Public · University
Western New Mexico University
Silver City, New Mexico · Remote town
- —
- Admit rate
- $8,522
- Avg net price
- 32%
- Graduation rate
- $39,095
- Median earnings
Western New Mexico University is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Silver City, New Mexico (remote town setting), enrolling 2,026 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).
About Silver City, New Mexico
Silver City is a town in Grant County, New Mexico, United States. The valley that is now the site of Silver City once served as an Apache campsite. With the arrival of the Spaniards, the area became known for its copper mining. Silver City is home to many musicians and artists and has a thriving downtown arts district. The Silco Theater, built in 1923, was renovated and re-opened on February 26, 2016, as a 156-seat community movie house. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Remote town
- Highest degree offered
- Graduate
- Nearest big city
- 126 miles to El Paso, TX
- To the ocean
- 301 miles
- Nearest airport
- 12 miles to Grant County (SVC)
How Western New Mexico University compares
Higher than 13% · #7 of 10 in New Mexico
Higher than 11%
Higher than 12% · #6 of 10 in New Mexico
Cheaper than 94% · #2 cheapest of 10 in New Mexico
Lower than 53%
Lower than 59%
Larger than 58%
Percentiles compare Western New Mexico 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
- Undergraduate2,02669%
- Graduate90231%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women1,17058%
- Men85642%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White27%
- Black3.7%
- Hispanic56%
- Other or multiracial13%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 2,026
- Graduate enrollment
- 902
- Student–faculty ratio
- 12 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 43%
- First-generation students
- 48%
- Students over 25
- 38%
- Median family income
- $21,494
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $76,212
- Endowment
- $34,372,746
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $7,856
- Out-of-state tuition
- $14,342
- Room & board
- $10,940
- Books & supplies
- $900
- Total cost of attendance
- $21,562
- Average net price
- $8,522
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)
- 32%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 15%
- First-year retention
- 58%
- Transferred to another college
- 26%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $31,166
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $39,095
- Median debt at graduation
- $23,000
- Students with federal loans
- 22%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 31%
About 17% 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
- 382
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 19%
- Housing charge (year)
- $5,990
- Meal plan (year)
- $4,950
- Application fee
- $30
- Athletics
- NCAA Division II with football
- Football conference
- Lone Star Conference
- Varsity athletes
- 270 (182 men · 88 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 (8)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- B
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 1.0 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 6
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 5
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (3,531 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.
$12,493/year × about 4.8 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: 35% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $7,937. 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 257 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)
- $39,095
- Typical debt at graduation
- $23,000
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 59%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 43%
Typical debt would take roughly 5.9 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 $7,861 (22%) 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
- 90°F
- Winter low
- 30°F
- Annual rain
- 16.2″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, FT Bayard, NM US station (7.8 mi from campus).
What Western New Mexico 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 Western New Mexico University
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Western New Mexico University side by side →
Gordon State College
Barnesville, Georgia · Distant town · 33 mi to Macon
- Students
- 2,544
- Admission
- 86%
- Net price
- $8k
- SAT
- 1023
- GPA
- 3.0
- Earnings
- $38k
Savannah State University
Savannah, Georgia · Midsize city · 4 mi to Savannah
- Students
- 2,833
- Admission
- —
- Net price
- $8k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $38k
University of the Virgin Islands
Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands · Fringe rural · 75 mi to San Juan
- Students
- 1,518
- Admission
- 99%
- Net price
- $7k
- SAT
- 938
- GPA
- 2.7
- Earnings
- $39k
University of Guam
Mangilao, Guam · Midsize suburb
- Students
- 2,515
- Admission
- —
- Net price
- $9k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $36k
University of Maine at Presque Isle
Presque Isle, Maine · Fringe rural · 235 mi to Portland
- Students
- 1,913
- Admission
- 100%
- Net price
- $7k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $41k
Kentucky State University
Frankfort, Kentucky · Distant town · 22 mi to Lexington
- Students
- 1,309
- Admission
- 96%
- Net price
- $8k
- SAT
- 870
- GPA
- 2.6
- Earnings
- $36k
Colleges near Western New Mexico University
Eastern Arizona College
Thatcher, AZ · Public · Certificate · 2,643 students
New Mexico State University-Dona Ana
Las Cruces, NM · Public · Associate · 5,177 students
New Mexico State University-Main Campus
Las Cruces, NM · Public · Bachelor's · 11,946 students
Glitz School of Cosmetology
Las Cruces, NM · Private for-profit · Certificate · 124 students
Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine
Las Cruces, NM · Private for-profit · 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.











