New Mexico State University-Main Campus (NMSU) vs The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV)

New Mexico State University-Main Campus and The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, both located in vibrant regions of the Southwest, offer distinct educational experiences. New Mexico State boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for students. In contrast, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley has a lower acceptance rate, indicating a more selective admissions process. While New Mexico State offers a wider range of undergraduate programs, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley excels in certain fields, such as engineering and nursing. Explore the detailed comparison table to delve into further differences, including student body demographics, graduation rates, and popular majors, to determine which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	New Mexico State University-Main Campus	The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Overview
Location	Las Cruces, New Mexico	Edinburg, Texas
Campus setting	Suburb: Midsize	City: Midsize
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%	72.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	57.3%	93.9%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $40	$50
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	14,386
Total number of admissions given out	7,177	13,508
Admitted students who chose to enroll	2,013	5,439
Yield rate	28.0%	40.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $22,010 Out of state: $38,476	In state: $23,563 Out of state: $33,355
Average net price	$11,397	$6,244
Tuition	In state: $6,041 Out of state: $22,507	In state: $7,857 Out of state: $17,649
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,507 Meal plan: $4,900	Room/dormitory: $4,240 Meal plan: $3,368
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	98.0% Average amount $11,518	98.0% Average amount $8,702
Students receiving federal student loan	30.0% Average amount $3,491	19.0% Average amount $3,752
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $10,115	0.0% Average amount $0

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	11,231 Men 41.9% Women 58.1%	26,405 Men 40.7% Women 59.3%
Graduate students	2,673 Men 38.9% Women 61.1%	5,535 Men 35.4% Women 64.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	29.0%	N/A
International students	5.1%	2.5%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Midsize	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	3,384	1,049
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	Health Professions Multidisciplinary Studies Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences Education
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	20:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	50.4%	51.1%
Dropout rate	45.8%	23.2%
Transferred out	N/A	17.1%
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 (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $92,380 Year 2: $106,421 Year 3: $116,099 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $108,041 Year 2: $109,235 Year 3: $108,882 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,185 Year 2: $55,693 Year 3: $70,393 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,833 Year 2: $61,334 Year 3: $66,863 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,430 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $63,962 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $55,464 Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: $62,120 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,567 Year 2: $52,464 Year 3: $60,844 Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $48,240 Year 2: $50,439 Year 3: $60,219 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: $60,013 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $57,391 Year 2: $55,151 Year 3: $59,030

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