Percentile rankings vs 1,600+ peer institutions. Higher is better.
Career OutcomesAzimuth ranks University of New Mexico-Main Campus #151 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. University of New Mexico-Main Campus sits in the 87.0 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions, reflecting graduates who earn about $10,821 more than similar students at comparable institutions. Azimuth ranks University of New Mexico-Main Campus #158 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. --- University of New Mexico-Main Campus's composite ranking reflects a balance of access, mobility, and earnings that places it among the stronger-performing public universities in the Azimuth coverage set. Graduates earn median $59,818 four years after enrollment, and the university's earnings-beyond-expectations standing shows that students consistently outperform what their backgrounds and field choices would predict at comparable institutions.
Azimuth ranks University of New Mexico-Main Campus #151 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. A public university in Albuquerque, NM, University of New Mexico-Main Campus enrolls roughly 17,244 undergraduates. Retention stands at 76.2% and the six-year graduation rate is 54.7%, figures that reflect both the university's broad-access mission and the realities of serving a student body where 38.7% receive Pell Grants and 41.0% are first-generation college students. The composite is anchored by mobility and access. Azimuth ranks University of New Mexico-Main Campus in the 89.3 percentile for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions and in the 82.4 percentile for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. The university admits about 95.2% of applicants, maintaining a broad-access posture that channels a large share of low-income and first-generation students into degree programs concentrated in Health and related fields. That combination of wide enrollment and strong post-graduation outcomes for underserved students is what drives the university's composite position. Return on investment sits lower in the profile. Azimuth ranks University of New Mexico-Main Campus #473 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $10,821 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing University of New Mexico-Main Campus in the 87.0 percentile for among nonprofit four-year institutions. Affordability sits in the 81.7 percentile for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions, shaped by public-tuition pricing and need-based aid that reduces costs meaningfully for lower-income families. The earnings figures reflect NM's regional labor market and a student population whose post-graduation outcomes represent meaningful returns relative to the no-degree-equivalent baseline of $29,897, even where they fall below selective-peer averages.
University of New Mexico-Main Campus's published cost of attendance is $21,259. Net price by income band reflects the university's need-based aid structure: low-income families pay approximately $11,938, middle-income families pay around $16,196, and higher-income families pay approximately $19,053. Azimuth ranks University of New Mexico-Main Campus #261 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown. University of New Mexico-Main Campus meets demonstrated financial need through need-based aid, with aid packages combining federal grants, state aid, and institutional scholarships. The university participates in federal (Pell Grants, Direct Loans) and state financial aid programs. Families apply using the FAFSA to determine eligibility and aid awards. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $18,450, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $13,000; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the Parent PLUS risk framework for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For a graduate at University of New Mexico-Main Campus's median four-year earnings of $59,818, median federal debt of $18,450 projects to a monthly payment of about $208 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use Azimuth's Financial GPS tool.
University of Rhode Island is a strong fit for students drawn to health sciences, pharmacy, engineering, and applied professional fields who want a public research university experience in NM with solid long-term financial outcomes. Graduates earn in the 45.2 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, and University of New Mexico-Main Campus sits in the 87.0 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions — graduates earn about $10,821 more than similar students at comparable institutions, a meaningful signal for students weighing long-term return on investment. The institution enrolls 38.7% of undergraduates who receive Pell Grants and 41.0% who are first-generation students, with a Pell completion rate of 36.5% — figures that reflect a genuine commitment to access for cost-sensitive families. Median student debt at graduation is $18,450, and higher-income families pay a net price of approximately $19,053. Fit depends on two realistic filters: University of New Mexico-Main Campus's program mix is concentrated in Health and related applied fields, so students whose interests align with those areas will find the strongest outcomes. Students seeking a broad liberal arts or research-intensive social sciences environment may find a better match elsewhere.
This school profile was generated using Azimuth's proprietary ROI framework, developed by founder Daniel Rogers. Our methodology transforms federal education data into actionable insights for families.
College Azimuth is a private research initiative and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education or Federal Student Aid. Data sourced from College Scorecard.
