R2 ResearchPublicHSILand-grant

New Mexico State University - Main Campus

Las Cruces, New Mexico·Public, 4-year or above·Southwest·nmsu.edu
6-yr Graduation
55%
+4.0pp vs R2 Research
Total enrollment
15,408
peer median 13,337
Avg net price
$8,889
-$5.5k vs R2 Research
Use this data
Ask Clema
AdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersCampusesIR Office

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
13,095
13,095 candidates competed
Admitted
11,650
89.0% acceptance rate
Enrolled
2,404
20.6% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

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

IPEDS
Overall completion
55%+4.0pp vs R2 Research
4-year graduation
34%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
55%
Full-time retention
73%

Pell equity

9.9pp gap
Pell recipients
50%570 of 1130
Non-Pell (all)
60%673 of 1123
Subsidized loan, no Pell
48%77 of 161
No Federal Aid
62%596 of 962

Non-Pell students graduate at a 9.9-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

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

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 295 Title IV programs, 57 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 2 fail. 236 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
295
Passing
57
19.3% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
2
0.7% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.7%
+0.1pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

295programs
  • Passing57 · 19.3%
  • No Data236 · 80.0%
  • Failing2 · 0.7%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
1
Recoverable
1
At Risk
2
Watch
6
Safe
49
No data
236

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

59
Visual and Performing Arts General
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-9.9%
$27,875 vs $30,927
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-1.8%
$30,355 vs $30,927
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+5.9%
$32,767 vs $30,927
Graphic Communications
Bachelor Degree · Communications Technologies/Technicians And Support Services
+8.7%
$33,612 vs $30,927
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Associate Degree · Security And Protective Services
+15.7%
$35,798 vs $30,927
Animal Sciences
Bachelor Degree · Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, And Related Sciences
+19.2%
$36,858 vs $30,927
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Associate Degree · Education
+21.3%
$37,514 vs $30,927
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+22.5%
$37,880 vs $30,927

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

1
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-1.8%
−$572

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

48
Visual and Performing Arts General
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
96%
$26,750 debt · $27,875 earn
Graphic Communications
Bachelor Degree · Communications Technologies/Technicians And Support Services
71%
$23,875 debt · $33,612 earn
Public Health
Bachelor Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
60%
$25,500 debt · $42,410 earn
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Bachelor Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
58%
$25,643 debt · $43,872 earn
Curriculum and Instruction
Master's Degree · Education
54%
$29,102 debt · $54,059 earn
Human Development Family Studies and Related Services
Bachelor Degree · Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
54%
$20,500 debt · $38,142 earn
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
50%
$16,312 debt · $32,767 earn
Hospitality Administration/Management
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
50%
$24,607 debt · $49,444 earn

Accreditation status & history

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

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1941Next review Aug 2028
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1926

Programmatic accreditations · 15

Action history · 17

  1. Feb 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology · Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) - Graduate degree programs
  2. Jan 2024Approved for Distance Education
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Dietetics (DIETI) - Dietetic Internship
  3. Oct 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Dietetics (DIETI) - Dietetic Internship
  4. Jul 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Didactic Program in Dietetics
  5. Jul 2022Renewal of Accreditation
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Didactic Program in Dietetics

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$6,648
$30–48k$7,424
$48–75k$9,861
$75–110k$13,146
$110k+$14,049

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

Avg net price
$8,889
-$5,508vs R2 Research median $14,398
Federal loans
19.9%
In-state tuition
$8,183
Out-of-state
$25,307

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 10,392 students received $57.0M in Pell grants, alongside $34.9M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
10,392
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$57.0M
$56,971,848 total
Direct Loans
$34.9M
6,389 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

9k
’20
8k
’21
9k
’22
9k
’23
10k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$11.2M
3,130 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$10.3M
2,324 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$10.1M
718 loan awards
Parent PLUS$1.6M
137 loan awards
Grad PLUS$1.7M
80 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

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

Cohort Default Rate

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.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs135
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

2,463 total completions
01Engineering
44718.1%
02Business
39616.1%
03Health Professions
30912.5%
04Computer Sciences
27711.2%
05Education
27711.2%
06Biological Sciences
1646.7%
07Psychology
1576.4%
08Security/Protective
1566.3%
09Liberal Arts
1415.7%
10Agriculture
1395.6%

Enrollment trends & demographics

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

IPEDS
Fall total
15,408
12-mo unduplicated
17,724
Undergraduate
14,227
Graduate
3,497

Gender split

Men
42%7,385
Women
58%10,339

Race / ethnicity composition

Hispanic
63.7%
White
24.3%
Two or more
3.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native
2.8%
Non-resident
2.5%
Black
2.2%
Asian
1.0%
Unknown
0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
441
247 M · 194 W
Women athletes
44.0%
Athletic aid
$8.8M
Total student aid
Budget
$37.1M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$5.0M
$3.8M
Recruiting expense
$585K
$112K
Head-coach salaries
$253K
$96K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 11

Football
149 M · —
$11.8M
Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
— · 92 W
$1.2M
Baseball
43 M · —
$1.7M
Soccer
— · 35 W
$1.1M
Swimming and Diving (combined)
— · 33 W
$1.0M
Basketball
16 M · 15 W
$5.6M

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

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

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
4.13
61 offenses · 14,779 students

3-year trend

7.192 yrs ago4.631 yr ago4.13Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
227
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
12
Rape
6
Aggravated assault
5

By location

61total
  • On campus55
  • 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.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
16.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
704

NMSU vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions NMSU selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
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-Main Campus
55%—15,408$8,889R2 Research
Tarleton State University
48%89.6%17,433$20,783R2 Research
Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi
40%88.6%11,266$15,225R2 Research
Sam Houston State University
55%90.3%21,039$16,404R2 Research
The University of Texas at Tyler
54%94.0%10,362$13,323R2 Research
Prairie View A & M University
43%79.3%9,922$13,570R2 Research
Peer group median51%89.6%13,337$14,398

Institutions like NMSU

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

IPEDS

Campuses

The 3 campuses that make up New Mexico State University.

IPEDS

NMSU Institutional Research office

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

Office
Office of 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
5 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
  • Cortney Castle Chavez
    Program Operations Director
  • Rita Parra
    Director, Pre-Award Administration

Frequently asked questions about New Mexico State University-Main Campus

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about NMSU.

What is the graduation rate at New Mexico State University-Main Campus?

New Mexico State University-Main Campus reports a 6-year graduation rate of 55% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend New Mexico State University-Main Campus?

New Mexico State University-Main Campus reports a total enrollment of 15,408 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at New Mexico State University-Main Campus?

The average net price at New Mexico State University-Main Campus is $8,889 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at New Mexico State University-Main Campus?

New Mexico State University-Main Campus's yield rate is 20.6%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is New Mexico State University-Main Campus located?

New Mexico State University-Main Campus is located in Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003-8001.

Who runs Institutional Research at New Mexico State University-Main Campus?

New Mexico State University-Main Campus's IR work is done by the Office of 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.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
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.
U.S. Department of Education
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.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
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.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
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.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

Have a question this page can’t answer?

Ask Clema anything about New Mexico State University-Main Campus and its peers — plain language in, cited answers out, in minutes instead of days.

Try for freeBook a demo

Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card