up to $25,000 per year, and attorneys providing service for government, non-profit, or underserved residents may acquire $7,200 per year.
Pueblos, roadrunners, cacti, and the Rio Grande make New Mexico one of the most unique states in the nation. Though its alleged history of UFO sightings is perhaps its most famous draw, New Mexico has another fascinating monument worth mentioning - Capulin Volcano. The peak of this extinct cider cone volcano, which can be reached by car, offers visitors a view of four other states. Students looking to earn an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree in The Land of Enchantment are sure to find interesting activities to do alongside their studies.
Prepare to be enchanted by the higher education options and career prospects that New Mexico has to offer.
Related: Differences between research universities and teaching colleges
We’ve identified 8 colleges and universities in New Mexico that meet our criteria. This list of the top colleges in New Mexico below focuses on schools that offer bachelor’s degrees. The ranking features fully accredited public and private colleges and universities in New Mexico.
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
97%
Graduation
54%
Student body
17K
Median SAT/ACT
1140/21
University of New Mexico’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
57%
Graduation
50%
Student body
12K
Median SAT/ACT
1050/20
New Mexico State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
97%
Graduation
55%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1260/26
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
33%
Graduation
40%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1055/20
Eastern New Mexico University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$7K
Graduation
29%
Student body
2K
Western New Mexico University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$7K
Graduation
27%
Student body
2K
New Mexico Highlands University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
36%
Student body
<1K
Northern New Mexico College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$16K
Graduation
9%
Student body
<1K
University of the Southwest’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Many of our 2022 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2021. That’s because we took a fundamentally different apporach. For 2021 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.