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AlmaSpire

Las Cruces, NM · Public · 11,946 undergraduates · suburban

New Mexico State University-Main Campus

Less selective

NMSU’s land-grant mission is especially visible through agriculture, engineering, aerospace, water, border-region research, and applied sciences.

Terry Umbenhaur / CC BY-SA 3.0

Institutional profile

Established Strong in affordability, and solid in student experience.
Academic Steady Affordability Strong Career Emerging Mobility Solid Experience Solid
Academic standing Steady
Affordability Strong
Career outcomes Emerging
Mobility Solid
Student experience Solid
Admission
75.7% admitted

15,201 applicants in the reported year

Price by income
Resident and nonresident prices differ

Compare recent average annual costs by household income

Completion
54.7%

$39,067 median earnings 10 years after enrollment

What sets New Mexico State University-Main Campus apart

Academic design

Agriculture, engineering, computing, business, sciences, education, and border-region research align with southern New Mexico industries.

Campus pattern

Las Cruces offers a high-desert campus beneath the Organ Mountains near the U.S.–Mexico border.

Career & value signal

Aerospace, agriculture, government laboratories, defense, water management, and regional industries are natural career links.

Can I get in?

75.7% admitted

Start with the academic record, then make the intended direction and school-specific fit concrete.

Recent applicant pool

15,201

About 76 in every 100 applicants were admitted.

Admission rate 75.7%
Entering class

Academic range

SAT middle 50%885–1110
7401260
ACT middle 50%17–24
1229

Of admitted students, 71% submitted an SAT, and 22% submitted an ACT. Decide by comparing your score with the published range and the rest of your academic record.

Academic benchmarkLess selective

In the season card

Where your GPA sits in the entering class

The full entering-class GPA distribution for New Mexico State University-Main Campus, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.

See where I land

In the season card

What New Mexico State University-Main Campus weighs when it reads a file

See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.

  • Course rigor  
  • GPA  
  • Test scores  
  • Essay  
  • Recommendations  
  • Extracurriculars  
  • Demonstrated interest  
See what counts here

What moves the application

The evidence that separates a strong file

01

Show preparation for this curriculum

Agriculture, engineering, computing, business, sciences, education, and border-region research align with southern New Mexico industries.

02

Make institutional fit specific

NMSU’s land-grant mission is especially visible through agriculture, engineering, aerospace, water, border-region research, and applied sciences.

03

Use the application route carefully

Keep academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.

How to apply

Rounds, route, and required materials

Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and assemble each required item once.

Regular Decisionrolling
Application routeInstitution application

$25 application fee

Major and program admission

Some fields have their own entry path.

The college admit rate above covers the university as a whole. These requirements apply only to the named program.

Teacher preparationAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

NursingAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

Can I afford it?

Compare annual cost by household income.

Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.

Published annual cost$27,073
Average annual cost after aid, in-state$9,000
Affordability profileStrong

College funding

Scholarships and financial aid

Review available aid, application requirements, and renewal terms.

Open financial aid plan

In the season card

Average annual cost by household income at New Mexico State University-Main Campus

Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.

  • $0–30k 
  • $30–48k 
  • $48–75k 
  • $75–110k 
  • $110k+ 
Open the price by income

Is it worth it?

Completion, debt, and earnings

Read completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together. One university-wide earnings figure does not describe every student path.

Complete within 8 years54.7%

Degree completion across the reported entering cohort

Return after year one74.1%

First-year students who return for year two

Median federal debtWhat students owe on the way out

And what that comes to against what they earn.

Median earnings$39,067

Reported 10 years after enrollment

Academic portfolio

Largest bachelor’s fields

How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.

Criminal Justice and Corrections

Recent graduates152
Median earnings$49,834

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

Recent graduates141
Median earnings$43,872

Mechanical Engineering

Recent graduates122
Median earnings$85,742

Psychology, General

Recent graduates104
Median earnings$45,637

What is campus life like?

New Mexico State University-Main Campus beyond the classroom

Las Cruces offers a high-desert campus beneath the Organ Mountains near the U.S.–Mexico border.

Academics

A defining academic feature

Agriculture, engineering, computing, business, sciences, education, and border-region research align with southern New Mexico industries.

Campus setting

What shapes an ordinary week

Las Cruces offers a high-desert campus beneath the Organ Mountains near the U.S.–Mexico border.

Career & value

Where the degree can lead

Aerospace, agriculture, government laboratories, defense, water management, and regional industries are natural career links.

11,946 undergraduatesSouthwestsuburban settingCampus housing available