Public · Community college
Mesalands Community College
Tucumcari, New Mexico · Remote town
- 11%
- Transfer rate
- $9,445
- Avg net price
- 42%
- Grad / completion
- $32,272
- Median earnings
Mesalands Community College is a public certificate-granting institution in Tucumcari, New Mexico (remote town setting), enrolling 411 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.
About Tucumcari, New Mexico
Tucumcari is a city in and the county seat of Quay County, New Mexico, United States. In 1901, the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad built a construction camp in the western portion of modern-day Quay County. Originally called Ragtown, the camp became known as "Six Shooter Siding", due to numerous gunfights. The buildings formerly at Metropolitan Park (locally known as "Five Mile Park" because it is located about five miles (8 km) outside of town) were designed by Trent Thomas, adapted from his design of La Fonda Hotel in Santa Fe. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Remote town
- Highest degree offered
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- 108 miles to Amarillo, TX
- To the ocean
- 605 miles
- Nearest airport
- 64 miles to Clovis (CVN)
How Mesalands Community College compares
Higher than 28% · #11 of 29 in New Mexico
Higher than 27%
Higher than 40% · #21 of 24 in New Mexico
Cheaper than 72% · #20 cheapest of 30 in New Mexico
Lower than 73%
Larger than 59%
Percentiles compare Mesalands 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
- Women20951%
- Men20249%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White40%
- Black4.6%
- Hispanic50%
- Asian1.0%
- Other or multiracial4.4%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 411
- Student–faculty ratio
- 12 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 17%
- First-generation students
- 51%
- Students over 25
- 55%
- Median family income
- $15,651
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $48,708
- Endowment
- $1,382,914
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $2,136
- Out-of-state tuition
- $3,408
- Room & board
- —
- Books & supplies
- $1,700
- Total cost of attendance
- $15,975
- Average net price
- $9,445
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated
- 42%
- First-year retention
- 62%
- Transferred to another college
- 11%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $27,639
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $32,272
- Median debt at graduation
- —
- Students with federal loans
- 2%
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- No
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- NJCAA Division I
- Varsity athletes
- 22 (14 men · 8 women)
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Varsity sports (3)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- A
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.0 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (563 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
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.
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.
Modest institutional aid: 55% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $1,503. 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 73 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)
- $32,272
- Typical debt at graduation
- —
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- —
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 30%
The payoff is less clear-cut here — weigh the debt against the earnings and your intended field before borrowing heavily.
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.
Men out-earn women by $14,178 (59%) 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
- 94°F
- Winter low
- 25°F
- Annual rain
- 16.1″
- Annual snow
- 14.9″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Tucumcari 4 NE, NM US station (3.5 mi from campus).
What Mesalands Community College graduates study — and earn
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 Mesalands Community College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Mesalands Community College side by side →
New Mexico State University-Alamogordo
Alamogordo, New Mexico · Fringe rural · 86 mi to El Paso
- Students
- 591
- Tuition
- $3k
- Transfer
- 32%
- Earnings
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Luna Community College
Las Vegas, New Mexico · Fringe rural · 87 mi to Albuquerque
- Students
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- Tuition
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- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
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Northern New Mexico College
Espanola, New Mexico · Distant town · 71 mi to Albuquerque
- Students
- 926
- Tuition
- $6k
- Transfer
- 20%
- Earnings
- $38k
Tri-County Community College
Murphy, North Carolina · Remote rural · 62 mi to Knoxville
- Students
- 472
- Tuition
- $3k
- Transfer
- 10%
- Earnings
- $32k
Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute
Albuquerque, New Mexico · Large suburb · 6 mi to Albuquerque
- Students
- 215
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 12%
- Earnings
- $28k
Williamsburg Technical College
Kingstree, South Carolina · Distant town · 54 mi to Myrtle Beach
- Students
- 448
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 24%
- Earnings
- $30k
Colleges near Mesalands Community College
Clovis Community College
Clovis, NM · Public · Certificate · 1,309 students
Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus
Portales, NM · Public · Bachelor's · 3,357 students
New Mexico Highlands University
Las Vegas, NM · Public · Bachelor's · 1,451 students
Luna Community College
Las Vegas, NM · Public · Certificate · 423 students
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.