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San Juan College earned the #1 spot in this year's Most Age-Diverse Colleges ranking in Southwest. The school's age diversity score is 92.7 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 65.3, alongside a 91.3 gender-diversity score.
by our College Data Analytics TeamIf you’re seeking a diverse and multi-faceted college experience, you’ve come to the right place. The ranking below was designed to help you find 227 schools that stand out for their student bodies in Southwest, using our 2026 methodology.
We measure this ranking on the range of student ages (the mix of traditional and non-traditional-age students). To help you decide, College Factual analyzed 227 colleges, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard). Learn more about our ranking methodology.
Not every student measures diversity the same way. Refine the list by location, or explore the overall, racial-ethnic, gender, economic, and age diversity rankings, or other rankings below.
Looking to pit your favorite colleges against each other? Check out College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter most to you.
Explore the leading colleges below:
San Juan College earned the #1 spot in this year's Most Age-Diverse Colleges ranking in Southwest. The school's age diversity score is 92.7 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 65.3, alongside a 91.3 gender-diversity score.
Western New Mexico University earned the #2 place in Southwest. Western New Mexico University scores 92.5 out of 100 for age diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 63.4, alongside a 91.4 gender-diversity score.
You'll find a welcoming community at New Mexico Highlands University, which ranked #3 this year. New Mexico Highlands University scores 91.5 out of 100 for age diversity. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 64.3, and gender diversity 91.2.
A rank of #4 makes Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus one of the most age-diverse colleges in Southwest. The school's age diversity score is 91.5 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 69.1, and gender diversity 92.5.
Dine College came in at #5 on this year's Most Age-Diverse Colleges ranking in Southwest. Dine College scores 90.8 out of 100 for age diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 4.2, with a gender-diversity score of 85.3.
Clovis Community College landed the #6 spot in Southwest this year. It scores 89.7 out of 100 for age diversity. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 55.7, with a gender-diversity score of 90.1.
Mid-America Christian University ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the most age-diverse colleges. On age diversity, it scores 89.6 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 68.1, and gender diversity 88.8.
Central New Mexico Community College ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the most age-diverse colleges. Central New Mexico Community College scores 89.6 out of 100 for age diversity. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 61.2, alongside a 97.0 gender-diversity score.
New Mexico State University-Alamogordo placed #9 among the most age-diverse colleges in Southwest. It scores 89.3 out of 100 for age diversity. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 56.8, and gender diversity 93.0.
Wayland Baptist University ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the most age-diverse colleges. On age diversity, it scores 89.3 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 79.7, alongside a 99.8 gender-diversity score.
Yavapai College placed #11 among the most age-diverse colleges in Southwest. Yavapai College scores 89.2 out of 100 for age diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 50.0, and gender diversity 98.5.
Paradise Valley Community College landed the #12 spot in Southwest this year. Paradise Valley Community College scores 88.7 out of 100 for age diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 61.1, with a gender-diversity score of 99.2.
The University of Texas Permian Basin landed the #13 spot in Southwest this year. On age diversity, it scores 88.6 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 64.4, and gender diversity 96.4.
Central Texas College landed the #14 spot in Southwest this year. It scores 88.6 out of 100 for age diversity. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 70.9, alongside a 99.6 gender-diversity score.
East Texas A&M University placed #15 among the most age-diverse colleges in Southwest. East Texas A&M University scores 88.6 out of 100 for age diversity. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 72.9, and gender diversity 95.8.
Phoenix College landed the #16 spot in Southwest this year. On age diversity, it scores 88.3 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 60.4, and gender diversity 96.0.
Scottsdale Community College ranked #17 on our 2026 list of the most age-diverse colleges. On age diversity, it scores 87.9 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 63.0, and gender diversity 98.9.
Grand Canyon University placed #18 among the most age-diverse colleges in Southwest. The school's age diversity score is 87.8 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 68.2, alongside a 83.9 gender-diversity score.
Mohave Community College placed #19 among the most age-diverse colleges in Southwest. Mohave Community College scores 87.7 out of 100 for age diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 50.9, and gender diversity 90.7.
University of the Southwest landed the #20 spot in Southwest this year. On age diversity, it scores 87.5 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 63.8, alongside a 91.2 gender-diversity score.
New Mexico State University-Grants landed the #21 spot in Southwest this year. It scores 87.4 out of 100 for age diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 61.7, alongside a 93.5 gender-diversity score.
Mesa Community College placed #22 among the most age-diverse colleges in Southwest. The school's age diversity score is 87.0 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 66.2, with a gender-diversity score of 99.7.
Cochise County Community College District earned the #23 position in Southwest. The school's age diversity score is 86.9 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 60.4, alongside a 95.7 gender-diversity score.
Cameron University placed #24 among the most age-diverse colleges in Southwest. The school's age diversity score is 86.7 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 73.6, and gender diversity 94.4.
GateWay Community College placed #25 among the most age-diverse colleges in Southwest. It scores 86.6 out of 100 for age diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 65.0, with a gender-diversity score of 92.6.
Not far behind, these colleges also rank among the most age-diverse this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
Our ranking weighs the range of student ages (the mix of traditional and non-traditional-age students). The racial-ethnic minorities percentage is calculated by taking the total number of students, subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity is unknown, and dividing by total enrollment.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition.
References
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.