Public Graduate Good 67/100

Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Portales, New Mexico

About Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus

Thinking about Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus, a college in New Mexico where more students graduate in Liberal Arts than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Portales, New Mexico. It enrolls 3,357 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
91.7%
Graduation
30%
Net Price
$4,904
Median Earnings (10yr)
$38,550
Enrollment
3,357
Student : Faculty
17:1

Accreditor Higher Learning Commission
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Good
67/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 18
Value 98
Affordability 78
Selectivity 11

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus admits 91.7% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.

Acceptance Rate
91.7%
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
830 – 1060
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
17 – 23
Cumulative composite
Test Policy Not Considered Standardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.

5-Year Admission Trend

Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Stable ↓ 3.3 pts since 2019
58.3%201950.6%202032.5%202127.6%202254.9%2023

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $4,904 a year on average, it sits well below what public colleges charge nationally. At that level cost is rarely the reason to rule a college out. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$4,904
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
36%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
19%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$7,194
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$9,174
Room & Board (on-campus)
$8,446
Room & Board (off-campus)
$7,842
Books & Supplies
$950
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$4,782
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,782
Total Cost of Attendance
$18,940

Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $3,663
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $3,080
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $5,960
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $8,388
  • Over $110,000
    $9,996

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$2,150
10% percentile
$3,550
25% percentile
$16,500
Median percentile
$18,484
75% percentile
$29,849
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $11,473 ↓ $5,027
No Pell $9,694 ↓ $6,806
Dependent students $9,382 ↓ $7,118
Independent students $12,500 ↓ $4,000
Female students $11,194 ↓ $5,306
Male students $10,719 ↓ $5,781
Pell recipients: 17.7% (2,914 students)No Pell: 14.9% (2,462 students)Dependent students: 14.4% (2,383 students)Independent students: 19.2% (3,175 students)Female students: 17.2% (2,843 students)Male students: 16.5% (2,723 students)Overall Median$16,500
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $7,500, less than completers ($16,500), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

30% of students who start here finish within six years, and 62% come back after first year. Most students who start here do not finish. That is the single most important number on this page. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
30%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
62%
Returning for their second year
What this means: Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $38,550 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$38,550
Earning > $25K
63%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$33,000$34,000$36,000$38,000$39,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$28,500

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$42,800

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$30,600

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$38,300

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$45,600

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $14,300, about 33% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 12.4 pts across 6 years
63%1yr69.3%3yr70.2%5yr75.4%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 75% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 3,357 students, a mid-sized community. Worth knowing: 46% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
3,357
Part-Time
28%
First-Generation
46%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
Hispanic 45.6% 1,530
White 35.8% 1,200
Black 5.8% 196
Other 5.7% 191
International 3.0% 99
Asian 1.3% 45
Hispanic: 45.6% (1,530 students)White: 35.8% (1,200 students)Black: 5.8% (196 students)Other: 5.7% (191 students)International: 3.0% (99 students)Asian: 1.3% (45 students)Total3,357

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Town: Remote Portales, New Mexico
Housing
Partly residential 730 beds available
Adult Learners
36% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure
Designation
Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Education graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus offers an extensive catalog of programs: 57 distinct programs across 23 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

2 Programs
6 Programs
3 Programs
1 Program
2 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 17 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.

Student : Faculty
17:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$7,573
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$44M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$72,377
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

160 instructional faculty across 4 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 26 16% $92,031
Associate Professors 30 19% $79,078
Assistant Professors 67 42% $68,229
Instructors 37 23% $60,644

Pros & Cons of Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Very affordable net price after aid
  • Accessible admissions for most applicants
  • First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
  • Class sizes are on the higher side
  • Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
  • First-year retention is below typical
  • Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
Best for: Based on the data, Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus is a fit for students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; families focused on keeping net cost low.

Frequently Asked Questions about Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus

The questions families ask most about Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus hard to get into?
Not especially. Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 91.7%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus?
91.7% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus?
Aim for 1060 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 830 and 1060 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus?
Aim for 23 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 17 and 23 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus cost?
Budget around $4,904 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus worth it?
On the numbers, yes: strong return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $38,550 a year against a net price of $4,904, about 7.9 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Liberal Arts, Education, General. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus graduates earn?
About $38,550 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus accredited?
Yes. Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus?
3,357 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus?
30% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus located?
Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus is located in Portales, New Mexico.
What programs does Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus offer?
57 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Liberal Arts, Education, General. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus?
17 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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