New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
New Mexico State University Featured Rankings
- #1 Best Online Associate Degree Programs in New Mexico
- #1 Best Online Bachelor's in Cybersecurity in New Mexico
- #2 Best Colleges in New Mexico 2026
- #2 Most Affordable Colleges in New Mexico
- #2 Best Research Universities in New Mexico 2026
- #2 New Mexico's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #2 Best Grad Schools in New Mexico 2026
- #2 New Mexico's Best Online Colleges 2026
- #2 Best Public Colleges in New Mexico 2026
- #3 Most Influential US Universities by State
- #7 20 Most Affordable Online Master's of Nursing Degree Programs
- #27 The 50 Best No GRE Online PhD Degree Programs
About New Mexico State University
According to Wikipedia, New Mexico State University is a public land-grant research university in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Founded in 1888, it is the state's oldest public institution of higher education and one of two flagship universities in New Mexico. NMSU has campuses in Alamogordo, Doña Ana County, and Grants, as well as research centers and programs in all 33 counties in the state.
New Mexico State University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15,201 | 89% | 73% | 54% | 990 | 20 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does New Mexico State University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $8,226 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $4,997 |
| 30K - 48K | $4,271 |
| 48K - 75K | $5,768 |
| 75K - 110K | $8,855 |
| 110K+ | $11,619 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do New Mexico State University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former New Mexico State University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $43,922 a year, and 84% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
New Mexico State University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 16,904 | 13,685 | 3,219 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is New Mexico State University?
New Mexico State University is located at 2850 Weddell Street, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001.
How Safe is New Mexico State University?
Relative to its enrollment, New Mexico State University has a violent crime rate of 0.05% and a property crime rate of 0.31%. Las Cruces has a violent crime rate of 0.73% and a property crime rate of 4.90%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is New Mexico State University Known For?
New Mexico State University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Anthropology
- Engineering
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Computer Science
- Economics
- Business
- Earth Sciences
- Medical
- Nursing
- History
- Political Science
- Criminal Justice
- Education
- Communications
- Sociology
- Literature
- Psychology
- Philosophy
- Social Work
New Mexico State University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much New Mexico State University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
New Mexico State University ranks #153 in the U.S. and #467 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesNew Mexico State University ranks #155 in the U.S. and #726 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesNew Mexico State University ranks #158 in the U.S. and #592 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesNew Mexico State University ranks #158 in the U.S. and #666 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesNew Mexico State University ranks #190 in the U.S. and #680 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesNew Mexico State University ranks #202 in the U.S. and #947 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesNew Mexico State University ranks #219 in the U.S. and #817 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesNew Mexico State University ranks #222 in the U.S. and #1068 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesNew Mexico State University ranks #244 in the U.S. and #796 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesNew Mexico State University ranks #250 in the U.S. and #1070 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesNew Mexico State University ranks #267 in the U.S. and #954 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesNew Mexico State University ranks #274 in the U.S. and #749 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesNew Mexico State University ranks #276 in the U.S. and #778 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesNew Mexico State University ranks #283 in the U.S. and #1127 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesNew Mexico State University ranks #292 in the U.S. and #524 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesNew Mexico State University ranks #297 in the U.S. and #1220 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesNew Mexico State University ranks #297 in the U.S. and #1097 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesNew Mexico State University ranks #325 in the U.S. and #1136 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesNew Mexico State University ranks #448 in the U.S. and #1346 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesNew Mexico State University ranks #452 in the U.S. and #1157 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesNew Mexico State University ranks #524 in the U.S. and #1757 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesNew Mexico State University ranks #795 in the U.S. and #1926 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesWho Are New Mexico State University's Most Influential Alumni?
New Mexico State University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Anthropology, Criminal Justice, and Mathematics. Here are some of New Mexico State University's most famous alumni:
- Alvy Ray Smith
- An American filmmaker and co-founder of Pixar.
- Jorge Gardea-Torresdey
- A Mexican-American chemist and academic.
- Don W. Cleveland
- An American cancer biologist and neurobiologist.
- Mark W. Spong
- An American control theorist.
- Alan Hale
- An American astronomer and comet discoverer.
- Pete Brewton
- An American journalist.
- Marzyeh Ghassemi
- A Canada-based researcher in the field of computational medicine.
- Ken Brewer
- An American poet, scholar.
- Larry Williams
- An American keyboardist/pianist, saxophonist, flutist , composer, and arranger.
- Pascal Siakam
- A Cameroonian basketball player.
- Terese Marie Mailhot
- A First Nation Canadian writer, journalist, memoirist, teacher.
- Paul Carpenter Standley
- An American botanist .
Who Are New Mexico State University's Most Influential Faculty?
New Mexico State University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Anthropology, Criminal Justice, and Mathematics. Here are some of New Mexico State University's most famous faculty:
- Martin Pumera
- A Czech chemist.
- Stefan Th. Gries
- An American academic.
- Elba Serrano
- A Professor of Neuroscience.
- Tony Delk
- An American basketball player-coach.
- Chris Bachelder
- An American writer.
- Yuehe Lin
- A Researcher.
- Rosie Woodroffe
- A British ecologist.
- James McAteer
- An American solar physicist.
- Carmen Giménez
- An American poet.
