# New Mexico State University (NMSU)

Public college in Las Cruces, NM. IPEDS ID 188030.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/new-mexico-state-university-main-campus · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/new-mexico-state-university-main-campus.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 89% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $8,889 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 55%; beats 90% of NM colleges and 53% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $39,067; beats 40% of NM colleges and 11% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $10,250

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $6,648 |
| 30-48k | $7,424 |
| 48-75k | $9,861 |
| 75-110k | $13,146 |
| 110k+ | $14,049 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, in-state. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.46 years on average (32% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $39,067 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $30,723 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NM (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $6,648 | $29,650 | 3.6 years |
| 30-48k | $7,424 | $33,111 | 4.0 years |
| 48-75k | $9,861 | $43,980 | 5.3 years |
| 75-110k | $13,146 | $58,631 | 7.0 years |
| 110k+ | $14,049 | $62,659 | 7.5 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $23,274 in-state; about $40,398 out-of-state
- Tuition and fees: $8,183 in-state, $25,307 out-of-state
- Housing and meals: $12,026; books: $1,240

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 450–570; SAT math: 420–540; ACT: 17–24 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 15,201 applicants, 11,511 admitted, 2,391 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 89%, ACT 17–24 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 76%, ACT 17–24 (IPEDS Admissions)

## Majors (79 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering | $68,002 | $96,510 | $24,537 |
| Electrical Engineering | $82,790 | $95,683 | $23,250 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $63,674 | $94,024 | $21,261 |
| Chemical Engineering | $75,766 | $90,091 | $15,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $62,813 | $85,742 | $18,759 |
| Engineering Technologies / Technicians | $60,250 | $81,690 | $22,000 |
| Nursing | $73,229 | $78,951 | $20,500 |
| Civil Engineering | $60,212 | $74,115 | $13,382 |
| Finance | $48,868 | $68,890 | $15,670 |
| Agricultural Business | $41,268 | $63,139 | not reported |
| Marketing | $33,191 | $63,115 | $21,297 |
| Business | $39,442 | $60,970 | $24,225 |
| Special Education | $31,963 | $58,953 | $19,000 |
| Accounting | $38,057 | $57,219 | $14,750 |
| Business Administration | $35,599 | $54,077 | $20,000 |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | not reported | $53,428 | not reported |
| Biology | $26,533 | $52,567 | $20,312 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $45,016 | $51,972 | $15,112 |
| Political Science | $35,393 | $51,641 | $21,500 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $41,888 | $51,592 | $24,705 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $23,701 | $50,998 | $20,500 |
| Social Work | $33,510 | $50,295 | $24,500 |
| Criminal Justice | $29,553 | $49,834 | $20,642 |
| Hospitality Management | $29,942 | $49,444 | $21,085 |
| Dietetics | not reported | $49,080 | not reported |
| Sociology | $31,376 | $48,419 | $24,986 |
| Journalism | $32,825 | $45,765 | $18,250 |
| Psychology | $26,250 | $45,637 | $17,725 |
| Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management | $33,603 | $44,272 | $16,449 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $31,568 | $43,872 | $24,656 |
| Public Health | $27,729 | $42,410 | $23,500 |
| Linguistics | $27,720 | $40,432 | $19,125 |
| Writing | not reported | $39,479 | not reported |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | $25,631 | $39,293 | $24,421 |
| Human Development and Family Studies | $25,965 | $38,142 | $20,938 |
| Film and Photography | $25,344 | $37,880 | $15,625 |
| Animal Sciences | $28,475 | $36,858 | $18,489 |
| Graphic Communications | $24,115 | $33,612 | $22,500 |
| English | not reported | $32,767 | $18,800 |
| Theatre | $17,980 | $30,355 | $17,009 |
| Visual and Performing Arts | $18,470 | $27,875 | $28,000 |
| Agriculture | $26,666 | not reported | $22,993 |
| Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Agricultural Public Services | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Food Science and Technology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Plant Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Soil Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Environmental / Natural Resources Management and Policy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| City / Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Ethnic / Gender Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Communications | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Engineering Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Industrial Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Geological / Geophysical Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Engineering-Related Technologies / Technicians | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Apparel and Textiles | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biochemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Botany / Plant Biology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | $36,198 | not reported | not reported |
| Genetics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Philosophy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Geology / Earth Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Community Organization and Advocacy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Anthropology | $12,059 | not reported | not reported |
| Economics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Geography | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Dance | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Studio Art | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Music | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| International Business | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| History | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Criminal Justice → Police officer: median wage $60,720 (Las Cruces, NM), $69,180 (NM), $76,210 (U.S.)
- Nursing → Registered nurse: median wage $83,310 (Las Cruces, NM), $94,340 (NM), $97,550 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).