Public · Community college
New Mexico State University-Dona Ana
Las Cruces, New Mexico · Midsize city
- 14%
- Transfer rate
- $6,048
- Avg net price
- 19%
- Grad / completion
- $39,067
- Median earnings
New Mexico State University-Dona Ana is a public associate-granting institution in Las Cruces, New Mexico (midsize city setting), enrolling 5,177 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). Admission is open to all applicants.
About Las Cruces, New Mexico
Las Cruces is a city in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States, and its county seat. During the Mexican–American War, the Battle of El Bracito was fought nearby on Christmas Day, 1846. The settlement of Las Cruces was founded in 1849, when the US Army first surveyed the town, thus opening up the area for American settlement. The New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum is state-operated and shows the history of farming and ranching in New Mexico. It is located just east of New Mexico State University. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Midsize city
- Highest degree offered
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- 44 miles to El Paso, TX
- To the ocean
- 380 miles
- Nearest airport
- 12 miles to Las Cruces (LRU)
How New Mexico State University-Dona Ana compares
Higher than 4% · #26 of 29 in New Mexico
Higher than 29%
Higher than 65% · #6 of 24 in New Mexico
Cheaper than 86% · #15 cheapest of 30 in New Mexico
Lower than 10%
Lower than 23%
Larger than 92%
Percentiles compare New Mexico State University-Dona Ana 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
- Women2,98558%
- Men2,19242%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White15%
- Black1.9%
- Hispanic77%
- Asian0.6%
- Other or multiracial6.0%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 5,177
- Student–faculty ratio
- 21 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 35%
- First-generation students
- 44%
- Students over 25
- 27%
- Median family income
- $23,951
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $67,059
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 1,197 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From New Mexico89%
- Other U.S. states8.4%
- International2.7%
Most first-years stay in state — New Mexico State University-Dona Ana draws overwhelmingly from New Mexico.
3% 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
- $2,322
- Out-of-state tuition
- $6,360
- Room & board
- —
- Books & supplies
- $1,250
- Total cost of attendance
- $14,397
- Average net price
- $6,048
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
- 19%
- First-year retention
- 63%
- Transferred to another college
- 14%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $32,960
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $39,067
- Median debt at graduation
- $17,095
- Students with federal loans
- 9%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 38%
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
- No
- Application fee
- Free
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%.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- D
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 9.6 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 26
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 181
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 6 campuses (7,200 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.
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: 5% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $1,821. 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 934 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)
- $39,067
- Typical debt at graduation
- $17,095
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 44%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 44%
Typical debt would take roughly 4.4 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 $10,130 (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
- 96°F
- Winter low
- 30°F
- Annual rain
- 9.1″
- Annual snow
- 1″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, State Univ, NM US station (5.2 mi from campus).
What New Mexico State University-Dona Ana 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 State University-Dona Ana
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare New Mexico State University-Dona Ana side by side →
San Juan College
Farmington, New Mexico · Fringe rural · 144 mi to Albuquerque
- Students
- 4,304
- Tuition
- $2k
- Transfer
- 7%
- Earnings
- $37k
New Mexico Junior College
Hobbs, New Mexico · Remote town · 83 mi to Midland
- Students
- 2,175
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 15%
- Earnings
- $34k
Santa Fe Community College
Santa Fe, New Mexico · Fringe rural · 51 mi to Albuquerque
- Students
- 3,369
- Tuition
- $2k
- Transfer
- 16%
- Earnings
- $38k
Central New Mexico Community College
Albuquerque, New Mexico · Large city · 1 mi to Albuquerque
- Students
- 15,203
- Tuition
- $2k
- Transfer
- 19%
- Earnings
- $37k
Germanna Community College
Locust Grove, Virginia · Fringe rural · 54 mi to Washington
- Students
- 5,508
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 12%
- Earnings
- $40k
Bristol Community College
Fall River, Massachusetts · Large suburb · 17 mi to Providence
- Students
- 6,083
- Tuition
- $6k
- Transfer
- 7%
- Earnings
- $39k
Colleges near New Mexico State University-Dona Ana
Glitz School of Cosmetology
Las Cruces, NM · Private for-profit · Certificate · 124 students
New Mexico State University-Main Campus
Las Cruces, NM · Public · Bachelor's · 11,946 students
Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine
Las Cruces, NM · Private for-profit · Graduate
Western Technical College
El Paso, TX · Private for-profit · Associate · 600 students
The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX · Public · Bachelor's · 21,005 students
Southwest University at El Paso
El Paso, TX · Private for-profit · Associate · 2,073 students
Texas Tech University Health Scienes Center El Paso
El Paso, TX · Public · Bachelor's · 242 students
Pima Medical Institute-El Paso
El Paso, TX · Private for-profit · Certificate · 617 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.