Best Colleges in New Mexico of 2024

Located in Albuquerque, on a beautiful campus of nearly 800 acres, The University of New Mexico offers a wide breadth of majors with over 215 degrees and certificates, a supportive campus culture, and a freshman retention rate of 79%, proving that student satisfaction is one of its many accolades. As the flagship university of New Mexico, the school also offers a rich history of alums and traditions, alongside a dedication to tuition affordability with around $50 million in scholarships awarded every year. Additionally, they offer access to some of the best healthcare and medical learning in the state, as the UNM Health Sciences Center has the only Trauma 1 hospital in the state.

New Mexico State University stands out for its rigorous dedication to research and teaching with a range of well-ranked degree programs. In addition to high rankings for its Nursing School and a graduate degree in Engineering, its teaching program stands out as the best in class. The National Science Foundation has ranked them number one among their peer schools of minority-serving institutions for science and engineering funding. Additionally, The Brookings Institution has ranked New Mexico University number 2 in the nation for publicly funded universities that provide opportunities for social mobility to students.

Well ranked for its engineering programs, New Mexico Tech offers a comprehensive STEM education that is highly regarded for advancing social mobility for underrepresented students, as well as being ranked #1 by Niche.com for public universities in New Mexico. Located in Socorro, New Mexico, NMT graduates often go on to pursue PhDs. Ranking 18th on the list of top 50 schools for producing Ph.D. students by the National Science Foundation, New Mexico Tech is also ranked 6th among all Physical Science and Earth Science Universities. New Mexico Tech offers value and education for those pursuing degrees in science that can't be beaten.

Eastern New Mexico University is located on a beautiful 400-acre campus in Portales, New Mexico. ENMU offers a wide range of majors, at both the undergraduate and graduate level, with particularly strong showings in education, the fine arts, and anthropology. With an easy transfer process, including full credit transfers from several partnership programs, ENMU prides itself on ensuring that transfer students smoothly enter student life. For science fiction fans, ENMU offers the Jack Williamson Science Fiction Library, considered one of the top science fiction collections in the world, with over 30,000 volumes, some dating back to the early 1900s.

Built on a foundation of Christian values and servant leadership philosophy, in 1962, this university offers in-person and online classes that enrich students' lives and their faiths. Their Christ-centered teaching helps students to find their responsibility and initiative to lead fulfilling lives once they have graduated. Additionally, U.S. News and World Reports have ranked them one of the Top Online Education Programs and Top Online Business Programs. Located in Hobbs, New Mexico, the university has a beautiful rural setting that allows students to be fully immersed in their studies.

With an affordable price, an excellent student-faculty ratio of 15 to 1, and a wide range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs, New Mexico Highlands University is an excellent choice for students. Particularly noteworthy is the Facundo Valdez School of Social Work, a program offering both undergraduate and graduate degrees in social work. The New Mexico Higher Education Department recently awarded the school part of a $20.5 million endowment. New Mexico Highlands University specifically received this endowment for its social work, education, and nursing degree programs. Located in Las Vegas, New Mexico, the school is also close to many natural areas for a chance to hike or gain some tranquility during the semester.

Located in Silver City, New Mexico, Western New Mexico University boasts an award-winning educational experience for its students. With an average student-to-faculty ratio of 18-to-1 and over 70 areas of study at the associate's, bachelor's, and master's degree levels. With a mix of historic and modern LEED-certified buildings, the campus is also an elegant hybrid offering a sense of its historic culture alongside the newest amenities. Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, their Education department has also been awarded the Best Practice Award. Future teachers can feel assured they will have an engaged education, with plenty of one-on-one care from their professors.

Northern New Mexico College, located in Espanola, New Mexico, offers an intimate campus with only around 600 undergraduate students. This provides a strong student-to-faculty ratio, with small class sizes of, on average, 12-15 students, which ensures every student gets the attention they need. Additionally, Northern New Mexico College is the most affordable four-year college in the state, with an average tuition of around $2500 a semester. While affordability is important, they also provide fantastic learning opportunities alongside this low cost, such as extensive research opportunities through partnership programs and programs such as the Wildfire Science Research in Carson National Forest.

In 1979, Navajo Technical University was founded as the Navajo Skill Center, which was started to ensure that the Navajo population would have their needs met. Over 40 years later, NTU still serves its community by offering a world-class science and technical education alongside a deep sense of tradition and history. Alongside certificates, associates, and bachelor's degrees in a wide variety of programs, NTU also offers a unique opportunity for cultural study with a Master's degree, specifically in Diné studies. It is also one of the only universities in the United States to offer a degree involving tribal administration, helping its students become involved with and lead their communities.