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Best Nursing Schools in New Mexico

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2023 Best Nursing Schools in New Mexico

18 Colleges
$64,717 Avg Salary
$24,800 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Nursing School for You

Nursing is the most popular major in New Mexico with 1,390 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for healthcare students. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.

The Best Nursing Schools in New Mexico ranking is one of many tools that Healthcare Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 18 schools in New Mexico to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for healthcare students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Nursing Schools in New Mexico

The following schools top our list of the Best Nursing Colleges.

Top 10 Best Nursing Schools

Our analysis found Eastern New Mexico University - Main Campus to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a degree in New Mexico. ENMU - Main Campus is a small public school located in the town of Portales.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from ENMU - Main Campus carry an average student debtload of $22,173.

Full Nursing at Eastern New Mexico University - Main Campus Report

The excellent programs at New Mexico Highlands University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in New Mexico. New Mexico Highlands University is a small public school located in the town of Las Vegas.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at New Mexico Highlands University accumulate an average of around $14,507 in student debt.

Read More…

The excellent programs at University of New Mexico - Main Campus helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in New Mexico. UNM is a fairly large public school located in the city of Albuquerque.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at UNM accumulate an average of around $20,180 in student debt.

Full Nursing at University of New Mexico - Main Campus Report

#4

Western New Mexico University

Silver City, NM

The excellent programs at Western New Mexico University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in New Mexico. Western New Mexico University is a small public school located in the remote town of Silver City.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at Western New Mexico University accumulate an average of around $35,385 in student debt.

Read full report on Nursing at Western New Mexico University

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means New Mexico State University - Main Campus is a great place for nursing students. Located in the midsize suburb of Las Cruces, NMSU Main Campus is a public college with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at NMSU Main Campus take out is $20,156.

Full Nursing at New Mexico State University - Main Campus Report

With a ranking of #6, Carrington College, Albuquerque did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Carrington College, Albuquerque is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of Albuquerque.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Carrington College, Albuquerque take out is $33,375. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $212.

Full Nursing at Carrington College, Albuquerque Report

New Mexico State University - Carlsbad came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in New Mexico ranking. NMSU Carlsbad is a small public school located in the rural area of Carlsbad.

On average, nursing graduates from NMSU Carlsbad take out $17,900 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Nursing at New Mexico State University - Carlsbad Report

University of New Mexico - Gallup Campus landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. UNM Gallup is a small public school located in the rural area of Gallup.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at UNM Gallup take out is $14,796.

Read full report on Nursing at University of New Mexico - Gallup Campus

University of New Mexico - Taos Campus landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Located in the rural area of Ranchos de Taos, UNM Taos is a public school with a small student population.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at UNM Taos accumulate an average of around $14,796 in student debt.

Read More…

Clovis Community College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in New Mexico ranking. Clovis Community College is a small public school located in the town of Clovis.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Clovis Community College take out is $11,473.

Full Nursing at Clovis Community College Report

Best Nursing Colleges in the Southwest Region

Explore all the Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Texas 21,862
Arizona 12,966
Oklahoma 3,009

One of 30 majors within the healthcare area of study, nursing has other similar majors worth exploring.

Nursing Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Registered Nursing 266,651
Family Practice Nurse/Nursing 16,104
Nursing Administration 9,838
Nursing Practice 7,992
Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 5,092
Nursing Science 4,600
Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing 2,287
Adult Health Nurse/Nursing 2,021
Nurse Anesthetist 1,936
Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing 1,883
Critical Care Nursing 773
Geriatric Nurse/Nursing 563
School Nursing 553
Nurse Midwife/Nursing Midwifery 509
Clinical Nurse Leader 444
Clinical Nurse Specialist 419
Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing 331
Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/Nursing 181
Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing 57
Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing 53
Palliative Care Nursing 14
Forensic Nursing 14

Majors Similar to Nursing

Related Major Annual Graduates
Health & Medical Administrative Services 89,359
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services 84,492
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants 84,274
Allied Health Professions 82,308
Public Health 40,596

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 18 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Aleksahgabrielle.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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