Public colleges and universities account for almost 75 percent of all undergraduate students in the U.S. The best public colleges in New Mexico provide broad access to reputable degree programs, affordable tuition, and sprawling educational communities.
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.
Public and private colleges and universities operate under different business models — one is a private company with private funding; the other is owned by the state and receives both state and federal funding to operate. If you’re weighing the pros and cons of private vs. public college, consider that many public colleges provide diverse course offerings, influential professors, and an excellent return on your investment.
Public colleges are schools that receive most of their funding from tax revenues. As a result, the cost of a four-year degree at a public university is often lower than the equivalent cost at a private college — especially for students attending a public school in their home state. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, the average annual cost (tuition, fees, room and board for full-time students) at a four-year public university was slightly over $20,000. In contrast, private universities cost, on average, nearly $43,000 annually.
This list is composed entirely of public colleges and universities that offer four-year undergraduate degrees. We’ve identified 7 public universities in New Mexico. The list below of the best public universities in the state satisfies the following three conditions:
The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great. This is why, at the undergraduate level, we rank the best colleges and universities based on what we call “Concentrated Influence”. Concentrated Influence takes the combined influence score of a college or university’s top academic influencers (including faculty and alums) and divides it by the school’s total number of undergraduates.
Using concentrated influence gives small and mid-sized schools an opportunity to shine by taking away the size advantage of larger universities. A small school with proportionately more influential faculty than a large school, whose influence in absolute terms may be bigger, will nonetheless score higher in a concentrated influence ranking. Our approach highlights undergraduate schools that truly rank for excellence, regardless of size.
If you are serious about finding the best colleges and universities for a bachelor’s degree, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching and whether their graduates are themselves advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence.
Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is free from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
96%
Graduation
54%
Student body
19K
Median SAT/ACT
1130/22
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University of New Mexico’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
63%
Graduation
51%
Student body
12K
Median SAT/ACT
1050/20
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New Mexico State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
97%
Graduation
54%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1275/26
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New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
51%
Graduation
36%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1005/19
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Eastern New Mexico University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$7K
Graduation
29%
Student body
2K
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New Mexico Highlands University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$7K
Graduation
28%
Student body
2K
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Western New Mexico University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
31%
Student body
<1K
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Northern New Mexico College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
What are Custom College Rankings?
College Strategist
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