This content is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, investment, or professional advice. Consult a qualified advisor before making any financial decisions.
Comprehensive Analysis
Detailed metrics, charts, and full data breakdown
Financial GPS Tool
Personalized cost and earnings calculator
This is the University Of New Mexico-Main Campus hub overview page. Related admissions, cost, outcomes, majors, and similar-school pages provide the detailed school data.
Peer institutions with comparable quality and outcomes:
| School | State | Accept Rate | Median Earnings | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
North Carolina A & T State University Similar quality tier (#4301 ranked) | NC | 50% | $44,440 | #4301 | Compare |
University Of Colorado Boulder Similar quality tier (#4308 ranked) | CO | 78% | $69,738 | #4308 | Compare |
Old Dominion University Similar quality tier (#4309 ranked) | VA | 90% | $54,914 | #4309 | Compare |
Virginia Commonwealth University Similar quality tier (#4313 ranked) | VA | 93% | $58,128 | #4313 | Compare |
Kean University Similar quality tier (#4294 ranked) | NJ | 76% | $57,237 | #4294 | Compare |
Based on federal data for students receiving aid. Actual costs may vary.
University of New Mexico-Main Campus's published cost of attendance is $21,259. Net price by income band reflects the university's need-based aid structure: low-income families pay approximately $11,938, middle-income families pay around $16,196, and higher-income families pay approximately $19,053.
Azimuth ranks University of New Mexico-Main Campus #261 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown.
University of New Mexico-Main Campus meets demonstrated financial need through need-based aid, with aid packages combining federal grants, state aid, and institutional scholarships. The university participates in federal (Pell Grants, Direct Loans) and state financial aid programs.
Families apply using the FAFSA to determine eligibility and aid awards. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $18,450, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $13,000; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions.
For a graduate at University of New Mexico-Main Campus's median four-year earnings of $59,818, median federal debt of $18,450 projects to a monthly payment of about $208 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).
Computer Engineering
28 graduates
Computer and Information Sciences, General
76 graduates
Chemical Engineering
47 graduates
Mechanical Engineering
71 graduates
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering
24 graduates
University of New Mexico-Main Campus's program mix is anchored in Health, which accounts for 13% of graduates, followed by Engineering at 6% and Social Sciences at 6%. Across 58 programs serving roughly 3,585 students annually, 42 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold.
Nursing combines strong enrollment with solid earnings, making it a key contributor to the institution's aggregate return. Among the largest programs in the Azimuth coverage set, Business Administration program graduates 460 students with median earnings of $62,431 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks it #161 among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment.
The Nursing program graduates 420 students earning $86,559, while The Psychology, General program graduates 398 students earning $46,693. The highest-earning program is Nursing, where 420 graduates earn median earnings of $86,559 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks it #161 among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment.
Business Administration follows with 460 graduates earning $62,431, and Azimuth ranks it #161 among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment. Several of University of New Mexico-Main Campus's strongest programs feed directly into high-demand local and regional labor markets.
Nursing and health-related fields are high-mobility pathways where graduates enter the workforce immediately, and four-year earnings reflect actual labor-market outcomes. Programs in psychology and liberal arts, by contrast, are more likely to serve as grad-school-dependent pathways where four-year earnings undercount the full trajectory for students who continue to graduate or professional school.
The [supply-demand map for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how these program families align with national and regional workforce demand, and the [program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) explains how Azimuth evaluates individual programs.
Graduates of the University of New Mexico–Main Campus earn a median of $59,818 four years after enrollment, placing the institution in the 45.2nd percentile for median earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $10,821 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing UNM in the 87.0th percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks UNM #473 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions — in the 68.1st percentile overall.
The earnings pattern reflects the institution's concentration in Health fields, which account for 13% of graduates. Business Administration, Management and Operations ranks #168 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions [per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/), with graduates earning a median of $62,431. Azimuth ranks Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing #145 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions — 420 graduates earning $86,559 — and Psychology, General ranks #200 nationally with 398 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $46,693.
