Public · Community college

Eastern New Mexico University Ruidoso Branch Community College

Ruidoso, New Mexico · Remote town

#2 best value in New Mexico

17%
Transfer rate: $2,042
Avg net price: 29%
Grad / completion: $38,550
Median earnings

Eastern New Mexico University Ruidoso Branch Community College is a public certificate-granting institution in Ruidoso, New Mexico (remote town setting), enrolling 377 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.

PublicSmall · 377 undergradsRemote townCold winters

About Ruidoso, New Mexico

Ruidoso is a village in Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States, adjacent to the Lincoln National Forest. Along the eastern foothills of White Mountain, retired army Captain Paul Dowlin built Dowlin’s Mill where the Carrizo Creek and Rio Ruidoso merge. He had served at nearby Fort Stanton. The Mill was also a general store, dance hall, and moonshine supply. (Wikipedia)

Setting: Remote town
Highest degree offered: Associate
Nearest big city: 119 miles to El Paso, TX
To the ocean: 456 miles
Nearest airport: 66 miles to Roswell Air Center (ROW)

How Eastern New Mexico University Ruidoso Branch Community College compares

Graduation rate29%

Higher than 11% · #18 of 29 in New Mexico

First-year retention33%

Higher than 4%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$38,550

Higher than 63% · #9 of 24 in New Mexico

Average net price$2,042

Cheaper than 98% · #2 cheapest of 30 in New Mexico

Median debt at graduation$16,500

Lower than 11%

Student–faculty ratio11 : 1

Lower than 78%

Undergraduate enrollment377

Larger than 57%

Percentiles compare Eastern New Mexico University Ruidoso Branch Community College with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in New Mexico.

Student body

Undergraduates by gender

Women21958%
Men15842%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

White29%
Black3.2%
Hispanic39%
Asian1.6%
Other or multiracial28%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment: 377
Student–faculty ratio: 11 : 1
Pell Grant recipients: 14%
First-generation students: 46%
Students over 25: 36%
Median family income: $28,573
Avg faculty salary (academic year): $61,893
Endowment: $1,000,197

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 86 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

From New Mexico81%
Other U.S. states19%

Most first-years stay in state — Eastern New Mexico University Ruidoso Branch Community College draws overwhelmingly from New Mexico.

Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Cost

In-state tuition: $1,372
Out-of-state tuition: $3,268
Room & board: —
Books & supplies: $950
Total cost of attendance: $9,907
Average net price: $2,042

Outcomes

Graduated: 29%
First-year retention: 33%
Transferred to another college: 17%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry: $33,619
Median earnings, 10 years after entry: $38,550
Median debt at graduation: $16,500
Students with federal loans: 1%
Paying down their loans (1 year in): 43%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students

29%

Low-income (Pell)

27%

First-generation

27%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing: No
Application fee: Free

Campus safety

Safety grade: A
Reported offenses per 1,000 students: 0.0 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024): 0
Property offenses (2022–2024): 0

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k

$736

$30–48k

$2,495

$48–75k

$5,724

$75–110k

$5,931

$110k+

—

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

65%

of first-years get a grant from the school

$519

average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 65% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $519. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 40 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years): $38,550
Typical debt at graduation: $16,500
Debt vs. one year's pay: 43%
Out-earn a HS grad: 44%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.3 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women

$34,770

Men

$44,738

Men out-earn women by $9,968 (29%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high: 82°F
Winter low: 21°F
Annual rain: 22″
Annual snow: 26.2″

Average temperature

HighLow

Average precipitation (inches)

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Ruidoso, NM US station (1.7 mi from campus).

What Eastern New Mexico University Ruidoso Branch Community College graduates study — and earn

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssoc.

30 grads$21k 1 yr$41k 5 yr$11k debt

30$21,129$41,363$11,110 Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing AssistantsCert.

15 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

15———Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementCert.

10 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

10———Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementAssoc.

7 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

7———Culinary Arts and Related ServicesCert.

4 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

4———Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssoc.

4 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

4———Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesCert.

3 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

3———Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesCert.

3 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

3———Fire ProtectionAssoc.

3 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

3———Health/Medical Preparatory ProgramsCert.

3 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

3———Psychology, GeneralAssoc.

2 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

2———Precision Metal WorkingCert.

2 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

2———

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Eastern New Mexico University Ruidoso Branch Community College

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Eastern New Mexico University Ruidoso Branch Community College side by side →

Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell Campus

Public

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Students: 1,300
Tuition: $2k
Transfer: 2%
Earnings: $39k

Clovis Community College

Public

Clovis, New Mexico · Remote town · 94 mi to Lubbock

Students: 1,309
Tuition: $2k
Transfer: 16%
Earnings: $34k

Luna Community College

Public

Las Vegas, New Mexico · Fringe rural · 87 mi to Albuquerque

Students: 423
Tuition: $1k
Transfer: 0%
Earnings: $32k

Central Technology Center

Public

Drumright, Oklahoma · Distant rural · 35 mi to Tulsa

Students: 533
Tuition: —
Transfer: 0%
Earnings: $36k

Erwin Technical College

Public

Tampa, Florida · Large city · 3 mi to Tampa

Students: 581
Tuition: —
Transfer: 0%
Earnings: $38k

Cape Coral Technical College

Public

Cape Coral, Florida · Midsize city · 7 mi to Fort Myers

Students: 278
Tuition: —
Transfer: 0%
Earnings: $36k

Colleges near Eastern New Mexico University Ruidoso Branch Community College

New Mexico State University-Alamogordo

Alamogordo, NM · Public · Associate · 591 students

33 mi

Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell Campus

Roswell, NM · Public · Certificate · 1,300 students

67 mi

New Mexico Military Institute

Roswell, NM · Public · Associate · 331 students

67 mi

New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM · Public · Bachelor's · 995 students

86 mi

New Mexico State University-Dona Ana

Las Cruces, NM · Public · Associate · 5,177 students

92 mi

Glitz School of Cosmetology

Las Cruces, NM · Private for-profit · Certificate · 124 students

95 mi

Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine

Las Cruces, NM · Private for-profit · Graduate

96 mi

New Mexico State University-Main Campus

Las Cruces, NM · Public · Bachelor's · 11,946 students

96 mi

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.