Colleges in New Mexico: Universities, Trade and Technical Schools

New Mexico Colleges Summary

The National Center for Education Statistics lists more than 50 higher education institutions in New Mexico — including 10 branch community colleges, seven independent community colleges, nine public four-year schools and almost a dozen private four-year schools.

The largest schools in the state are the main campus of the University of New Mexico and Central New Mexico Community College — both of which have undergraduate populations of more than 24,000 students.

There are ten private colleges in New Mexico, including the Computer Career Center in Las Cruces. The state also has several technical and vocational schools, with programs in tourism, industrial arts, and health care services.

New Mexico Colleges: A Few Highlights

Several public four-year universities in New Mexico offer comprehensive curricula. For example, Eastern New Mexico University offers more than 90 degree programs, including more than 30 online programs. And New Mexico Highlands University has more than 50 undergraduate and 25 graduate degree programs. The New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology has an intensive STEM-related focus, offering more than 45 degree programs at the bachelor's to doctoral levels. Other strong research-focused schools include New Mexico State University, and the University of New Mexico.

Education Initiatives in New Mexico

An initiative known as Gear Up New Mexico aims to prepare high school students for higher education and also improve access and opportunities within state colleges and universities for all students. New Mexico participates in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), which sets national standards for distance education, making it easier for students to take online courses offered by postsecondary institutions based in other states.

For more information on the New Mexico Higher Education Department, see: http://www.hed.state.nm.us/

Sources:

• CollegeCalc, Accessed March 2018, http://www.collegecalc.org/colleges/new-mexico/private/
• Eastern New Mexico University, Accessed April 2018, https://www.enmu.edu/academics/degrees-programs
• New Mexico Higher Education Department, Accessed March 2018, http://www.hed.state.nm.us/
• New Mexico Highlands University, Accessed April 2018, http://www.nmhu.edu/
• New Mexico Tech, Accessed April 2018, http://w17.nmt.edu/index.php