New Mexico Highlands University
Las Vegas, NM · Public · Town (remote) · NMHU
Public institution in Las Vegas, NM · 1,561 undergraduates · $45,937 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 8%Median graduate debt
- Top 15%In-state tuition & fees
- Top 19%Out-of-state tuition & fees
- Top 20%Student-faculty ratio
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $14,141607th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $7,260294th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $12,180390th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $21,046438th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $11,399151st lowest of 1,865 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $45,9371,300th highest of 1,954 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $38,9521,293rd highest of 1,950 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 25.6%1,847th highest of 2,014 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 56.9%1,661st highest of 1,837 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Average SAT
- —
- Median ACT
- —
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 1,5611,087th largest of 2,144 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 10.0:1427th smallest of 2,141 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 46.4%479th highest of 2,122 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 296 mi (DEN)
List appearances
This school doesn’t place in the top slice of any of our 111 lists. Most lists are Top 25–50, so absence here is common and says little on its own.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 34 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professions | bachelors | $75,204 | $81,031 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $37,208 | $33,637 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsHomeland Security & Law Enforcement | bachelors | $35,179 | $31,314 |
| Special Education and TeachingEducation | bachelors | $33,281 | $32,711 |
| ForestryNatural Resources | bachelors | $30,771 | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsEducation | bachelors | $30,288 | $29,685 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsHealth Professions | bachelors | $30,277 | $29,413 |
| Psychology, GeneralPsychology | bachelors | $26,353 | $25,938 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasEducation | bachelors | $25,452 | $20,444 |
| Area StudiesArea & Ethnic Studies | bachelors | — | — |
| Biology, GeneralBiological Sciences | bachelors | — | — |
| ChemistryPhysical Sciences | bachelors | — | — |
Campus facts
- Founded in 1893source
- Competes in NCAA Division IIsource
- School colors: Purple and Whitesource
- Athletic nickname: "Cowboys and Cowgirls"source
- Motto: "Artes, Scientiae, Humanitates"source
- Formerly known as "New Mexico Normal School" (1893–1902)source
- Formerly known as "New Mexico Normal University" (1902–1941)source
- Athletic conference: Rocky Mountainsource
- A [[National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program institutionsource
- A Space-grant]] institutionsource
- Fight song: ""Highlands Fight Song""source
- Notable alum: Eddie Guerrerosource
Athletics — 9 sports
NCAA Division II with football · NCAA Division II
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $1,882,154 (M $1,124,434 · W $757,720)
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cross Country
- Football
- Soccer
- Softball
- Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
- Volleyball
- Wrestling
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Similar-size colleges
Nearest undergraduate enrollment to New Mexico Highlands University’s 1,561 (College Scorecard UGDS, compiled 2026-10-24). Size only — not a judgment of similarity or quality.
In NM
- Western New Mexico UniversitySilver City, NM · 1,935 undergrads
- Navajo Technical UniversityCrownpoint, NM · 1,134 undergrads
- New Mexico Institute of Mining and TechnologySocorro, NM · 1,122 undergrads
- Northern New Mexico CollegeEspanola, NM · 859 undergrads
- St. John's CollegeSanta Fe, NM · 369 undergrads
- University of the SouthwestHobbs, NM · 337 undergrads
Elsewhere
- Virginia Military InstituteLexington, VA · 1,560 undergrads
- Hillsdale CollegeHillsdale, MI · 1,563 undergrads
- Florida Polytechnic UniversityLakeland, FL · 1,556 undergrads
- Pacific UniversityForest Grove, OR · 1,556 undergrads
- St. Mary's College of MarylandSt. Mary's City, MD · 1,566 undergrads
- Faulkner UniversityMontgomery, AL · 1,555 undergrads
Key links
- Official websitenmhu.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 187897)
- Compare colleges in NMRe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in New MexicoEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Compare with Western New Mexico UniversitySide by side on every Scorecard measure — closest in-state school by enrollment
- Showdown: New Mexico Highlands University vs Western New Mexico UniversityHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 9 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.