State cost ranking · DOE College Scorecard

Cheapest Colleges in New Mexico

Name: New Mexico College Net Price Rankings
Creator: PlainCampus

New Mexico's median net price sits 48% below the national Scorecard median; New Mexico State University-Grants leads the 39-school list at $68.

Compiled by PlainCampus , Independent campus-safety data publisher

$68
Cheapest net price: $8,889
New Mexico median: 39
Schools ranked

New Mexico State University-Grants has the lowest average net price in New Mexico among Scorecard reporters

According to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, New Mexico State University-Grants posts the lowest average net price in New Mexico at $68 among 39 ranked schools, with the state median 48% below the $17,124 national median. Net price is what students paid after grant aid, not sticker tuition, and can reflect a narrow enrollment mix at specialty schools.

Data source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard

Cheapest net price: $68
New Mexico median: $8,889
Schools ranked: 39
National median: $17,124

Data updated August 2026 · IPEDS 2022–23 vintage

The list in one line

New Mexico State University-Grants has the lowest average net price in New Mexico at $68/year, and the state's median net price is 48% below the $17,124 national median across 4,965 schools.

$68
cheapest ranked net price: $8,889
New Mexico median net price: 28 public / 11 private
schools in this ranking: $10,313
avg net price, <$30K income families

Average net price blends every income bracket; families under $30k average $10,313 here. Loans are excluded, open a school profile for the bracket table before treating one average as a personal cost.

Sticker tuition and real net price diverge most at St. John's College, where in-state published tuition of $40,504 falls to an average net price of $26,674 after aid, a $13,830 gap, the widest sticker-to-net gap among ranked New Mexico schools.

This New Mexico ranking is mostly public (28 of 39); private campuses (11) still appear when their Scorecard net price clears the reporting bar.

The bar to make this top-25 list is $12,570. Here is where that cutoff sits among all 39 Scorecard-reporting New Mexico schools:

The bar to make New Mexico's top-25 cheapest list

Average net price after aid · 39 Scorecard-reporting schools

$12,570 more affordable than 36% of 39 New Mexico colleges

Show national distribution

Each bar is a $5K-wide band; taller bars hold more New Mexico colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · 2022–23

New Mexico's 25 cheapest colleges by real net price

New Mexico State University-Grants Grants, NM · Public

Avg net price: $68
Net price (<$30K income): $248
Median debt: $17,095
Median earnings, 6yr: $32,960
Enrollment: 754

Eastern New Mexico University Ruidoso Branch Community College Ruidoso, NM · Public

Avg net price: $2,042
Net price (<$30K income): $736
Median debt: $16,500
Median earnings, 6yr: $33,619
Enrollment: 773

Clovis Community College Clovis, NM · Public

Avg net price: $3,230
Net price (<$30K income): $2,226
Median debt: $7,250
Median earnings, 6yr: $30,567
Enrollment: 2,342

Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell Campus Roswell, NM · Public

Avg net price: $3,645
Net price (<$30K income): $2,982
Median debt: $16,500
Median earnings, 6yr: $33,619
Enrollment: 2,082

New Mexico Military Institute Roswell, NM · Public

Avg net price: $4,571
Net price (<$30K income): $2,772
Median debt: $5,500
Median earnings, 6yr: $43,034
Enrollment: 463

Luna Community College Las Vegas, NM · Public

Avg net price: $4,595
Net price (<$30K income): $3,393
Median debt: -
Median earnings, 6yr: $29,547
Enrollment: 743

Central New Mexico Community College Albuquerque, NM · Public

Avg net price: $4,621
Net price (<$30K income): $2,975
Median debt: $6,612
Median earnings, 6yr: $32,460
Enrollment: 19,342

University of New Mexico-Gallup Campus Gallup, NM · Public

Avg net price: $4,868
Net price (<$30K income): $4,197
Median debt: $18,450
Median earnings, 6yr: $37,150
Enrollment: 1,687

Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus Portales, NM · Public

Avg net price: $4,904
Net price (<$30K income): $3,663
Median debt: $16,500
Median earnings, 6yr: $33,619
Enrollment: 5,725

Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute Albuquerque, NM · Public

Avg net price: $5,181
Net price (<$30K income): $4,302
Median debt: -
Median earnings, 6yr: $22,307
Enrollment: 215

Navajo Technical University Crownpoint, NM · Public

Avg net price: $5,338
Net price (<$30K income): $4,293
Median debt: -
Median earnings, 6yr: $23,280
Enrollment: 1,704

University of New Mexico-Valencia County Campus Los Lunas, NM · Public

Avg net price: $5,714
Net price (<$30K income): $3,797
Median debt: $18,450
Median earnings, 6yr: $37,150
Enrollment: 921

Southeast New Mexico College Carlsbad, NM · Public

Avg net price: $5,734
Net price (<$30K income): $5,147
Median debt: -
Median earnings, 6yr: -
Enrollment: 1,431

San Juan College Farmington, NM · Public

Avg net price: $5,769
Net price (<$30K income): $5,647
Median debt: $9,750
Median earnings, 6yr: $29,329
Enrollment: 6,452

New Mexico State University-Dona Ana Las Cruces, NM · Public

Avg net price: $6,048
Net price (<$30K income): $5,475
Median debt: $17,095
Median earnings, 6yr: $32,960
Enrollment: 7,200

New Mexico Junior College Hobbs, NM · Public

Avg net price: $6,524
Net price (<$30K income): $6,000
Median debt: $11,313
Median earnings, 6yr: $32,145
Enrollment: 2,235

Northern New Mexico College Espanola, NM · Public

Avg net price: $7,276
Net price (<$30K income): $7,187
Median debt: $6,000
Median earnings, 6yr: $34,377
Enrollment: 1,425

New Mexico State University-Alamogordo Alamogordo, NM · Public

Avg net price: $7,369
Net price (<$30K income): $6,714
Median debt: $17,095
Median earnings, 6yr: $32,960
Enrollment: 1,152

Western New Mexico University Silver City, NM · Public

Avg net price: $8,522
Net price (<$30K income): $8,381
Median debt: $23,000
Median earnings, 6yr: $31,166
Enrollment: 3,531

New Mexico State University-Main Campus Las Cruces, NM · Public

Avg net price: $8,889
Net price (<$30K income): $6,648
Median debt: $17,095
Median earnings, 6yr: $32,960
Enrollment: 15,408

University of New Mexico-Taos Campus Ranchos De Taos, NM · Public

Avg net price: $9,165
Net price (<$30K income): $8,480
Median debt: $18,450
Median earnings, 6yr: $37,150
Enrollment: 896

Mesalands Community College Tucumcari, NM · Public

Avg net price: $9,445
Net price (<$30K income): $9,778
Median debt: -
Median earnings, 6yr: $27,639
Enrollment: 563

New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Socorro, NM · Public

Avg net price: $9,873
Net price (<$30K income): $5,136
Median debt: $19,085
Median earnings, 6yr: $54,530
Enrollment: 1,622

Santa Fe Community College Santa Fe, NM · Public

Avg net price: $11,067
Net price (<$30K income): $10,145
Median debt: $13,236
Median earnings, 6yr: $32,097
Enrollment: 4,469

Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development Santa Fe, NM · Public

Avg net price: $12,570
Net price (<$30K income): $10,974
Median debt: -
Median earnings, 6yr: $20,816
Enrollment: 947

