Public Graduate Good 57/100

New Mexico Highlands University

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

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Las Vegas, New Mexico

About New Mexico Highlands University

Thinking about New Mexico Highlands University, a college in New Mexico where more students graduate in Education 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.

New Mexico Highlands University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Las Vegas, New Mexico. It enrolls 1,451 students (a small, tight-knit 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
—
Graduation
41%
Net Price
$14,838
Median Earnings (10yr)
$45,937
Enrollment
1,451
Student : Faculty
10:1

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 Open / Online), 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
57/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes 28
Value 47
Affordability 50
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

New Mexico Highlands University does not report an acceptance rate. Schools that do not publish one are usually open-admission, but confirm with the admissions office before you assume it.

Acceptance Rate
—
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported

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 $14,838 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. 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
$14,838
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
45%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
18%
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)
$7,416
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$12,336
Room & Board (on-campus)
$10,116
Room & Board (off-campus)
$11,284
Books & Supplies
$1,158
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$4,808
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,808
Total Cost of Attendance
$20,868

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
    $13,511
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $13,947
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $15,175
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $16,508
  • Over $110,000
    $16,530

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.

$2,669
10% percentile
$4,500
25% percentile
$11,399
Median percentile
$18,500
75% percentile
$25,000
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 $9,500 ↓ $1,899
No Pell $9,335 ↓ $2,064
Dependent students $7,500 ↓ $3,899
Independent students $10,500 ↓ $899
Female students $9,750 ↓ $1,649
Male students $9,335 ↓ $2,064
Pell recipients: 17.0% (1,937 students)No Pell: 16.7% (1,903 students)Dependent students: 13.4% (1,529 students)Independent students: 18.8% (2,140 students)Female students: 17.4% (1,987 students)Male students: 16.7% (1,903 students)Overall Median$11,399
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $6,500, less than completers ($11,399), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

41% of students who start here finish within six years, and 53% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. 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
41%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
53%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $45,937 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)
$45,937
Earning > $25K
72%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$38,000$40,000$42,000$45,000$47,0006 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
$36,800

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

Male graduates
$39,300

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


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$34,400

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

Family income (middle third)
$40,000

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

Family income (highest third)
$46,600

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

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 ↑ 19.0 pts across 6 years
53.2%1yr62.5%3yr68.5%5yr72.3%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 72% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,451 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 45% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
1,451
Part-Time
36%
First-Generation
45%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
Hispanic 61.0% 885
White 17.0% 247
Other 11.2% 163
Black 4.6% 66
International 3.0% 43
Asian 0.3% 4
Hispanic: 61.0% (885 students)White: 17.0% (247 students)Other: 11.2% (163 students)Black: 4.6% (66 students)International: 3.0% (43 students)Asian: 0.3% (4 students)Total1,451

Student Life & Campus Culture

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

Setting
Town: Remote Las Vegas, New Mexico
Housing
Partly residential 518 beds available
Adult Learners
41% 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 Health graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

New Mexico Highlands University offers an extensive catalog of programs: 50 distinct programs across 20 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.

4 Programs
3 Programs
3 Programs
1 Program
2 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 10 students for every instructor here: small classes, and staff who are likely to know your name.

Student : Faculty
10:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$17,729
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$10M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$68,430
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

137 instructional faculty across 5 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 29 21% $76,201
Associate Professors 30 22% $80,306
Assistant Professors 38 28% $51,117
Instructors 39 28% $70,646
No Rank 1 1% $58,246

Pros & Cons of New Mexico Highlands University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where New Mexico Highlands University 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
  • Below-average net price
  • Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
  • Tight-knit, close community feel
  • Wide reach of need-based federal aid
  • Low typical debt at graduation
  • First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
  • Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
  • Below-average completion rate
  • First-year retention is below typical
Best for: Based on the data, New Mexico Highlands University is a fit for students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.

Frequently Asked Questions about New Mexico Highlands University

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

How much does New Mexico Highlands University cost?
Budget around $14,838 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 New Mexico Highlands University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $45,937 a year against a net price of $14,838, about 3.1 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 New Mexico Highlands University known for?
Mostly Mental Health Services, Teacher Education (K-12), Business Administration. 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 New Mexico Highlands University graduates earn?
About $45,937 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 New Mexico Highlands University accredited?
Yes. New Mexico Highlands University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend New Mexico Highlands University?
1,451 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at New Mexico Highlands University?
41% 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 New Mexico Highlands University a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is New Mexico Highlands University located?
New Mexico Highlands University is located in Las Vegas, New Mexico.
What programs does New Mexico Highlands University offer?
50 different programs, most commonly Mental Health Services, Teacher Education (K-12), Business Administration. 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 New Mexico Highlands University?
10 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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