College Scorecard
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $21,562. College Scorecard.
Higher than 50% of New Mexico colleges we cover and 15% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 50% of New Mexico colleges we cover and 11% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Western New Mexico University acceptance rate & admissions
Test scores: College Scorecard. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Western New Mexico University 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)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Western New Mexico University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Western New Mexico University took 4.4 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 income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $8,381 | $37,212 | 4.4 years |
| $30–48k | $8,336 | $37,012 | 4.4 years |
| $48–75k | $12,493 | $55,469 | 6.6 years |
| $75–110k | n/a | — | not available |
| $110k+ | $13,210 | $58,652 | 7.0 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (16% 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 ($39,095) minus $30,723 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NM (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $8,372 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.
Western New Mexico University majors, earnings & careers
Western New Mexico University offers 35 bachelor's majors across 7 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 9
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 6
- Business & Finance · 5
- Education · 5
- Health & Medicine · 5
- Humanities & Languages · 3
- Arts & Design · 2
Highest-earning majors at Western New Mexico University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $84,626 | $31,088 |
| Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences | $56,548 | $22,708 |
| Social Work | $49,567 | $35,448 |
| Criminal Justice | $46,184 | $20,379 |
Quick list of all 35 majors
- Accounting—
- Biology—
- Botany / Plant Biology—
- Business—
- Business Administration—
- Cell / Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences—
- Chemistry—
- Criminal Justice$46,184
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Educational / Instructional Media Design—
- English—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- History—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Management Information Systems—
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Nursing$84,626
- Physical Sciences—
- Political Science—
- Psychology—
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences$56,548
- Social Sciences—
- Social Work$49,567
- Sociology—
- Special Education—
- Studio Art—
- Visual and Performing Arts—
- Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management—
- Zoology / Animal Biology—
— 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 →Social Work → Social worker
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 4.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Criminal Justice → Police officer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Silver City
2 bedrooms $1,070.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 17 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Grant County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Grant County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Western New Mexico University 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.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western New Mexico University | — | $8,522 | 32% | $39,095 | This school |
| New Mexico Highlands University | — | $14,838 | 26% | $45,937 | |
| Northern New Mexico College | — | $7,276 | 29% | $38,112 | |
| Navajo Technical University | — | $5,338 | 12% | $26,364 | |
| New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology | 44% | $9,873 | 57% | $76,489 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Western New Mexico University would cost you $6,316 less per year than New Mexico Highlands University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Western New Mexico University, mostly from higher housing & meal costs (+$1,266).
- Western New Mexico University gives aided families $7,010 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, New Mexico resident | Western New Mexico University | New Mexico Highlands University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $7,856 | $7,416 | +$440 |
| Books & supplies | $1,600 | $1,144 | +$456 |
| Housing & meals | $10,940 | $9,674 | +$1,266 |
| Personal & travel | $4,288 | $3,968 | +$320 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,122 | −$1,334 | −$1,788 |
| Sticker price | $21,562 | $20,868 | +$694 |
| Average grants | −$13,040 | −$6,030 | −$7,010 |
| You pay | $8,522 | $14,838 | −$6,316 |
“+” means Western New Mexico University 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 Western New Mexico University
How much does Western New Mexico University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $21,562 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $8,522 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $8,381 and families earning $110k+ pay $13,210.
How much do Western New Mexico University graduates earn?
Former Western New Mexico University students earn a median $39,095 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Western New Mexico University graduation rate?
32% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 58% return for their second year.
How long does a Western New Mexico University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Western New Mexico University costs about $55,469 after grants ($12,493 a year for 4.4 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $39,095 ten years after starting, $8,372 more than high school graduates in New Mexico ($30,723), so the cost is repaid in 6.6 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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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: “Western New Mexico University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/western-new-mexico-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).