Although there aren’t many four-year colleges and universities in New Mexico, this state has a reputation for quality scientific research, thanks to schools like the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University.

These two institutions of higher education are among the 2020 best colleges and universities in New Mexico, and several others have earned that distinction, too.

New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology – Ranked at #35 among regional universities in the West, the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology was originally known as the New Mexico School of Mines. This school is a top public school, and it has an outstanding engineering program. With an enrollment of 2,009 students, the faculty provides one-on-one mentoring and design hands-on learning experiences for students in several disciplines of geology and earth sciences. This school turns away 78% of applicants. Tuition and fees are $7,570 annually.

St. John’s College – This school is #72 among liberal arts schools in the nation, and the curriculum focuses on the great literature of the past. Almost 100% of the classes here have fewer than 20 students. This college has graduated some remarkable alumni such as Francis Scott Key and is considered a best-value school. Annual tuition and fees cost $53,218.

New Mexico State University –This is a top-tier school known for business, education, and engineering, but one of the most popular majors here is criminal justice. New Mexico State is in the top 200 of national universities and is also a top public school. Tuition and fees run $7,368 per year.

Some of the colleges and universities in New Mexico are not ranked, but they merit looking at. One of these is below.

Institute of American Indian Arts – This tribal college focuses on native cultural creativity and fine arts. Both native and non-native students are welcome to apply to the institute. The school is not ranked, and it has an enrollment of under 700 students who enjoy class sizes of 7:1. Tuition and fees run just under $5,000 annually.

If what you’re looking for cannot be found in this state, New Mexico has a reciprocal tuition agreement with some colleges in Colorado.

 Click here to learn more about the ranking methodology that we used to compile this list.

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