New Mexico Highlands University College Portrait
New Mexico Highlands UniversityNational Avenue Las Vegas, NM 87701
(505) 454-3434 / (800) 338-NMHU
New Mexico Highlands University
For more than a century, New Mexico Highlands University has served as a leading academic, cultural and economic engine for the communities of Northern New Mexico. Now in its 116th year, New Mexico Highlands University continues its historic mission on its main campus in Las Vegas and centers in Farmington, Roswell, Espanola/Santa Fe, Rio Rancho and Raton. New Mexico Highlands' main campus lies along the historic Santa Fe Trail in Las Vegas - a vibrant community at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
Living in the NMHU Community
The Cowboys Community
The college experience at New Mexico Highlands University is a blend of both the curricular and extracurricular opportunities that enhance student's knowledge and success. Whether you study at New Mexico Highlands' main campus in Las Vegas, NM or at one of the university's centers in Santa Fe/Espanola, Rio Rancho/Albuquerque, Farmington, Raton or Roswell, our professors' attention to your goals and dreams will start you on your journey to success. The Office of Academic Support offers an array of services with special emphasis on academic advisement. The staff of Academic Support is available to ensure students receive assistance in assessing their interests, skills and abilities to help them succeed in college.
The Big Picture: How many students were on campus in Fall 2010?
More Information
| Total Students | 3,750 | |
|---|---|---|
Undergraduate Snapshot
| Total Undergraduate Students | 2,259 | |
|---|---|---|
| Gender | ||
| Women | 1,340 | 59% |
| Men | 919 | 41% |
| Race/Ethnicity | ||
| American Indian / Alaskan Native | 160 | 7% |
| Asian | 6 | <1% |
| African American / Black | 143 | 6% |
| Hispanic | 1,217 | 54% |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 9 | <1% |
| White | 478 | 21% |
| Two or More Races | 67 | 3% |
| International | 129 | 6% |
| Race/Ethnicity Not Reported | 50 | 2% |
| Where do NMHU undergraduates call home? | |
|---|---|
| New Mexico | 76% |
| Other US States & Territories | 21% |
| Other Countries | 3% |
| Residency Unknown | <1% |
| How old are NMHU undergraduates? | |
| Average Age | 27 |
| Percent of Undergraduates Age 25 or Older | 40% |
New Student Applications (Fall 2010)
New Freshmen High School Background and Test Scores
Sticker Price: How much does it cost on average?
Typical Undergraduate Costs for 2009-10 without Financial Aid (Full-Time, In-State Students)
Total Typical Cost of Attendance: $15,286
Out-of-State & Other Costs
More Information
The cost to attend New Mexico Highlands University varies based on the individual circumstances of students and may be reduced through grants and scholarships.
How much would I pay?
Financial Aid: How much help is there to pay?
Scholarships & Grants
- 51% of 2009-10 full-time undergraduates received need-based grants or scholarships; the average award for the year was $2,652. Scholarships and grants are financial aid that does not need to be repaid and is sometimes referred to as gift aid.
Annual Need-Based Loans
- 41% of 2009-10 full-time undergraduates received need-based work-study and/or loans (not including parent loans); the average loan for the year was $3,645. Loans need to be repaid. Typically, repayment starts once you are no longer enrolled full-time. Please refer to page 12 of the Funding Education Beyond High School guide on the US Department of Education's Federal Student Aid website for more information about Financial Need.
Percent of 2009-2010 Full-time Beginning Students Receiving Each Type of Financial Aid
NOTE: Students may receive aid from more than one source.
NMHU Classes & Instructors
| Classroom Environment | |
|---|---|
| Students per Faculty | 14 to 1 |
| Undergraduate classes with fewer than 30 students | 93% |
| Undergraduate classes with fewer than 50 students | 97% |
| Total Full-Time Instructional Faculty | 143 |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Are Female | 43% |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Are Persons of Color | 31% |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Have the Highest Academic Degree Offered in Their Field of Study | 80% |
More Information
Campus-based Housing
61% of new freshmen live in campus-based housing or residence halls.
22% of all undergraduates live on campus
More Information
Campus Safety
The NMHU Police/Security Department is a full-service police agency, open 24 hours daily, during which time the administrative assistant or a dispatcher/telephone operator is available to provide assistance. It is not simply a security force; rather, it is similar to a municipal police department for a small city, serving to ensure the safety of the campus' students, faculty and staff. NMHU police officers have enforcement authority on all property controlled by the NMHU Board of Regents. To accomplish this, NMHU police officers rely on and have a good working relationship with all surrounding police agencies - federal, state, county and city.
Campus Crime Statistics
Carnegie Classification of Institutional Characteristics
The Carnegie Classification's were created "to reference the great diversity of colleges and universities in the United States, and ... enable [people] to identify groups of roughly comparable institutions." For information on the Carnegie Classifications system, please visit their website: http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/
- Basic Type
- Master's Colleges and Universities (larger programs)
- Size and Setting
- Small four-year, primarily residential
- Enrollment Profile
- Majority undergraduate
- Undergraduate Profile
- Medium full-time four-year, inclusive
- Undergraduate Instructional Program
- Professions plus arts & sciences, some graduate coexistence
- Graduate Instructional Program
- Postbaccalaureate comprehensive
NOTE: Institutional classifications based on the Carnegie 2005 edition.
