West Texas A & M University (WTAMU) vs New Mexico Highlands University (NMHU)

West Texas A & M University and New Mexico Highlands University, both located in the heart of the Southwest, offer distinct educational experiences for prospective students. While they share similarities in their commitment to academic excellence and affordability, they also have unique characteristics that set them apart. This side-by-side comparison delves into the key differences between these two institutions, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Whether you're a high school senior navigating the college application process or a transfer student seeking a new academic home, this comprehensive analysis will help you make an informed decision about which university best aligns with your goals and aspirations.

	New Mexico Highlands University	West Texas A & M University
Overview
Location	Las Vegas, New Mexico	Canyon, Texas
Campus setting	Town: Remote	Town: Fringe
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	52.0%	58.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	97.0%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $55 Graduate: $55
SAT range	N/A	980 - 1188
ACT range	N/A	18 - 24
Students submitting SAT score		24.0%
Students submitting ACT score		33.0%
Total number of applicants		5,743
Total number of admissions given out		5,573
Admitted students who chose to enroll		1,353
Yield rate		24.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	Not required	N/A
High school GPA	N/A	Not required
Recommendation letters	N/A	Not required
High school transcript	N/A	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	N/A	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $22,340 Out of state: $26,996	In state: $23,838 Out of state: $25,844
Average net price	$12,795	$13,802
Tuition	In state: $4,758 Out of state: $9,414	In state: $6,211 Out of state: $8,217
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,588 Meal plan: $4,320	Room/dormitory: $5,420 Meal plan: $3,530
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $7,842	86.0% Average amount $7,009
Students receiving federal student loan	19.0% Average amount $4,096	45.0% Average amount $5,937
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $9,394	4.0% Average amount $9,844

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,544 Men 35.2% Women 64.8%	7,083 Men 41.1% Women 58.9%
Graduate students	1,101 Men 25.2% Women 74.8%	2,519 Men 40.3% Women 59.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	34.9%	11.7%
International students	3.6%	1.9%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	Town: Fringe
Dormitory capacity	526	2,200
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	New Mexico Texas California Colorado Florida	Texas Colorado New Mexico Oklahoma California

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences Liberal Arts	Business Health Professions Agriculture Multidisciplinary Studies Liberal Arts
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	17:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	26.5%	45.7%
Dropout rate	25.2%	18.7%
Transferred out	44.6%	33.3%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $73,248 Year 2: $81,031 Year 3: $79,950 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $51,098 Year 2: $51,169 Year 3: $59,966 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $52,232 Year 2: $54,192 Year 3: $57,570 Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $48,271 Year 2: $43,128 Year 3: $50,981 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $42,421 Year 2: $43,426 Year 3: $47,912 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,607 Year 2: $33,637 Year 3: $42,964 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $37,302 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $42,815 Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $40,518 Year 2: $35,772 Year 3: $41,119 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $28,041 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $38,081 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,591 Year 2: $31,314 Year 3: $36,473	Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $68,023 Year 2: $75,706 Year 3: $87,734 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,323 Year 2: $58,402 Year 3: $72,324 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,278 Year 2: $65,089 Year 3: $66,720 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,194 Year 2: $43,798 Year 3: $51,234 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,416 Year 2: $44,542 Year 3: $50,987 Agricultural Business and Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,161 Year 2: $41,937 Year 3: $47,362 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,159 Year 2: $32,563 Year 3: $46,333 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,696 Year 2: $43,426 Year 3: $44,891 Music (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,424 Year 2: $41,937 Year 3: $43,827 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,611 Year 2: $35,914 Year 3: $41,560

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