University of the Southwest
Hobbs, New Mexico · Also known as USW · Website
$45,389
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$45,389
median earnings, 10 years after starting
University of the Southwest is a private nonprofit 4-year college in Hobbs, New Mexico with 346 undergraduates and 784 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $16,927 a year (tuition and fees $16,670). 17% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $45,389 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $21,303 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$16,927
US median $17,138
Tuition and fees
$16,670
US median $11,837
Admission rate
Open
Completion rate
17%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$21,303
About $226 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$45,389
Rank 1,953 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
- $16,927
- Tuition and fees
- $16,670
- Cost of attendance
- $28,210
- Students with a need-based grant
- 55%
- Students with federal loans
- 64%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $15,384
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $14,090
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $15,943
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $20,077
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $21,985
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 $14,616 in 2015-16 to $16,670 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
- 346
- Graduate students
- 784
- Part-time students
- 7.2%
- Women
- 47%
- Students per teacher
- 21
- Completion rate
- 17%
- Retention rate
- 55%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 60
- Endowment
- $16.1M
- 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 1,953 of 5,094 US colleges and 4 of 35 in New Mexico (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | NM median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $16,927 | $8,706 | $22,320 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $16,670 | $2,289 | $31,170 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | - | 89% | 74% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 17% | 32% | 57% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 55% | 60% | 77% | 75% |
| Median debt | $21,303 | $11,356 | $24,287 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $36,600 | $32,960 | $44,392 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $45,389 | $38,550 | $52,928 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US private nonprofit 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 45% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 64% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
60 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student Counseling and Personnel ServicesOnlineMaster's | Master's | 39 | $41,000 | $54,966 | $59,588 | $60,111 |
| Curriculum and InstructionOnlineMaster's | Master's | 29 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $63,399 |
| Biology, GeneralOnlineMaster's | Master's | 28 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $69,830 |
| Special Education and TeachingOnlineMaster's | Master's | 18 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $64,397 |
| Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical StudiesOnlineMaster's | Master's | 16 | - | - | Withheld | - |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 14 | $22,250 | Withheld | $38,080 | $54,562 |
| Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and ResearchOnlineMaster's | Master's | 12 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $66,232 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 12 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $53,072 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessOnlineMaster's | Master's | 12 | $27,363 | $43,873 | $49,484 | $62,033 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsOnlineDoctoral | Doctoral | 12 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $113,566 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 9 | $23,000 | $40,282 | $47,402 | $47,382 |
| Psychology, GeneralOnlineMaster's | Master's | 8 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsOnlineMaster's | Master's | 8 | $71,750 | $44,508 | $47,483 | $59,571 |
| Human Resources Management and ServicesOnlineMaster's | Master's | 7 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $83,558 |
| Health and Medical Administrative ServicesOnlineMaster's | Master's | 6 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $89,981 |
| Educational Administration and SupervisionOnlineMaster's | Master's | 5 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $71,685 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 5 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $68,257 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsOnlineMaster's | Master's | 5 | Withheld | Withheld | $104,595 | $103,485 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 4 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $50,706 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied PsychologyOnlineMaster's | Master's | 4 | - | - | Withheld | - |
| Special Education and TeachingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 3 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $50,499 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 3 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $55,378 |
| CriminologyOnlineMaster's | Master's | 3 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 3 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $76,194 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesOnlineMaster's | Master's | 3 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $95,833 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Hobbs 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 University of the Southwest cost?
$16,927 a year is the average net price at University of the Southwest after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $16,670, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $28,210. Families earning under $30,000 pay $15,384 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at University of the Southwest?
University of the Southwest has open admission: it accepts students who meet its basic requirements, such as a high school diploma.
How much do University of the Southwest graduates earn?
$45,389 a year is the median pay of former University of the Southwest students who work, 10 years after they started ($36,600 after 6 years). That ranks 1,953 of 5,094 US colleges and 4 of 35 in New Mexico. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's) at $54,966.
How much student debt do University of the Southwest graduates have?
$21,303 is the median federal student loan debt of University of the Southwest graduates, about $226 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 64% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at University of the Southwest?
17% of first-time, full-time students at University of the Southwest finish within 6 years. 55% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of private nonprofit 4-year colleges is 57%.
What are the most popular majors at University of the Southwest?
Student Counseling and Personnel Services (39 master's graduates), Curriculum and Instruction (29 master's graduates), Biology, General (28 master's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 60 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.