Western New Mexico University
Silver City, New Mexico · Website
$39,095
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$39,095
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Western New Mexico University is a public 4-year college in Silver City, New Mexico with 2,026 undergraduates and 902 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $8,522 a year (tuition and fees $7,856 in-state, $14,342 out-of-state). 32% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $39,095 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $23,000 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$8,522
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$7,856
Out-of-state $14,342
Admission rate
Open
Completion rate
32%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$23,000
About $244 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$39,095
Rank 2,823 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
- $8,522
- Tuition in-state
- $7,856
- Tuition out-of-state
- $14,342
- Cost of attendance
- $21,562
- Students with a need-based grant
- 43%
- Students with federal loans
- 22%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $8,381
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $8,336
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $12,493
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $13,210
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 $5,704 in 2015-16 to $7,856 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
- 2,026
- Graduate students
- 902
- Part-time students
- 38%
- Women
- 67%
- Students per teacher
- 12
- Completion rate
- 32%
- Retention rate
- 58%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 80
- Endowment
- $34.4M
- 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 2,823 of 5,094 US colleges and 11 of 35 in New Mexico (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | NM median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $8,522 | $8,706 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $7,856 | $2,289 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | - | 89% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 32% | 32% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 58% | 60% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $23,000 | $11,356 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $31,166 | $32,960 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $39,095 | $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. 38% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 52% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
80 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social WorkOnlineMaster's | Master's | 179 | $39,487 | $55,907 | $63,313 | $65,123 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 74 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $44,125 |
| Social WorkOnlineGraduate certificate | Graduate certificate | 56 | $38,204 | $54,127 | Withheld | $69,362 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 42 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $47,382 |
| Social WorkOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 37 | $29,330 | $42,250 | $49,567 | $51,790 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 33 | $25,481 | $73,666 | $84,626 | $88,910 |
| Precision Metal WorkingCertificate | Certificate | 31 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $48,702 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsOnlineMaster's | Master's | 29 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $59,916 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsOnlineGraduate certificate | Graduate certificate | 28 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $63,709 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsOnlineMaster's | Master's | 27 | Withheld | $62,565 | $95,128 | $103,485 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's | Associate's | 25 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $48,733 |
| Psychology, GeneralOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 21 | Withheld | $31,591 | Withheld | $50,706 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 19 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $55,693 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 18 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $54,562 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 18 | $13,750 | $32,386 | $46,184 | $55,378 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 18 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $68,257 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 14 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $37,656 |
| Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's | Associate's | 13 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $67,792 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherOnlineMaster's | Master's | 13 | Withheld | $48,453 | $60,521 | $75,122 |
| Educational Administration and SupervisionOnlineMaster's | Master's | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $71,685 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel ServicesOnlineMaster's | Master's | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $60,111 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsCertificate | Certificate | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $57,702 |
| Wildlife and Wildlands Science and ManagementBachelor's | Bachelor's | 10 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $45,338 |
| Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/TechniciansCertificate | Certificate | 10 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $49,492 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic ProfessionsOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 9 | $18,175 | $34,345 | $56,548 | $55,792 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Silver City 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 Western New Mexico University cost?
$8,522 a year is the average net price at Western New Mexico University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $7,856 for in-state students and $14,342 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $21,562. Families earning under $30,000 pay $8,381 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Western New Mexico University?
Western New Mexico University has open admission: it accepts students who meet its basic requirements, such as a high school diploma.
How much do Western New Mexico University graduates earn?
$39,095 a year is the median pay of former Western New Mexico University students who work, 10 years after they started ($31,166 after 6 years). That ranks 2,823 of 5,094 US colleges and 11 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 $73,666.
How much student debt do Western New Mexico University graduates have?
$23,000 is the median federal student loan debt of Western New Mexico University graduates, about $244 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 22% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Western New Mexico University?
32% of first-time, full-time students at Western New Mexico University finish within 6 years. 58% 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 Western New Mexico University?
Social Work (179 master's graduates), Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (74 associate's graduates), Social Work (56 graduate certificate graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 80 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.