2027 Best Value Secondary Education Schools in New Mexico

[Secondary Education](/majors/education/teacher-education-development-levels-methods/secondary-education/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong secondary education education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 10 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for secondary education students.
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2027 Best Value Secondary Education Schools in New Mexico
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in secondary education, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Secondary Education Schools
For return on investment in secondary education, no school beat Central New Mexico Community College this year. Central New Mexico Community College is a very large public school located in the city of Albuquerque. Students from in state pay about $2,060 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $8,684. Secondary Education graduates carry a median of $9,625 in student loans. Soon after graduation, secondary education degree recipients from Central New Mexico Community College generally make around $29,708. Set against $9,625 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in secondary education will find it at Clovis Community College, which ranked #2. Clovis Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Clovis. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $1,592, while out-of-state students pay about $3,344. Typical student debt for secondary education graduates is $11,082. Early-career secondary education graduates make about $44,390. Set against $11,082 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #3 makes Eastern New Mexico University Main Campus one of the best values for secondary education. Eastern New Mexico University Main Campus is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Portales. Students from in state pay about $7,074 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $9,054. Students borrow a median of $24,000 to complete the secondary education program here. Early-career secondary education graduates make about $41,896. That is a strong return on a $24,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 92%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Northern New Mexico College earned it the #4 place for secondary education. Northern New Mexico College is a small public school located in the town of Espanola. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,064, while out-of-state students pay about $14,328. Ten years after enrolling, students earn a median of $38,112.
Western New Mexico University came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best value secondary education schools. Located in the town of Silver City, Western New Mexico University is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $7,855 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $14,341. Secondary Education graduates carry a median of $27,425 in student loans. Soon after graduation, secondary education degree recipients from Western New Mexico University generally make around $48,366. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
New Mexico State University Main Campus ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value secondary education schools. New Mexico State University Main Campus is a large public school located in the suburb of Las Cruces. Students from in state pay about $8,183 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $25,307. Secondary Education graduates carry a median of $24,705 in student loans. Secondary Education graduates of New Mexico State University Main Campus earn a median of $41,888 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,705 median debt. New Mexico State University Main Campus admits about 89% of applicants.
Santa Fe Community College landed the #7 spot for secondary education value this year. Santa Fe Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the rural area of Santa Fe. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $1,851, while out-of-state students pay about $4,131. Secondary Education graduates carry a median of $15,185 in student loans. Early-career secondary education graduates make about $43,305. That is a strong return on a $15,185 median debt.
New Mexico Highlands University ranked #8 on our 2027 list of the best value secondary education schools. Set in the town of Las Vegas, New Mexico Highlands University is a mid-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,416, with out-of-state students paying around $12,336. Typical student debt for secondary education graduates is $18,375. Early-career secondary education graduates make about $41,352. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
University Of New Mexico Main Campus ranked #9 on our 2027 list of the best value secondary education schools. University Of New Mexico Main Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Albuquerque. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,140, with out-of-state students paying around $33,060. Secondary Education graduates carry a median of $21,812 in student loans. Early-career secondary education graduates make about $36,217. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 95% of applicants are accepted.
University Of The Southwest came in at #10 for value in secondary education this year. Located in the town of Hobbs, University Of The Southwest is a small private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $16,670. Secondary Education graduates carry a median of $24,312 in student loans. Early-career secondary education graduates make about $40,282. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
More Secondary Education Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 10 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.