New Mexico Highlands University
Las Vegas, New Mexico · Website
$45,937
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$45,937
median earnings, 10 years after starting
New Mexico Highlands University is a public 4-year college in Las Vegas, New Mexico with 1,451 undergraduates and 1,101 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $14,838 a year (tuition and fees $7,416 in-state, $12,336 out-of-state). 26% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $45,937 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $11,399 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$14,838
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$7,416
Out-of-state $12,336
Admission rate
Open
Completion rate
26%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$11,399
About $121 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$45,937
Rank 1,891 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $14,838
- Tuition in-state
- $7,416
- Tuition out-of-state
- $12,336
- Cost of attendance
- $20,868
- Students with a need-based grant
- 45%
- Students with federal loans
- 18%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $13,511
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $13,947
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $15,175
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $16,508
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $16,530
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $4,800 in 2015-16 to $7,416 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- Open admission
- Undergraduates
- 1,451
- Graduate students
- 1,101
- Part-time students
- 36%
- Women
- 62%
- Students per teacher
- 10
- Completion rate
- 26%
- Retention rate
- 50%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 58
- Endowment
- $13.2M
- Other
- Hispanic-serving, Open admission
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 1,891 of 5,094 US colleges and 3 of 35 in New Mexico (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | NM median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $14,838 | $8,706 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $7,416 | $2,289 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | - | 89% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 26% | 32% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 50% | 60% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $11,399 | $11,356 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $38,952 | $32,960 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $45,937 | $38,550 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 42% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 64% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
58 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsMaster's | Master's | 140 | $25,000 | $50,653 | $59,318 | $59,571 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 82 | $16,325 | $41,352 | $53,566 | $47,382 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsOnlineMaster's | Master's | 69 | $28,531 | $62,039 | $82,774 | $103,485 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 63 | $13,000 | $34,750 | $52,517 | $52,119 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 55 | $11,399 | $39,271 | $57,821 | $68,257 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel ServicesOnlineMaster's | Master's | 45 | $27,000 | $48,494 | $60,034 | $60,111 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 41 | $10,000 | $88,137 | $97,309 | $88,910 |
| Curriculum and InstructionMaster's | Master's | 35 | Withheld | $57,281 | $67,891 | $63,399 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsGraduate certificate | Graduate certificate | 35 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 31 | $8,785 | $27,483 | $43,926 | $50,706 |
| Special Education and TeachingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 21 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $50,499 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasBachelor's | Bachelor's | 21 | Withheld | Withheld | $62,375 | $51,389 |
| Special Education and TeachingGraduate certificate | Graduate certificate | 17 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 15 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $57,214 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 14 | $23,292 | $26,461 | Withheld | $53,072 |
| Educational Administration and SupervisionMaster's | Master's | 13 | Withheld | $63,517 | $77,154 | $71,685 |
| Educational Administration and SupervisionGraduate certificate | Graduate certificate | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 10 | Withheld | $21,630 | $45,868 | $55,378 |
| Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's | Bachelor's | 9 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $63,293 |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $48,590 |
| Psychology, GeneralMaster's | Master's | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $64,711 |
| Biology, GeneralMaster's | Master's | 7 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $69,830 |
| ForestryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 6 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $58,784 |
| Special Education and TeachingMaster's | Master's | 6 | Withheld | $52,709 | $60,341 | $64,397 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 5 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $92,374 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Las Vegas and New Mexico on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in New Mexico
- Homes: Homes for sale in New Mexico
Questions and answers
How much does New Mexico Highlands University cost?
$14,838 a year is the average net price at New Mexico Highlands University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $7,416 for in-state students and $12,336 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $20,868. Families earning under $30,000 pay $13,511 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at New Mexico Highlands University?
New Mexico Highlands University has open admission: it accepts students who meet its basic requirements, such as a high school diploma.
How much do New Mexico Highlands University graduates earn?
$45,937 a year is the median pay of former New Mexico Highlands University students who work, 10 years after they started ($38,952 after 6 years). That ranks 1,891 of 5,094 US colleges and 3 of 35 in New Mexico. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's) at $88,137.
How much student debt do New Mexico Highlands University graduates have?
$11,399 is the median federal student loan debt of New Mexico Highlands University graduates, about $121 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 18% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at New Mexico Highlands University?
26% of first-time, full-time students at New Mexico Highlands University finish within 6 years. 50% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at New Mexico Highlands University?
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (140 master's graduates), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (82 bachelor's graduates), Business Administration, Management and Operations (69 master's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 58 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.