Western New Mexico University
Silver City, New Mexico · Public
ROI Score: 17/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Western New Mexico University scores 17 (Below Benchmark) on the CampusROI scale. The core problems are compounding: a 32.2% completion rate means fewer than one in three students finishes a degree, and the payback period is 42.5 years. Average 6-year earnings of $29,400 are low, and median debt of $23,000 against those earnings produces a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.782. The 5-year repayment rate of 35.3% is a significant warning: nearly two-thirds of borrowers at the 5-year mark are not making progress on reducing their principal. By year 7 the repayment rate recovers to 45.3%, but this is still poor. In-state tuition of $7,856 and net price of $8,522 are very low. The problem is not cost; it is outcomes for the majority of students who enroll but do not complete. The Scorecard does not report an admission rate for this institution. Registered Nursing is the clear exception: 33 graduates earning $73,666 at year one and $84,626 at year four, with a B-grade ROI - a dramatically different trajectory than the institutional average.
How Western New Mexico University 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 Score17/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate32.2% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
- Payback period42.5 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Western New Mexico University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $7,856/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $14,342/yr |
| Average net price | $8,522/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $34,088 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $39,095 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $29,400 |
| Median debt at graduation | $23,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $244 |
| Estimated payback period | 42.5 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 32.2% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,026 |
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: $7,856/year ($14,342/year out-of-state), which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $8,522/year, or roughly $34,088 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 $8,381/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $13,210/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $23,000, which works out to about $244 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($29,400) and comes to 0.78, 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 | $8,381 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $8,336 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $12,493 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | N/A |
| $110,001+ | $13,210 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Students in the 0-30000 bracket pay $8,381 per year. The low cost is genuinely meaningful for students who complete a degree - particularly in nursing, where the return on $33,524 (4-year investment) against $73,666 year-one earnings is excellent. The risk is the 32.2% completion rate: most students who enroll at this income level will not finish, leaving them with debt and no credential.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 48001-75000 bracket pays $12,493 per year. Similar dynamics: the cost is low enough that the return is positive for completers in health fields. Students outside nursing or criminal justice should ask directly about program-specific completion rates before enrolling.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Net price for the $75,001-110,000 bracket is not reported by the Scorecard. The $110,001+ bracket pays $13,210 per year. Even at these costs, the 42.5-year aggregate payback period and 32.2% completion rate make this a high-risk enrollment for any student who does not have nursing as their target program.
Earnings by Major
Top 5 most popular majors at Western New Mexico University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Social Work | $49,567 | D |
| Registered Nursing | $84,626 | B |
| Psychology | $31,591 | D |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $46,184 | C |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | $56,548 | C |
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.
Registered Nursing
Nursing is the clear outlier at WNMU: 33 graduates at $73,666 year-one and $84,626 year-four. Debt-to-earnings of 0.422 (ROI grade B). Median debt of $31,088 is higher than ideal but manageable against nursing wages. The New Mexico nursing labor market has persistent demand, and WNMU's program provides a pathway for rural and low-income students into a high-wage health profession. This program's outcomes are categorically different from the institutional average.
Social Work
Social Work had 37 graduates at $42,250 year-one and $49,567 year-four. Debt-to-earnings of 0.839 (ROI grade D). Median debt of $35,448 against year-one earnings of $42,250 is a tight ratio that worsens if graduates pursue the MSW degree typically required for clinical practice. The D grade reflects real financial pressure on graduates.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice had 18 graduates at $32,386 year-one and $46,184 year-four. Debt-to-earnings of 0.629 (ROI grade C). The C grade is not strong, but not unsustainable for graduates who complete.
Psychology
Psychology had 21 graduates at $31,591 year-one; year-four data is not reported. Debt-to-earnings of 0.871 (ROI grade D). Median debt of $27,500 against $31,591 year-one earnings is financially stressful. Most psychology bachelor's graduates who want clinical careers will need graduate degrees, adding significant debt on top of a D-grade undergraduate return.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 52.3% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 59.0% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 35.3% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 45.3% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Western New Mexico University’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
| Enrollment | 2,026 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 43.5% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,468 |
The Scorecard does not report an admission rate or standardized test ranges for Western New Mexico University. This is an open-access regional public institution. The meaningful challenge for prospective students is not gaining admission but completing a degree - the 32.2% completion rate means most students who start do not finish. Financial continuity and academic support planning are more critical decision factors than admissions selectivity.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
WNMU's completion rate is 32.2% and its repayment rate is 35.3% at five years.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western New Mexico University (this school) | 17 | $8,522 | $39,095 |
| Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus | 34 | $4,904 | $38,550 |
| University of Puerto Rico at Ponce | 19 | $10,990 | $31,394 |
| Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development | 18 | $12,570 | $24,505 |
| Shawnee State University | 18 | $14,381 | $39,596 |
| Alcorn State University | 16 | $13,265 | $36,421 |
Who Thrives Here
WNMU enrolls 2,026 students in Silver City, New Mexico. Pell grant rate of 43.5% indicates a heavily low-income student population. The Scorecard does not report admission rate, SAT, or ACT ranges for this institution, limiting pre-enrollment academic benchmarking. WNMU serves a geographically isolated region with limited higher education alternatives. Students in nursing have clear outcome data supporting enrollment; students in other programs face structural completion and earnings challenges that the data documents clearly.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Western New Mexico University scores 17/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $8,522 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $39,095 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 42.5 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 32.2% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.78 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 59.0% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $23,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $29,400 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.78. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Western New Mexico University: Common Questions
Is Western New Mexico University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Western New Mexico University scores 17/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $8,522 a year after aid against $39,095 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 42.5 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Western New Mexico University 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 $8,522 a year, or roughly $34,088 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 Western New Mexico University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $39,095 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 Western New Mexico University?
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 42.5 years for Western New Mexico University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Western New Mexico University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $23,000, against average earnings of $29,400 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.78. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Western New Mexico University?
The six-year graduation rate is 32.2%. 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.