New Mexico State University-Main Campus (NMSU) vs Western New Mexico University

New Mexico State University-Main Campus and Western New Mexico University, both esteemed institutions in the Land of Enchantment, offer distinct educational experiences. NMSU-Main, situated in Las Cruces, boasts a higher acceptance rate, attracting a diverse student body from various backgrounds. WNMU, nestled in Silver City, maintains a smaller student population, fostering a close-knit community. While NMSU-Main excels in engineering, nursing, and business programs, WNMU shines in education, social work, and criminal justice. Both universities offer ample opportunities for research, internships, and extracurricular activities. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these institutions' unique strengths and determine which aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	New Mexico State University-Main Campus	Western New Mexico University
Overview
Location	Las Cruces, New Mexico	Silver City, New Mexico
Campus setting	Suburb: Midsize	Town: Remote
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	72.0%	71.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	57.3%	Open Admission
Application fees	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $40	Undergraduate: $30 Graduate: $40
SAT range	920 - 1140	N/A
ACT range	17 - 23	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	36.0%
Students submitting ACT score	33.0%
Total number of applicants	12,535
Total number of admissions given out	7,177
Admitted students who chose to enroll	2,013
Yield rate	28.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A
High school GPA	Required	N/A
Recommendation letters	Not required	N/A
High school transcript	Not required	N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	N/A

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $22,010 Out of state: $38,476	In state: $23,036 Out of state: $30,019
Average net price	$11,397	$13,483
Tuition	In state: $6,041 Out of state: $22,507	In state: $4,417 Out of state: $11,400
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,507 Meal plan: $4,900	Room/dormitory: $5,900 Meal plan: $4,600
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	98.0% Average amount $11,518	96.0% Average amount $8,213
Students receiving federal student loan	30.0% Average amount $3,491	40.0% Average amount $5,710
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $10,115	2.0% Average amount $7,094

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	11,231 Men 41.9% Women 58.1%	1,982 Men 37.1% Women 62.9%
Graduate students	2,673 Men 38.9% Women 61.1%	1,031 Men 21.5% Women 78.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	29.0%	N/A
International students	5.1%	1.7%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Midsize	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	3,384	382
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	New Mexico Texas Arizona California Colorado	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Engineering Health Professions Education Agriculture	Public Administration and Social Service Education Business Multidisciplinary Studies Health Professions
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	50.4%	29.3%
Dropout rate	45.8%	65.0%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Industrial Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $79,572 Year 2: $82,440 Year 3: $90,002 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,582 Year 2: $61,814 Year 3: $80,221 Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $71,575 Year 3: $79,616 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,000 Year 2: $73,635 Year 3: $74,617 Engineering Technology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,548 Year 2: $59,253 Year 3: $71,978 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $54,906 Year 2: $62,343 Year 3: $70,303 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $74,738 Year 2: $58,673 Year 3: $69,035 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,124 Year 2: $55,512 Year 3: $66,230 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $59,682 Year 2: $63,997 Year 3: $64,455 Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,638 Year 2: $57,860 Year 3: $63,843	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,711 Year 2: $81,333 Year 3: $74,533 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $56,641 Year 3: $64,319 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $42,641 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $40,776 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,610 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $36,989 Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $48,216 Year 2: $25,967 Year 3: $24,940 Precision Metal Working (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $32,569 Year 3: N/A Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $60,020 Year 2: $49,644 Year 3: N/A Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $64,688 Year 2: $50,000 Year 3: N/A Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,681 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $44,384 Year 3: N/A

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