#	College	Avg net price	Net price (<$30K income)	Median debt	Median earnings, 6yr	Enrollment
1	New Mexico State University-Grants Grants, NM · Public	$68	$248	$17,095	$32,960	754
2	Eastern New Mexico University Ruidoso Branch Community College Ruidoso, NM · Public	$2,042	$736	$16,500	$33,619	773
3	Clovis Community College Clovis, NM · Public	$3,230	$2,226	$7,250	$30,567	2,342
4	Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell Campus Roswell, NM · Public	$3,645	$2,982	$16,500	$33,619	2,082
5	New Mexico Military Institute Roswell, NM · Public	$4,571	$2,772	$5,500	$43,034	463
6	Luna Community College Las Vegas, NM · Public	$4,595	$3,393	-	$29,547	743
7	Central New Mexico Community College Albuquerque, NM · Public	$4,621	$2,975	$6,612	$32,460	19,342
8	University of New Mexico-Gallup Campus Gallup, NM · Public	$4,868	$4,197	$18,450	$37,150	1,687
9	Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus Portales, NM · Public	$4,904	$3,663	$16,500	$33,619	5,725
10	Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute Albuquerque, NM · Public	$5,181	$4,302	-	$22,307	215
11	Navajo Technical University Crownpoint, NM · Public	$5,338	$4,293	-	$23,280	1,704
12	University of New Mexico-Valencia County Campus Los Lunas, NM · Public	$5,714	$3,797	$18,450	$37,150	921
13	Southeast New Mexico College Carlsbad, NM · Public	$5,734	$5,147	-	-	1,431
14	San Juan College Farmington, NM · Public	$5,769	$5,647	$9,750	$29,329	6,452
15	New Mexico State University-Dona Ana Las Cruces, NM · Public	$6,048	$5,475	$17,095	$32,960	7,200
16	New Mexico Junior College Hobbs, NM · Public	$6,524	$6,000	$11,313	$32,145	2,235
17	Northern New Mexico College Espanola, NM · Public	$7,276	$7,187	$6,000	$34,377	1,425
18	New Mexico State University-Alamogordo Alamogordo, NM · Public	$7,369	$6,714	$17,095	$32,960	1,152
19	Western New Mexico University Silver City, NM · Public	$8,522	$8,381	$23,000	$31,166	3,531
20	New Mexico State University-Main Campus Las Cruces, NM · Public	$8,889	$6,648	$17,095	$32,960	15,408
21	University of New Mexico-Taos Campus Ranchos De Taos, NM · Public	$9,165	$8,480	$18,450	$37,150	896
22	Mesalands Community College Tucumcari, NM · Public	$9,445	$9,778	-	$27,639	563
23	New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Socorro, NM · Public	$9,873	$5,136	$19,085	$54,530	1,622
24	Santa Fe Community College Santa Fe, NM · Public	$11,067	$10,145	$13,236	$32,097	4,469
25	Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development Santa Fe, NM · Public	$12,570	$10,974	-	$20,816	947

Showing the 25 cheapest of 39 Scorecard-reporting New Mexico schools. The remaining 14 are ranked in the same net-price order but omitted from this HTML table so the page stays crawlable.

Look up any institution's exact rank via My School Profile, or open its school page for income-bracket net price, debt, and earnings.

All 51 states → | New Mexico campus safety → | Find your school's rank → | Methodology →

What this means for you

Use New Mexico's ranking as a starting point, real net price depends on your specific financial-aid package.

New Mexico State University-Grants reports the lowest average net price in New Mexico, but "average" blends every income bracket, check your bracket's figure before assuming it applies to you. View New Mexico State
See your specific school's in-state cost rank and nearest-price peers. My School Profile
Compare campus safety alongside cost before deciding. New Mexico safety

Figures reflect the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard IPEDS 2022–23 release.

Average net price = the institution-reported average amount students actually paid after all grant and scholarship aid, excluding loans. Only schools with a reported average net price in the DOE College Scorecard dataset are ranked. This page lists the 25 cheapest; the title count is the full Scorecard-reporting cohort for New Mexico. Schools with fewer than 10 net-price-reporting institutions in a state or territory are not given a dedicated ranking page.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard IPEDS 2022–23

Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. Every ranked figure on this page is queried directly from the DOE College Scorecard dataset at request time; no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.

New Mexico's 25 cheapest colleges by real net price

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