Community CollegePublicHSI

New Mexico State University - Dona Ana

Las Cruces, New Mexico·Public, 2-year·Southwest·dacc.nmsu.edu
6-yr Graduation
19%
Total enrollment
7,200
peer median 3,549
Avg net price
$6,048
+$167 vs Community College
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Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
19%
Full-time retention
63%

Pell equity

2.5pp gap
Pell recipients
20%109 of 534
Non-Pell (all)
18%52 of 297
Subsidized loan, no Pell
8%1 of 12
No Federal Aid
18%51 of 285

Pell recipients here graduate at a 2.5-point higher rate than non-Pell students, unusual and worth a closer look.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1973Next review Aug 2034

Action history · 2

  1. Jul 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    Higher Learning Commission
  2. Sep 2014Renewal of Accreditation
    Higher Learning Commission

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$5,475
$30–48k$5,904
$48–75k$7,663
$75–110k$10,624
$110k+$13,381

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$6,048
+$167vs Community College median $5,881
Federal loans
9.5%
In-state tuition
$2,322
Out-of-state
$6,360

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 3,182 borrowers who entered repayment, 127 (3.9%) defaulted within three years above the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
3.9%
+1.6pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
3,182
Defaulted
127
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
15.4%
2017
13.5%
2018
10.3%
2019
3.9%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at NMSU

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs80
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

897 total completions
01Liberal Arts
40244.8%
02Health Professions
14816.5%
03Education
788.7%
04Business
768.5%
05Security/Protective
748.2%
06Computer Sciences
424.7%
07Mechanic
232.6%
08Precision Production
212.3%
09Visual/Performing Arts
171.9%
10Engineering Tech
161.8%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
7,200
12-mo unduplicated
9,483
Undergraduate
9,483
Graduate
0

Gender split

Men
39%3,735
Women
61%5,748

Race / ethnicity composition

Hispanic
76.5%
White
14.9%
Non-resident
2.4%
Black
1.9%
Two or more
1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native
1.0%
Unknown
0.9%
Asian
0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
9.05
62 offenses · 6,849 students

3-year trend

15.802 yrs ago10.511 yr ago9.05Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
234
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
22
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
1
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
1

Criminal offenses by type

Motor vehicle theft
38
Burglary
13
Rape
6
Aggravated assault
5

By location

62total
  • On campus56
  • Non-campus5
  • Public property1

Includes 6 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

5
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
1
Stalking
6 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons51
Drugs836
Liquor1246

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
21.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
129

NMSU vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions NMSU selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectNew Mexico State University-Dona Ana
19%7,200$6,048Community College
921$5,714Community College
7,198$5,364Community College
743$4,595Community College
3,890$7,773Community College
3,208$6,706Community College
Peer group median19%3,549$5,881

Institutions like NMSU

Explore the federal data for institutions in NMSU's comparison group.

Campus network

NMSU is a campus of a larger institution. See its main campus and the other campuses in the same network.

NMSU Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Office of Research, Creativity and Economic Development (RCED)
Reports to Research, Creativity and Economic Development
Email
ovpr [at] nmsu.edu
Phone
+1 (575) 646-2481
Address
NMSU 3RES PO BOX 30001

The mission of the Office of Research, Creativity and Economic Development (RCED) is to advance university success in research, scholarship, and creative activity through exemplary service to the faculty, staff, and student corps.

Visit IR office page
Team
3 members
  • Patricia Sullivan
    Interim Vice President for Research, Creativity and Economic Development
  • Alisha Giron
    Associate Vice President, Research Administration
  • Tanner Schaub
    Assistant Vice President for Research

Frequently asked questions about New Mexico State University-Dona Ana

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about NMSU.

What is the graduation rate at New Mexico State University-Dona Ana?

New Mexico State University-Dona Ana reports a 6-year graduation rate of 19% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend New Mexico State University-Dona Ana?

New Mexico State University-Dona Ana reports a total enrollment of 7,200 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at New Mexico State University-Dona Ana?

The average net price at New Mexico State University-Dona Ana is $6,048 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

Where is New Mexico State University-Dona Ana located?

New Mexico State University-Dona Ana is located in Las Cruces, New Mexico 88011.

Who runs Institutional Research at New Mexico State University-Dona Ana?

New Mexico State University-Dona Ana's IR work is done by the Office of Research, Creativity and Economic Development (RCED), which reports to Research, Creativity and Economic Development.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.

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