Community colleges
Community Colleges in New Mexico
CampusPin classifies 21 of New Mexico's 34 colleges as community (two-year) colleges, about 61.8% of the state's institutions. Community colleges are the most affordable on-ramp to higher education, with a median published in-state tuition of $2,004 in this snapshot.
New Mexico community colleges by the numbers
- Community colleges
- 21
- Share of state colleges
- 61.8%
- Median published in-state tuition
- $2,004
- National public 2-year median
- $4,288
- Lowest published tuition
- Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute ($1,095)
Counts and shares come from CampusPin's committed institution-distribution snapshot; the tuition median is the published in-state figure from the tuition-by-state snapshot. Those cover every community college in the state. The list below covers all 21 of them. Published prices are before financial aid, net price is typically lower, and lower tuition is not a measure of quality.
What work without a bachelor's degree pays in New Mexico
73% of jobs in New Mexico are in occupations the federal government reports as typically entered with an associate degree, a certificate, some college, a high-school diploma, or no formal credential. 30% of that employment pays more than $47,210, the median wage across all occupations there.
- Jobs not typically needing a bachelor's
- 73%
- Of those, paying above the local median
- 30%
- New Mexico median wage, all occupations
- $47,210
- Best-paid such occupation in New Mexico
- Air traffic controllers ($148,550) — typically entered with an associate's degree
These figures describe occupations, not graduates. They do not measure what community-college students in New Mexico earn, and they are not evidence that any credential caused the pay. Typical entry education is a national assignment describing what people entering an occupation usually hold, not a requirement and not a guarantee that a particular employer accepts it. A median describes everyone working in an occupation, experienced and new alike, so it is not a starting salary, and wages are not adjusted for cost of living.
All community colleges in New Mexico
- Carrington College-AlbuquerqueAlbuquerque · $5,338
- Central New Mexico Community CollegeAlbuquerque · $2,060
- Clovis Community CollegeClovis · $1,334
- Eastern New Mexico University Ruidoso Branch Community CollegeRuidoso · $1,372
- Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell CampusRoswell · $2,256
- Luna Community CollegeLas Vegas · $1,474
- Mesalands Community CollegeTucumcari · $2,136
- New Mexico Junior CollegeHobbs · $1,440
- New Mexico Military InstituteRoswell · $7,190
- New Mexico State University-AlamogordoAlamogordo · $2,616
- New Mexico State University-Dona AnaLas Cruces · $2,322
- New Mexico State University-GrantsGrants · $2,136
- Pima Medical Institute-AlbuquerqueAlbuquerque · $5,338
- San Juan CollegeFarmington · $1,928
- Santa Fe Community CollegeSanta Fe · $1,851
- Southeast New Mexico CollegeCarlsbad · $1,176
- Southwestern Indian Polytechnic InstituteAlbuquerque · $1,095
- University of New Mexico-Gallup CampusGallup · $2,906
- University of New Mexico-Los Alamos CampusLos Alamos · $2,214
- University of New Mexico-Taos CampusRanchos de Taos · $2,136
- University of New Mexico-Valencia County CampusLos Lunas · $1,878
Why start at a New Mexico community college?
Community colleges typically offer open or less-selective admission, the lowest published tuition of any sector, and transfer pathways that let students complete lower-division coursework before moving to a four-year university. They also serve working and returning students with part-time, evening, and online options. Confirm transfer-credit and articulation agreements with each college and your target university. Because two-year colleges anchor the low-cost end of every state's mix, our cost and outcomes by state research puts that affordability in context against each state's overall medians.
Community colleges in nearby states
Data sources & methodology
Community-college counts and shares for New Mexico come from CampusPin's committed institution-distribution and tuition-by-state snapshots; the college list is compiled live from each institution's record.
Sources used across this page
Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.
IPEDS / NCES College Navigator
Federal enrollment, admissions, tuition, retention, and program data. Released annually with a 1–2 year lag.
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
Net price by income band, post-graduation earnings, and federal aid context.
Institutional websites
Each school's official admissions, registrar, and financial-aid pages are the authoritative source for current details.
Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.
Suggested citation
CampusPin. Community Colleges in New Mexico. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/community-colleges-in/new-mexico