Northern New Mexico College

Northern New Mexico College is a public college in Espanola, New Mexico. It graduates 29% of its students within six years, and its former students earn a median $38,112 ten years after starting college, more than 20% of the New Mexico colleges we cover.

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Yearly household income. Saved on this device only. No account needed.

Acceptance rate
Not reported

College Scorecard

What your family pays
$7,276 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $19,702. College Scorecard.

Graduation rate
29%

Higher than 40% of New Mexico colleges we cover and 11% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.

Within 6 years · College Scorecard

Earnings after college
$38,112

Higher than 20% of New Mexico colleges we cover and 9% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.

Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard

Northern New Mexico College acceptance rate & admissions

First-year students who return52%
Pell Grant recipients32%
First-generation students63%
Women / men69% / 31%

Test scores: College Scorecard. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS

Northern New Mexico College tuition, cost & net price

What families actually pay per year, by income

Average net price after grants and scholarships for New Mexico residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.

College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)

Sticker price (before aid)

Tuition & fees, in-state$6,400
Tuition & fees, out-of-state$14,328
Housing & meals, on campus—
Books & supplies$1,200
Total cost of attendance, in-state$19,702

IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard

Median debt at graduation$6,500
Loan default rate18.3%3-year rate, 2017 repayment cohort

College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal

Full cost breakdown, in-state vs out-of-state →

What Northern New Mexico College costs to finish, and how fast it pays back

Graduates of Northern New Mexico College took 4.6 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in New Mexico. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$7,187$33,2044.5 years
$30–48k$7,539$34,8304.7 years
$48–75k$6,811$31,4674.3 years
$75–110k$8,097$37,4085.1 years
$110k+n/a—not available

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.6 years, the average time graduates took (9% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($38,112) minus $30,723 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NM (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $7,389 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method

College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.

Best-value colleges in New Mexico for your income →

Northern New Mexico College majors, earnings & careers

Northern New Mexico College offers 13 bachelor's majors across 8 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.

  • Business & Finance · 3
  • Science & Math · 3
  • Engineering · 2
  • Education · 1
  • Health & Medicine · 1
  • Humanities & Languages · 1
  • Social Sciences & Public Service · 1
  • Technology & Computing · 1

Highest-earning majors at Northern New Mexico College

Not enough graduates in any one major to report earnings.

Quick list of all 13 majors
  • Accounting—
  • Biology—
  • Business—
  • Business Administration—
  • Computer and Information Sciences—
  • Criminal Justice—
  • Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
  • Electrical / Electronic Engineering Technologies / Technicians—
  • Electromechanical Technologies / Technicians—
  • Environmental Science / Conservation—
  • Liberal Arts / General Studies—
  • Mathematics—
  • Nursing—

— means too few graduates to report earnings.

College Scorecard field of study, latest release

All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →

Environmental Science / Conservation → Environmental scientist

$86,630
New Mexico
$82,220
U.S.

Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 6.1% from 2025 to 2035.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35

Computer and Information Sciences → Software developer

$124,520
New Mexico
$135,980
U.S.

Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.2% from 2025 to 2035.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35

Living in Espanola

Off-campus rent, 1 bedroom
$833/mo

2 bedrooms $1,014.

HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027

Weather
48° / 91°

January and July average highs. 11 inches of rain a year, 11 inches of snow.

NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020

Natural hazard risk
Relatively Low

No hazard rated high.

FEMA National Risk Index, Rio Arriba County

Campus & students

Total enrollment (incl. graduate)1,310
First-year students from New Mexico94%
Next most common home statesTexas
AthleticsNAIA Division I · 1 sports
Undergraduate degrees awarded, 2023-2431% bachelor's · 38% associate · 31% certificates
Campus typePrimarily nonresidential
Student bodyHispanic 66% · White 14% · American Indian/Alaska Native 7% · Two or more 6%International 1%

IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute

Rio Arriba County at a glance

Population40,070
Median household income$57,155
Adults with a bachelor's degree19%
Median age42

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024

Compare Northern New Mexico College with similar schools

Similar public colleges in New Mexico by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.

SchoolAcceptanceYou'd payGraduationEarnings, 10 yrsPrice gap
Northern New Mexico College—$7,27629%$38,112This school
New Mexico Highlands University—$14,83826%$45,937
Western New Mexico University—$8,52232%$39,095
Navajo Technical University—$5,33812%$26,364
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology44%$9,87357%$76,489

College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.

Why the price is different

Northern New Mexico College would cost you $7,562 less per year than New Mexico Highlands University, on average.

  • Lower sticker price at Northern New Mexico College.
  • Northern New Mexico College gives aided families $6,396 more in grants, on average.
Per year, New Mexico residentNorthern New Mexico CollegeNew Mexico Highlands UniversityDifference
Sticker price$19,702$20,868−$1,166
Average grants−$12,426−$6,030−$6,396
You pay$7,276$14,838−$7,562

“+” means Northern New Mexico College costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.

Common questions about Northern New Mexico College

How much does Northern New Mexico College cost per year?

The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $19,702 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $7,276 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $7,187 and families earning $110k+ pay —.

How much do Northern New Mexico College graduates earn?

Former Northern New Mexico College students earn a median $38,112 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.

What is the Northern New Mexico College graduation rate?

29% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 52% return for their second year.

How long does a Northern New Mexico College degree take to pay off?

For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Northern New Mexico College costs about $31,467 after grants ($6,811 a year for 4.6 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $38,112 ten years after starting, $7,389 more than high school graduates in New Mexico ($30,723), so the cost is repaid in 4.3 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).

Is Northern New Mexico College the right fit for your family?

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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Northern New Mexico College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/northern-new-mexico-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).