Top grades for Tech
Graduates earn more than other NM public institutes
SOCORRO — With many high school seniors at this time of year trying to decide which university to attend, figures released by the U.S. Department of Education may help narrow the search.
The latest findings show graduates of New Mexico Tech in Socorro earn an average salary of $52,900 — considerably more than any other public institution in the state, according to the Department of Education’s website, collegescorecard.ed.gov.
No. 2 on the list is New Mexico Highlands in Las Vegas, N.M., where graduates can expect an average salary of $35,600.
The rankings, which cover a variety of topics, are based on federal data, such as state test scores, parent and student surveys, college readiness, graduation rates, SAT/ACT scores, teacher quality, culture and diversity, health and safety, resources and facilities, clubs, activities and sports offerings.
When it comes to salaries of New Mexico graduates, those with a degree from University of New Mexico receive an average $34,900, while the figure is $33,400 at New Mexico State University. At the bottom of the list for four-year public schools is Northern New Mexico College in Española with an average salary of $28,500.
As for non-state schools, University of Phoenix-New Mexico can expect an average salary after graduation of $48,400.
The study also compared average cost and graduation rates for each of the schools.
New Mexico Tech was the most expensive state school, with an average cost of $11,451 per year. Second-highest was UNM at $10,079, followed by NMSU at $9,531. The least expensive fouryear school was New Mexico Highlands at $6,621. In other findings:
UNM shows the highest graduation rate at 48 percent, followed by New Mexico Tech at 47 percent. At the low end was Northern New Mexico College with a 17 percent graduation rate.
For two-year branch community colleges, the best bargain is NMSU-Carlsbad campus at $4,589. For independent community colleges, CNM is the cheapest at $3,213.