HEAD-TO-HEAD · 30-YEAR ROI

University of New Mexico vs New Mexico State University

New Mexico State University clears +$995K in 30-year net value, University of New Mexico +$911K — both pay off, New Mexico State University by +$84K.

Two NM public flagships, priced the way an in-state student actually pays. Same state, same residency — so the only thing moving the number is the school.

IPEDS 2023 tuition · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · resident (in-state) pricing · same model as /worth-it · both schools NPV-positive.

University of New Mexico · Albuquerque, NM

30-year net value
+$911K
Total cost of attendance
$79,996
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$47,787
Breaks even by age
—

New Mexico State University · Las Cruces, NM

clears more

30-year net value
+$995K
Total cost of attendance
$80,692
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$48,740
Breaks even by age
—
How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

Each school runs through the /worth-it model at its resident tuition rate, with the same loan assumptions, the same 30-year horizon, and each state’s own cost-of-living. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of the degree over that horizon, in real dollars — the same figure the calculator headlines.

We only publish pairs where both schools clear positive net value, so the comparison is “both pay off, one clears more,” never “this school is a bad bet.” Earnings are rolled up from at least three FREOPP programs per school (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t distort the number.

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “University of New Mexico vs New Mexico State University: 30-year ROI head-to-head.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/compare/new-mexico-vs-new-mexico-state

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Questions

Is University of New Mexico or New Mexico State University a better return on investment?
On a 30-year net-value basis at resident (in-state) pricing, New Mexico State University clears +$995K and University of New Mexico +$911K — both are solidly positive, so neither is a bad bet; New Mexico State University comes out ahead by +$84K. Figures from IPEDS 2023 tuition, FREOPP 2021 earnings, and BEA 2023 cost-of-living, run through the same model as the LE TEEN calculator.
How much more does New Mexico State University pay off than University of New Mexico?
About +$84K over a 30-year horizon (+$995K vs +$911K in projected net value). That gap reflects each school's net price and its graduates' median earnings — not a judgment that either degree fails to pay off, since both clear positive.
What is the 30-year net value of a degree from University of New Mexico?
+$911K at resident (in-state) pricing — total cost of attendance $79,996, median earnings ten years out $47,787. Run your own assumptions on the /worth-it calculator.