Private nonprofit · University

University of the Southwest

Hobbs, New Mexico · Remote town

#3 for grad earnings in New Mexico
Admit rate
$16,927
Avg net price
17%
Graduation rate
$45,389
Median earnings

University of the Southwest is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Hobbs, New Mexico (remote town setting), enrolling 346 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).

Private nonprofitSmall · 346 undergradsRemote townNAIA Division ICold winters

About Hobbs, New Mexico

Hobbs is a city in Lea County, New Mexico, United States. Hobbs was founded in 1907 when James Isaac Hobbs established a homestead and named the settlement. In 1910, the Hobbs post office opened, with James Hobbs as the first postmaster. By 1911, about 25 landowners lived in Hobbs. Located in Hobbs are the headquarters of the Soaring Society of America and Zia Park Casino, Hotel, and Racetrack, which offers live and simulcast racing, casino games, dining, and a 154-room hotel. The property is owned and operated by Penn National Gaming, Inc. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Remote town
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
84 miles to Midland, TX
To the ocean
478 miles
Nearest airport
6 miles to Lea County (HOB)

How University of the Southwest compares

Graduation rate17%

Higher than 5% · #9 of 10 in New Mexico

First-year retention55%

Higher than 9%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$45,389

Higher than 25% · #3 of 10 in New Mexico

Average net price$16,927

Cheaper than 64% · #8 cheapest of 10 in New Mexico

Median debt at graduation$21,303

Lower than 65%

Student–faculty ratio21 : 1

Lower than 8%

Undergraduate enrollment346

Larger than 17%

Percentiles compare University of the Southwest 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

1,130students
  • Undergraduate34631%
  • Graduate78469%

Undergraduates by gender

346undergrads
  • Women16548%
  • Men18152%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White16%
  • Black7.8%
  • Hispanic65%
  • Asian0.9%
  • Other or multiracial10%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
346
Graduate enrollment
784
Student–faculty ratio
21 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
55%
First-generation students
47%
Students over 25
12%
Median family income
$33,345
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$33,633
Endowment
$16,137,893

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

Cost

In-state tuition
$16,670
Room & board
$8,100
Books & supplies
$0
Total cost of attendance
$28,210
Average net price
$16,927

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)
17%
Graduated on time (4 years)
13%
First-year retention
55%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$36,600
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$45,389
Median debt at graduation
$21,303
Students with federal loans
64%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
36%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
13%
Low-income (Pell)
40%

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
236
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
68%
Housing charge (year)
$4,000
Meal plan (year)
$4,000
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NAIA Division I
Varsity athletes
277 (170 men · 107 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 (7)

Soccer74
Baseball68
Basketball56
Softball28
Golf24
Volleyball15
Cross Country12

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

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

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (1,130 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.

0.3reported offenses a year
0 violent a year0.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
0.3

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.

< $30k
$15,384
$30–48k
$14,090
$48–75k
$15,943
$75–110k
$20,077
$110k+
$21,985

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.

Est. total to a degree
$69,082

$15,943/year × about 4.3 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.

92%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$6,950
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 92% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $6,950. 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 181 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)
$45,389
Typical debt at graduation
$21,303
Debt vs. one year's pay
47%
Out-earn a HS grad
64%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.7 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
$39,108
Men
$54,776

Men out-earn women by $15,668 (40%) 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
30°F
Annual rain
13.8″
Annual snow
1.8″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.01.32.5JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Hobbs, NM US station (4.7 mi from campus).

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 University of the Southwest

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare University of the Southwest side by side →

Colleges near University of the Southwest

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.