Private nonprofit · University
University of the Southwest
Hobbs, New Mexico · Remote town
- —
- 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).
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
Higher than 5% · #9 of 10 in New Mexico
Higher than 9%
Higher than 25% · #3 of 10 in New Mexico
Cheaper than 64% · #8 cheapest of 10 in New Mexico
Lower than 65%
Lower than 8%
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
- Undergraduate34631%
- Graduate78469%
Undergraduates by gender
- 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)
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)
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.
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.
$15,943/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.
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.
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 $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
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Hobbs, NM US station (4.7 mi from campus).
What University of the Southwest 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 University of the Southwest
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare University of the Southwest side by side →
Salem College
Winston-Salem, North Carolina · Large city · 1 mi to Winston-Salem
- Students
- 423
- Admission
- 77%
- Net price
- $18k
- SAT
- 1082
- GPA
- 3.1
- Earnings
- $45k
Blackburn College
Carlinville, Illinois · Distant town · 36 mi to Springfield
- Students
- 471
- Admission
- 63%
- Net price
- $18k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $47k
Randall University
Moore, Oklahoma · Large suburb · 12 mi to Oklahoma City
- Students
- 267
- Admission
- 58%
- Net price
- $16k
- SAT
- 980
- GPA
- 2.9
- Earnings
- $42k
Oakland City University
Oakland City, Indiana · Distant rural · 28 mi to Evansville
- Students
- 499
- Admission
- 83%
- Net price
- $15k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $43k
University of Providence
Great Falls, Montana · Small city · 135 mi to Missoula
- Students
- 528
- Admission
- 50%
- Net price
- $18k
- SAT
- 980
- GPA
- 2.9
- Earnings
- $48k
York University
York, Nebraska · Remote town · 46 mi to Lincoln
- Students
- 428
- Admission
- 52%
- Net price
- $21k
- SAT
- 1022
- GPA
- 3.0
- Earnings
- $44k
Colleges near University of the Southwest
New Mexico Junior College
Hobbs, NM · Public · Associate · 2,175 students
Southeast New Mexico College
Carlsbad, NM · Public · Associate · 469 students
South Plains College
Levelland, TX · Public · Associate · 6,005 students
Odessa College
Odessa, TX · Public · Associate · 4,654 students
The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX · Public · Bachelor's · 3,911 students
Midland College
Midland, TX · Public · Certificate · 5,542 students
Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell Campus
Roswell, NM · Public · Certificate · 1,300 students
New Mexico Military Institute
Roswell, NM · Public · Associate · 331 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.













