Public · University
New Mexico Highlands University
Las Vegas, New Mexico · Remote town
- —
- Admit rate
- $14,838
- Avg net price
- 26%
- Graduation rate
- $45,937
- Median earnings
New Mexico Highlands University is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Las Vegas, New Mexico (remote town setting), enrolling 1,451 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).
About Las Vegas, New Mexico
Las Vegas is a city in the state of New Mexico in the United States. Las Vegas was established in 1835 after a group of settlers received a land grant from the Mexican government. (The land had previously been granted to Luis María Cabeza de Baca, whose family later received a settlement.) The town was laid out in the traditional Spanish Colonial style, with a central plaza surrounded by buildings that could serve as fortifications in case of attack. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Remote town
- Highest degree offered
- Graduate
- Nearest big city
- 88 miles to Albuquerque, NM
- To the ocean
- 546 miles
- Nearest airport
- 49 miles to Santa Fe (SAF)
How New Mexico Highlands University compares
Higher than 9% · #8 of 10 in New Mexico
Higher than 5%
Higher than 26% · #2 of 10 in New Mexico
Cheaper than 74% · #6 cheapest of 10 in New Mexico
Lower than 96%
Lower than 76%
Larger than 48%
Percentiles compare New Mexico Highlands University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in New Mexico.
Student body
Undergraduate vs. graduate
- Undergraduate1,45157%
- Graduate1,10143%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women91263%
- Men53937%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White17%
- Black4.5%
- Hispanic61%
- Other or multiracial17%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 1,451
- Graduate enrollment
- 1,101
- Student–faculty ratio
- 10 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 45%
- First-generation students
- 45%
- Students over 25
- 41%
- Median family income
- $24,029
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $52,407
- Endowment
- $13,151,236
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 231 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From New Mexico75%
- Other U.S. states17%
- International8.2%
Most first-years stay in state — New Mexico Highlands University draws overwhelmingly from New Mexico.
8% came from outside the U.S. 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
- $7,416
- Out-of-state tuition
- $12,336
- Room & board
- $10,116
- Books & supplies
- $1,158
- Total cost of attendance
- $20,868
- Average net price
- $14,838
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 (within 6 years)
- 26%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 4%
- First-year retention
- 50%
- Transferred to another college
- 25%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $38,952
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $45,937
- Median debt at graduation
- $11,399
- Students with federal loans
- 18%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 34%
About 22% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
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
- Yes
- Dorm capacity
- 518
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 36%
- Housing charge (year)
- $4,914
- Meal plan (year)
- $4,760
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- NCAA Division II with football
- Football conference
- Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
- Varsity athletes
- 320 (188 men · 132 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 (9)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- A
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.1 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 1
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (2,704 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.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
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.
Four-year (or more) true cost
Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.
$15,175/year × about 5.3 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.
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: 80% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $2,422. 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 225 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)
- $45,937
- Typical debt at graduation
- $11,399
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 25%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 52%
Typical debt would take roughly 2.5 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
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.
Men out-earn women by $904 (2%) 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
- 85°F
- Winter low
- 11°F
- Annual rain
- 16.7″
- Annual snow
- 22″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Las Vegas Wwtp, NM US station (2 mi from campus).
What New Mexico Highlands University 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 New Mexico Highlands University
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare New Mexico Highlands University side by side →
Western Colorado University
Gunnison, Colorado · Remote town · 115 mi to Colorado Springs
- Students
- 1,586
- Admission
- 100%
- Net price
- $16k
- SAT
- 1230
- GPA
- 3.5
- Earnings
- $47k
Northern State University
Aberdeen, South Dakota · Remote town · 128 mi to Fargo
- Students
- 1,273
- Admission
- 93%
- Net price
- $16k
- SAT
- 1089
- GPA
- 3.1
- Earnings
- $48k
Black Hills State University
Spearfish, South Dakota · Distant town · 43 mi to Rapid City
- Students
- 1,928
- Admission
- 96%
- Net price
- $16k
- SAT
- 1087
- GPA
- 3.1
- Earnings
- $47k
West Liberty University
West Liberty, West Virginia · Fringe rural · 37 mi to Pittsburgh
- Students
- 1,511
- Admission
- 97%
- Net price
- $15k
- SAT
- 1045
- GPA
- 3.0
- Earnings
- $43k
Lincoln University
Lincoln University, Pennsylvania · Large suburb · 26 mi to Lancaster
- Students
- 1,539
- Admission
- 66%
- Net price
- $15k
- SAT
- 920
- GPA
- 2.7
- Earnings
- $43k
SUNY College at Potsdam
Potsdam, New York · Remote town · 88 mi to Burlington
- Students
- 1,823
- Admission
- 78%
- Net price
- $14k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $48k
Colleges near New Mexico Highlands University
Luna Community College
Las Vegas, NM · Public · Certificate · 423 students
St. John's College
Santa Fe, NM · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 368 students
Southwest University of Naprapathic Medicine
Santa Fe, NM · Private for-profit · Graduate
Vogue College of Cosmetology-Santa Fe
Santa Fe, NM · Private for-profit · Certificate · 55 students
Santa Fe Community College
Santa Fe, NM · Public · Certificate · 3,369 students
Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development
Santa Fe, NM · Public · Bachelor's · 334 students
Glitz School of Cosmetology - Santa Fe Campus
Santa Fe, NM · Private for-profit · Certificate · 35 students
Southwestern College
Santa Fe, NM · Private nonprofit · Graduate
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.













