New Mexico
Student Access & Success
New Mexico’s four-year institutions receive a poor grade in this area, falling in the bottom 10 in retention rate, completion rate, and credentials produced per 100 full- time equivalent undergraduates. New Mexico’s two-year institutions receive a very low grade in this area, scoring in the bottom third in all three previously mentioned metrics as well as the percentage of undergraduates receiving Pell Grants.
Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness
New Mexico receives low grades in this area, with four- year state and local funding per completion ($82,653) almost double the national median of $41,198, ranking in the bottom five states. For two-year institutions, both cost per completion ($67,621) and state and local funding per completion ($61,433) rank in the bottom third of all states.
Meeting Labor Market Demand
The median wage of a New Mexico bachelor’s degree holder is approximately $16,300 (or 55%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate for a bachelor’s degree holder is about 3.5 points lower. The median wage of an associate’s degree holder is approximately $7,500 (or 26%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate is just 1 point lower.
Transparency & Accountability
New Mexico receives a low score for its consumer information and public accountability resources, contributing to its overall poor performance. The state does not track graduate performance in the labor market. However, institutions do measure general education learning outcomes, although they use internal assessments, not national ones.
Policy Environment
New Mexico’s plan for higher education does not include goals concerning student outcomes or efficiency. However, in 2013 the state will start gradually using outcomes-based funding, with $13.6 million of the state’s higher education budget set aside for statewide outcome measures. The state also has a strong articulation and credit transfer policy, including a General Education Core Transfer Module, which uses a common course numbering system to show how general education courses will transfer between institutions.
Innovation
The Innovative Digital Education and Learning-New Mexico (IDEAL-NM) is an effort to coordinate online learning efforts across the state’s public colleges and universities, though it lacks clarity about the transferability of online credits. Regarding new providers, New Mexico’s regulatory environment is highly restrictive across the board, creating barriers to innovative institutions and students who seek to enroll with them.
Report Card
Compare with
Four-Year Institutions
NM Nat'l| Student Access & Success | D |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 69.7 | 30.8 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 72.0 | 77.9 |
| Completion Rate | 40.3 | 54.5 |
| Completions per 100 FTE Students | 17.8 | 19.7 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 2 | |
| Complete College America | * |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | D |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $65,177 | $68,140 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $82,653 | $41,198 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $102,270 | $76,932 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined Measure (5-point scale) | 2 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | C |
|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $16,262 | $17,881 |
|---|---|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 155.2 | 156.0 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $11,591 | $12,703 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 146.4 | 149.9 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 3.6 | 4.0 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 6.0 | 7.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 3.3 | 2.9 |
| Transparency & Accountability | F |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | false | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | true | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 1 |
Two-Year Institutions
NM Nat'l| Student Access & Success | F |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 32.0 | 46.9 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 55.9 | 58.6 |
| Completion Rate | 11.8 | 20.5 |
| Completions Per 100 FTE Undergraduates | 13.7 | 16.8 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 2 |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | D |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $67,621 | $57,210 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $61,433 | $35,476 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $69,130 | $52,512 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined MeasureCombined Measure (5-point Scale) | 2 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | F |
|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $7,524 | $8,545 |
|---|---|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 125.5 | 126.1 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $5,384 | $6,595 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 121.5 | 125.0 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 1.2 | 2.7 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 1.2 | 1.5 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 1.0 | 4.9 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 1.13 | 1.84 |
| Transparency & Accountability | D |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 2.5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | false | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | true | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 1 |
State
NM Nat'l| Policy Environment | C |
|---|
| State Goals (6-point Scale) | 1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Does the State Have Outcomes-Based Funding? | true | |
| Four-Year Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 2 | |
| Two-Years Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 2 | |
| Does the State Have a Credit Transfer Policy? | true | |
| Credit Transfer Policy (5-point Scale) | 4 |
| Innovation: Openness to Providers | F |
|---|
| Numerical Openness to New Providers Grade | 54% | |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory Jurisdiction | 50% | |
| Financial Burden | 53% | |
| Approval Process Burden | 60% |
| Innovation: Online Learning | C |
|---|
| Numerical Online Learning Grade | 57.1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Online Learning Score (7-point Scale) | 4 |
State Facts at a Glance
- Number of Public Four-Year Institutions 6
- Number of Public Two-Year Institutions 19
- Number of Students Served by Public Four-Year Institutions 38465
- Number of Students Served by Public Two-Year Institutions 50921