Student Activities and Involvement at NMHU
Students who are actively involved in their own learning and development are more likely to be successful in college. Colleges and universities offer students a wide variety of opportunities both inside and outside the classroom to become engaged with new ideas, people, and experiences. Institutions measure the effectiveness of these opportunities in a variety of ways to better understand what types of activities and programs students find the most helpful.
Institutions participating in the VSA program measure student involvement on campus using one of four national surveys. Results from the one survey are reported for a common set of questions selected as part of VSA. Following are the selected results from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). The questions have been grouped together in categories that are known to contribute to student learning and development. The results reported below are based on the responses of seniors who participated in the survey.
Group Learning Experiences
- 86% percent of seniors worked with classmates on assignments outside of class.
- 58% of seniors tutored or taught other students
- 21% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week participating in co-curricular activities such as student organizations and intramural sports
Active Learning Experiences
- 85% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week preparing for class
- 13% of seniors worked on a research project with a faculty member
- 43% of seniors participated in an internship, practicum, or field experience
- 54% of seniors participated in community service or volunteer work
- 7% of seniors participated in study abroad
- 96% of seniors made at least one class presentation last year
Institutional Commitment to Student Learning and Success
- 90% of seniors believe this institution provides support for student success
- 63% of seniors rated the quality of academic advising at this institution as good or excellent
- 62% of seniors reported that this institution provided help in coping with work, family and other non-academic responsibilities
- 95% of seniors reported working harder than they thought they could to meet an instructor's standards or expectations
Student Interaction with Campus Faculty and Staff
- 58% of seniors believed that the campus staff were helpful, considerate, or flexible
- 81% of seniors believed that faculty are available, helpful, or sympathetic
- 93% of seniors reported that faculty members provided prompt feedback on their academic performance
- 71% of seniors discussed readings or ideas with faculty members outside of class
Experiences with Diverse Groups of People and Ideas
- 68% of seniors reported that they often tried to understand someone else's point of view
- 93% of seniors reported their experience at this institution contributed to their understanding people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds
- 61% of seniors often had serious conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity
Student Satisfaction
- 81% of seniors would attend this institution if they started over again
- 85% of seniors rated their entire educational experience as good or excellent
- 83% of seniors reported that other students were friendly or supportive
Evaluation of Experiences
Survey Administration Process
Survey Information
Majors and Degrees
| Degrees awarded at New Mexico Highlands University in 2009-10 | |
|---|---|
| Associate's | 2 |
| Bachelor's | 372 |
| Master's | 346 |
| Total | 720 |
More Information
| Areas of Study with the largest number of bachelor's degrees awarded in 2009-10 | |
|---|---|
| HEALTH PROFESSIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS | 23% |
| Business Administration and Management, General | 18% |
| Elementary Education and Teaching | 16% |
| Physical Education Teaching and Coaching | 5% |
| Psychology, General | 5% |
| Links to degree programs at New Mexico Highlands University |
|---|
Associate'sBachelor'sMaster's |
Future Plans of 2009-10 Bachelor's Degree Recipients
Survey Administration Process
Student Success & Progress Rate
A 52% four-year success and progress rate means that 52% of students starting in Fall 2004 either graduated or are still enrolled at a higher education institution four years later.
More Information
Counts for the Fall 2004 entering class shown in the graph above.
- 254 First-Time, Full-Time Students
- 285 Full-Time Transfer Students
Success & Progress Rate Table
Retention of Freshman Class
First-time students in Fall 2009 that returned for their second year: 52%
More Information
Student Learning at New Mexico Highlands University
All colleges and universities use multiple approaches to measure student learning. Many of these are specific to particular disciplines, many are coordinated with accrediting agencies, and many are based on outcomes after students have graduated.
Learning Assessment Examples
Pilot Project to Measure Core Learning Outcomes
Colleges and universities participating in the College Portrait measure the typical improvement in students' abilities to think, reason, and write using one of three tests. This is part of a pilot project to better understand and compare what students learn between their freshman and senior years at different colleges and universities.
2008-09 Results from the Collegiate Learning Assessment
The Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) measures critical thinking, analytic reasoning, problem solving, and written communication using a performance task and an analytic writing task. The scores from the tasks are reported separately below.
Test Administration Process
Test Information
Performance Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students
The increase in learning on the performance task is at or near what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.
Freshman Score: 918
Senior Score: 1031
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.
Average EEA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 879
Senior Score: 882
Analytic Writing Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students
The increase in learning on the analytic writing task is at or near what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.
Freshman Score: 977
Senior Score: 1097
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.
Average EEA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 879
Senior Score: 882