Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus
Portales, New Mexico · Public · 91.7% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 34/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus earns an overall ROI score of 34/100, placing it in the Below Benchmark band on CampusROI's framework. Sticker tuition is $7,194 in-state and $9,174 out-of-state, with average net price after grants and scholarships at $4,904. Average earnings six years after entry land at $29,200, climbing to a median of roughly $38,550 by year ten, producing a payback period of about 45.0 years. Median federal debt of $16,500 works out to a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.56, which is tight. Completion is the headline weakness at 45.1% of degree-seeking students finishing within 150% of normal time. The component scores break down as earnings premium 36/100, completion 29/100, payback 13/100, debt-to-earnings 60/100, repayment 38/100. The lowest sub-score is payback period at 13/100, which is the main weight pulling the overall number down; the strongest sub-score is debt-to-earnings ratio at 60/100. Data points here come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (2024-2025 vintage), and Scorecard earnings carry a 6-10 year reporting lag, so the figures describe recent graduating cohorts rather than this year's incoming class.
How Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score34/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period45 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $7,194/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $9,174/yr |
| Average net price | $4,904/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $19,616 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $38,550 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $29,200 |
| Median debt at graduation | $16,500 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $175 |
| Estimated payback period | 45 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 45.1% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 3,357 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $7,194/year ($9,174/year out-of-state), which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $4,904/year, or roughly $19,616 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $3,663/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $9,996/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $16,500, which works out to about $175 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($29,200) and comes to 0.56, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $3,663 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $3,080 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $5,960 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $8,388 |
| $110,001+ | $9,996 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay an average net price of $3,663 per year here. With expected earnings around $38,550 a decade out, that's a workable number - Pell, state grants, and any institutional aid are doing real work to make it accessible, but families should still model debt carefully across four years.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$75,000) face a net price of about $5,960 per year. These households typically get less Pell support and partial institutional aid, so the tuition bill is more directly felt. Whether the math works depends on the major: programs with stronger early earnings can absorb this cost; lower-paying majors will produce a longer payback period. Note: the income-bracket data shows inversions where the 0-30k bracket pays more than the 30-48k bracket - that's unusual and likely reflects small-sample noise or aid policy quirks; treat the brackets as approximate.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families in the $110,000+ bracket pay an average of $9,996 per year.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $55,379 | C+ |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $55,454 | C+ |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | $50,598 | C+ |
| Communication Disorders Sciences | $48,819 | D |
| Psychology | $43,334 | F |
| Teacher Education | $51,075 | C |
| Air Transportation | $103,617 | A |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $56,614 | C |
| Teacher Education, Subject-Specific | $51,003 | C |
| Accounting | $52,579 | B |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Liberal Arts and Sciences
Liberal Arts and Sciences (CIP 2401) graduates 137 students per year. Reported median first-year earnings of $43,186 and four-year earnings of $55,379. Median program debt is $22,301 against a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.52, which is tight. CampusROI assigns this program an ROI grade of C+.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration, Management, and Operations (CIP 5202) graduates 67 students per year. Reported median first-year earnings of $40,085 and four-year earnings of $55,454. Median program debt is $19,250 against a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.48, which is manageable. CampusROI assigns this program an ROI grade of C+. Business and management is the workhorse major here; outcomes track closely with the student's region and willingness to relocate for opportunity.
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (CIP 5115) graduates 53 students per year. Reported median first-year earnings of $40,645 and four-year earnings of $50,598. Median program debt is $20,378 against a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.50, which is tight. CampusROI assigns this program an ROI grade of C+.
Communication Disorders Sciences
Communication Disorders Sciences (CIP 5102) graduates 52 students per year. Reported median first-year earnings of $26,335 and four-year earnings of $48,819. Median program debt is $25,000 against a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.95, which is heavy. CampusROI assigns this program an ROI grade of D. Communications outcomes are hugely dispersed; the median understates the tail risk for graduates who don't land a structured first job.
Psychology
Psychology (CIP 4201) graduates 47 students per year. Reported median first-year earnings of $19,844 and four-year earnings of $43,334. Median program debt is $20,050 against a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.01, which is heavy. CampusROI assigns this program an ROI grade of F. Psychology bachelor's-level outcomes are weak unless paired with graduate study; the debt-to-earnings ratio here reflects that reality.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 63.0% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 69.3% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 50.2% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 56.3% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 91.7% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 400-520 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 430-540 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 17-23 |
| Enrollment | 3,357 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 35.7% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,343 |
The school admits roughly 91.7% of applicants, putting it in the broad-access category (SAT Math 25th-75th of 400-520; SAT Reading 25th-75th of 430-540; ACT Composite 25th-75th of 17-23). For prepared students with solid high school records the admit decision is unlikely to be the binding constraint here. Selectivity correlates loosely with completion in Scorecard data, and at 45.1% this campus's completion rate is consistent with the broad-access profile.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus sits at ROI 34 with 45.0yr payback.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus (this school) | 34 | $4,904 | $38,550 |
| New Mexico Highlands University | 39 | $14,838 | $45,937 |
| SUNY College of Technology at Canton | 36 | $15,268 | $47,860 |
| Montana State University Billings | 34 | $16,524 | $44,296 |
| University of North Carolina Asheville | 34 | $12,250 | $44,030 |
| Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development | 18 | $12,570 | $24,505 |
Who Thrives Here
Fit skews toward students who want regional access without paying flagship-level tuition. Be honest about completion: at this rate, a meaningful share of students who enroll do not finish, and incomplete degrees produce the worst ROI of any path. Median earnings ten years out of $38,550 should be the honest yardstick for whether the price the family will actually pay (see the income-bracket breakdown below) leads to a workable post-graduation budget.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus scores 34/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $4,904 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $38,550 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 45 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 45.1% graduation rate, a three-year loan repayment rate of 69.3% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $16,500 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $29,200 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.56, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus: Common Questions
Is Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus scores 34/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $4,904 a year after aid against $38,550 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 45 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $4,904 a year, or roughly $19,616 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $38,550 ten years after enrolling, at or below the $41,800 median for high-school graduates (NCES, 2022). With little earnings gap to cover the cost, the financial return is hard to make.
How long does it take to pay off Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 45 years for Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $16,500, against average earnings of $29,200 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.56. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus?
The six-year graduation rate is 45.1%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
NewsletterCollege decisions are better with data.
From CampusROI, when there is something worth acting on.
Rankings & Links
Guides & Tools
Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.