PRESS RELEASE: New Mexico college graduates rank high for economic mobility

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Auriella Ortiz

Auriella.Ortiz@hed.nm.gov

(505) 467-9605

December 4, 2025

New Mexico college graduates

rank high for economic mobility

New report places state among top 14 nationally for ROI

SANTA FE – New Mexico college graduates rank among the most likely in the nation to achieve economic security and mobility, according to a new study measuring education-to-employment outcomes across all states.

The 2025 “ State Opportunity Index ” produced by the Strada Education Foundation reports that 70 percent of New Mexico college graduates achieve a positive return on investment (ROI) over 10 years. The ROI metric reflects graduates who earn more than workers with only a high school diploma and whose 10-year earnings exceed the cost of their degree.

New Mexico is one of only 14 states with better than 70 percent of graduates achieve a positive ROI, alongside Alaska, Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Texas and Washington. Nationally, states range from 53 percent to 82 percent on this measure.

The state also ranks in the top “Leading” category for affordability at public two-year colleges and shows strong affordability at four-year schools.

“Our commitment to expanding access to higher education is centered around the idea that no one working toward a better career should be saddled with debt,” said Higher Education Secretary Stephanie Rodriguez . “Alongside that goal is ensuring students have what they need to succeed once they’ve chosen their path. We are gratified when the metrics reflect that we’re heading in the right direction, but we want to continue showing that New Mexico can and will lead the way in high-quality, accessible higher education with family-sustaining wages right here at home.”

The study reports that New Mexico performs well in access, affordability and alignment of postsecondary pathways, reflecting the state’s ongoing work efforts to promote the “ Opportunity Scholarship ,” the nation’s first state program to offer tuition-free college to all New Mexicans regardless of income.

The full report is available at https://www.strada.org/state-opportunity-index.

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The New Mexico Higher Education Department was established in 2005 and oversees the state’s public and tribal colleges, universities and special schools. It also oversees adult education and literacy programs statewide, manages state-funded financial aid programs and capital projects for higher education institutions, provides college readiness services via the GEAR UP program, and grants state authorization to private colleges operating within New Mexico. For more information, visit hed.nm.gov or follow us on Facebook , Instagram and LinkedIn at @NMHigherEd. To learn more about tuition-free college via New Mexico’s Opportunity and Lottery scholarships, visit reachhighernm.com .