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New Mexico Junior College

#2 Best Online Colleges in New Mexico
Public Hobbs, NM · Town · Southwest · 87% data
A+ Social Mobility A- Affordability A- Value
Graduation Rate
42% D+
Lower completion rate than most colleges
Earnings (10yr)
$34,233 D+
Below average for college graduates
Net Price
$6,524 A-
62% less than the typical college
Enrollment
2,175
Earnings -16% vs avg
Graduation -26% vs avg
Net Price +-62% vs avg
Mobility Top 3%

Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 28.1× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $28.1 over 20 years. Ranked #2 in Best Online Colleges in New Mexico.

28.1× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $28.1 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $707,146.

What The Data Says

  1. A C+ overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.

  2. Graduation of 42% — 26% below the national average.

  3. Social mobility rate of 4.34% — an engine of upward economic mobility.

  4. Every $1 invested returns $28.1 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Why New Mexico Junior College Matters

New Mexico Junior College is a public community college in Hobbs, NM and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network and a strong record of moving students up the income ladder. The result: durable upward mobility for the students it enrolls.

Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Public Community College
Carnegie Class
Associate's College
Enrollment
2,175
Setting
Town
Primary Strengths
Humanities, Culinary & Personal Services, Criminal Justice, Health Professions

Why students choose New Mexico Junior College

Influential alumni network
High cross-class social capital and reach
Engine of upward mobility
A strong record of moving students up the income ladder
Outstanding value
Low net price against strong graduate earnings

CollegeRanker Report Card

Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.

C+
Top 36% overall
D+
Earnings
$34,233 median
A-
Value
5.2× net price
A-
Affordability
$6,524/yr net
D+
Graduation
42% graduate
A+
Social Mobility
4.3% climb Q1→Q5
C
Diversity
0.57 index

Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.

How we grade →

Overview

New Mexico Junior College is a solid choice for students looking to dive into practical fields like Criminal Justice, Health Professions, or Culinary Arts. With around 2,175 students, it feels like a tight-knit community where you can get personalized attention from instructors. The focus is on career-oriented programs that equip students for immediate entry into the workforce, making it a good fit for hands-on learners who want to build skills that matter.

After graduation, students can expect to earn about $34,233 a year after ten years in the workforce. That’s a decent starting point, especially when you consider the low net price of $6,524 after aid. With a graduation rate of 42%, it shows that while not everyone finishes, many do find their footing and move into stable careers. This makes New Mexico Junior College an appealing option for those who want to enhance their earning potential without taking on overwhelming amounts of debt.

Speaking of debt, the median debt for graduates here is $11,313, which is manageable considering the earning potential. Students who thrive tend to be those looking for practical skills and opportunities in their local community. With 27% of students receiving Pell Grants, there’s also a supportive framework for those who need financial assistance. Overall, if you're looking for a straightforward path to a fulfilling career, this college deserves a close look.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective New Mexico Junior College is — and how your numbers stack up.

Tool

Will I Be Accepted?

Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.

3.0
Test Score
1050
21

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into New Mexico Junior College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

As a public institution in Hobbs, New Mexico, New Mexico Junior College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 42%.

Retention Rate
70%
Full-Time Faculty
100%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$10,502
Student–Faculty Ratio
17:1
Diversity Index
0.57
First-Gen Students
54%

Can I Afford It?

What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.

Cost & Financial Aid

How Much Does It Cost to Attend New Mexico Junior College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at New Mexico Junior College is $2,280, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $6,524. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $6,000 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $11,313 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$1,440
Out-of-State
$2,280
Avg Net Price
$6,524
Median Debt
$11,313
Pell Grant Rate
27%
Federal Loan Rate
2%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$6,000
Family Income $30K–$48K
$6,697
Family Income $48K–$75K
$7,669

What Happens After?

Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.

Students Like You

Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at New Mexico Junior College — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.

Compare schools in the full simulator →Sources: College Scorecard, Common Data Set, Opportunity Insights · today's dollars (CPI-adjusted) · descriptive, not predictive

Graduate Outcomes

Is New Mexico Junior College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of New Mexico Junior College report median earnings of $34,233, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

6 Years After Entry
$32,145
8 Years
$35,614
10 Years
$34,233
Debt-to-Earnings
0.33x
Earning > $25K
49%

Earnings Trajectory

$32,145 6yr $35,614 8yr $34,233 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (55)
23%
100% (55)
23%
100% (55)
23%
100% (55)
23%

How New Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation42%Earnings 10yr$34KNet Price$7KRetention70%Median Debt$11KPell Grant Rate27%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$6K$0-30K$7K$30-48K$8K$48-75K

The Mobility Equation

Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?

ACCESS% from bottom 20%22.0%SUCCESS% who reach top 20%19.7%MOBILITY4.34%

College ROI Calculator

Is New Mexico Junior College Worth It?

A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.

Yes — for most students, New Mexico Junior College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $6,524/year ($26,096 total). Graduates earn $34,233 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $733,242 in total earnings — a net gain of $707,146 (28.1× your investment). The median debt is $11,313, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 42% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$26,096
Projected 20yr Earnings
$733,242
Net Return
$707,146
ROI Multiple
28.1×
Cost Per Year
$6,524
Median Debt
$11,313
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
42%

Does It Change Lives?

Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?

Social Mobility

Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records

Does New Mexico Junior College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

New Mexico Junior College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 4.34%, among the highest in the country. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 22% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 19.7% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $50,000, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate
4.34%
Bottom 20% → Top 20%
Success Rate
19.7%
If bottom 20% get in
From Bottom 20%
22.0%
Share of students
Parent Median Income
$67,932
today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is New Mexico Junior College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at New Mexico Junior College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.24, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 4% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
1.24
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
0.01
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
3.5%
Support Ratio
0.99
Community support

Research Note

267%
Low-income students at colleges in the top quartile of economic connectedness are 267% more likely to reach the top income quintile than peers at the least-connected schools.
Data from CollegeRanker’s review of 5,745 U.S. colleges (n=1,503). Quartile comparison of mean bottom-quintile success rate, split by economic connectedness (Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas × Mobility Report Card).

Institutional Finances

Data: NCES IPEDS

Federal Grants
$6,509,465
Investment Income
$222,176

Top Programs

The fields New Mexico Junior College awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.

Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Hard to Get Into New Mexico Junior College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

As a public institution in Hobbs, New Mexico, New Mexico Junior College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 42%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend New Mexico Junior College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at New Mexico Junior College is $2,280, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $6,524. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $6,000 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $11,313 in federal student loans.

Is New Mexico Junior College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of New Mexico Junior College report median earnings of $34,233, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

Does New Mexico Junior College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

New Mexico Junior College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 4.34%, among the highest in the country. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 22% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 19.7% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $50,000, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

How Connected Is New Mexico Junior College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at New Mexico Junior College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.24, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 4% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Similar Schools

Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to New Mexico Junior College.

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes for 2026 — report cover Download PDF

The 2026 Annual Report

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes

Every state graded on what graduates earn, how far they climb, and what college really costs — the hidden geography of economic mobility, in one report.

Free · 21 pages · 5,745 institutions · 100% federal data, no surveys