by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the graduate school options in New Mexico, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. This list ranks **7** programs by overall quality and student outcomes, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you make your decision, College Factual analyzed 7 graduate schools using more than 20 objective factors such as graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, and per-student spending, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard). Learn more about our ranking methodology.
This is how starting salaries are distributed among the top-ranked graduate schools:
Learn more about these excellent graduate schools below:
New Mexico Institute Of Mining And Technology tops our 2026 ranking of the best graduate schools in New Mexico. Located in Socorro, NM, New Mexico Institute Of Mining And Technology is a public institution. Roughly 57% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees run about $9,476, with out-of-state students paying around $27,247. Early-career graduates earn a median of $64,561. Students borrow a median of $18,747 to complete a degree here.
The strong outcomes at University Of New Mexico Main Campus earned it the #2 place in New Mexico. Located in Albuquerque, NM, University Of New Mexico Main Campus is a public institution. About 54% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees average $10,140, while out-of-state students pay about $33,060. Graduates go on to earn a median of $49,983 early in their careers. University Of New Mexico Main Campus students take on a median of $19,738 in debt.
Out of the 7 graduate schools in New Mexico in this year's ranking, New Mexico Highlands University landed the #3 spot. Located in Las Vegas, NM, New Mexico Highlands University is a public institution. About 27% of students finish within six years. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,416, while out-of-state students pay about $12,336. New Mexico Highlands University graduates report median early-career earnings of $47,214. The median student debt is $18,900.
St Johns College New Mexico came in at #4 on this year's Best Graduate Schools ranking in New Mexico. This private not-for-profit school is set in Santa Fe, NM. Roughly 55% of students complete a degree within six years here. Students from in state pay about $40,514 in tuition and fees. Early-career graduates earn a median of $23,029. Graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans.
The strong outcomes at New Mexico State University Main Campus earned it the #5 place in New Mexico. Based in Las Cruces, NM, New Mexico State University Main Campus is a public institution. About 55% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees average $8,183, compared with $25,307 for out-of-state students. Median early-career earnings reach $41,860. Students borrow a median of $19,026 to complete a degree here.
Eastern New Mexico University Main Campus did well this year, earning the #6 position. Located in Portales, NM, Eastern New Mexico University Main Campus is a public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 39%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,074, while out-of-state students pay about $9,054. Early-career graduates earn a median of $49,087. Eastern New Mexico University Main Campus students take on a median of $19,277 in debt.
Western New Mexico University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Located in Silver City, NM, Western New Mexico University is a public institution. Western New Mexico University graduates 26% of students within six years. Students from in state pay about $7,855 in tuition and fees, compared with $14,341 for out-of-state students. Median early-career earnings reach $48,366. Typical student debt is $27,425.
University Of The Southwest ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best graduate schools. University Of The Southwest is a private not-for-profit school based in Hobbs, NM. About 17% of students finish within six years. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $16,670. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $45,907. University Of The Southwest students take on a median of $26,162 in debt.
Institute Of American Indian And Alaska Native Culture came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Institute Of American Indian And Alaska Native Culture is a public school based in Santa Fe, NM. Roughly 11% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees average $5,920. Early-career graduates earn a median of $29,835.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked graduate schools only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and per-student spending drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
References
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.
