Are you ready to begin working on your post-secondary education? Do you live in the great state of New Mexico and you really aren’t sure what academic options you have? Are you beginning to do your research so that you can identify the one learning institution that perfectly fits your needs and your goals? Don’t be overwhelmed by the many options that are offered in this state, take your time and weigh out the pros and cons that make up each of these colleges and universities. In the state of New Mexico there are 50 colleges and universities for you to choose from. However, it is important to note that they do not all offer the same degree programs at the same degree levels. For instance, 36 of them offer associate’s degree programs, 18 institutions offer bachelor’s degree programs, and 13 schools offer graduate or professional level degree programs for students. Of course, no matter what state you live in or what state you plan to attend college in, by determining your intended field of study you will be well on your way to planning your educational path.
The most popular collegiate choice among students in the state of New Mexico is the University of New Mexico, whose main campus is located in Albuquerque. Although there are numerous degree programs that you can choose to pursue at this university, this institution is particularly well known for its programs in areas of primary care, engineering, and materials sciences programs. New Mexico State University is another great academic option for students to consider. At this institution, which is located in the southern part of the state near the border, you will be able to pursue a graduate degree program or an undergraduate degree program. Initially, this university began as an agricultural college, but as it experienced growth it became recognized as one of the top academic choices within this state. Today, they have colleges in education, home economics, agriculture, and health and social services, among others.
The third most popular academic choice is Eastern New Mexico University. With more than one campus for students to choose from, you will be able to pursue a graduate level degree or an undergraduate degree program. This institution offers colleges in these areas: the College of Business, College of Fine Arts, College of Technology, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. About half of the students that attend New Mexico Highlands University are working to complete a bachelor’s level degree program, while the other half are working towards obtaining their graduate level degree. This school, that is located about an hour from Santa Fe, began as the New Mexico Normal School. This institution offers students four graduate and undergraduate level colleges to choose from: School of Social Work, School of Education, College of Arts and Sciences, and School of Business. Lastly, you should consider the Western New Mexico University that is located in Silver City. This institution, which offers graduate and undergraduate degree programs, has their educational programs divided into departments.
Going to college for an undergrad degree can give you a jumpstart in your professional career. The future that awaits you on the other side of the undergrad program may seem distant, but that’s where the real life is, and your undergrad will decide how that future will turn out to be. Therefore, understandably, you might be wondering which university or college to attend, and which programs would be best fit for you. That is indeed a daunting decision you need to make. Alongside various factors such as tuitions, college ratings, best programs and student services, you also need to consider which college best suits your personal growth needs. If you’re considering colleges, you might want to take a look into New Mexico – one of the Mountain states of the US. New Mexico has an array of public and private universities to choose from, with some of the finest institutes of the country situated in this state. To ease your decision making about which college to apply to, let’s take a look at the top colleges in New Mexico and the best programs in each of these colleges.
University of New Mexico
If you’re a fan of popular TV show Breaking Bad, you already know about the city of Albuquerque. And that’s where the University of New Mexico is situated. It is a non-profit public university that is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. University of New Mexico was founded in 1889 in an urban setting, spanned over 769 acres currently. The co-ed institution has over 20,500 enrolled students and it follows a semester academic calendar like most of the best colleges in the US. There’s a good mix of culture in the university too, with 1500 international students enrolled there currently and various others from all over the country. Moreover, if you’re worried about the tuitions, be advised that 74.2% of the students in University of New Mexico receive some kind of financial aid during their academic tenure at the college.
So which of the programs of this esteemed university are considered best? Let’s take a look.
Electrical Engineering
University of New Mexico’s electrical engineering program is ranked 53rd nationally. With this program, students can choose their own area of interest, such as Energy Systems, Optics, Digital Systems, Controls, etc. Sustainable and “green” growth is at the heart of the program.
Chemical Engineering
The program prepares its students for a wide array of industries where chemical engineers are needed, such as petroleum, pharmaceuticals, biomedicine, etc. The program is ABET accredited. With a diverse set of research opportunities and cooperative education, University of New Mexico’s chemical engineering program is ranked at 58th nationally.
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Situated in the rural settings of the town of Socorro, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology is a rather small university with between 2000 and 3000 enrolled students. Make no mistakes – the institute is one of the finest in the state, but is highly selective, with an acceptance rate of 30-40%. The institute’s research in science and engineering sectors are commendable. Not only that, the school is considered to be leaders in many programs like astrophysics, geophysics, IT, hydrology, engineering, etc. With a 12:1 student to faculty ratio, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology is a very competitive college, with about 50% of its students receiving financial aid. Some of the programs offered by New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology are as follows.
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering of the college is quite well reputed in academia. You can specialize in any of the three options – aerospace, biomedical, explosives. Though a lot of people enroll in this program, it is quite difficult to be rewarded with the degree associated with this program due to the highly competitive nature of the curriculum followed.
Biology
The Biology department of New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology prepares its students for careers in biomedicine and biotechnology. The department has a number of research opportunities, such as molecular biology, ecology, microbiology, etc. In fact the department also helps is students with career placement services.
New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University is one of the major public universities in the region, and the oldest public university in New Mexico, being established in 1888. The university’s main campus is in Las Cruces, with other campuses in Alamogordo, Grants, Dona Ana County and Carlsbad of the state. There are quite a few other research facilities throughout the state.
The main campus spanning around 900 acres is the home for over 12500 students. 64% of the undergrad full time students receive financial aid, with an average need-based aid of $9370. The New Mexico State University offers around 100 undergrad programs, and over 50 graduate programs. Let’s take a look at some of the offered programs of this valued university.
Criminal Justice
The Department of Criminal Justice regards the program as an interdisciplinary social science. The program prepares its students in the practice of criminal justice in local, state and federal levels. With ample learning opportunities and first-hand experience for the students, the Criminal Justice program of New Mexico State University is one of the finest.
Animation and Visual Effects
For those interested in filmmaking and animation, the Creative Media Institute of New Mexico State University offers a Bachelor of Creative Media degree, where students get a cross-disciplinary education in the field. Though students are required to choose a specialization as they approach the final years, they are initially required to study all aspects of modern filmmaking, specially digital filmmaking.
New Mexico Highlands University
A small public university, New Mexico Highlands University was founded in 1893 in a rural setting in Las Vegas, New Mexico. This Tier 2 university has a little over 2200 students in the undergrad level. For the 2016-17 academic year, New Mexico Highlands University’s tuitions are $5500 (in-state) and $8650 (out-of-state). The university has for long been a hub for liberal arts students in the region. However, there are various other engineering and business programs that you can choose from. Due to a small number of students, the teacher-student interaction is high, and students get more attention from their faculty members. The student-faculty ratio is 14:1. Programs at New Mexico Highlands University include, but are not limited to, the following.
Exercise and Sports Science
The department of Exercise and Sports Science at New Mexico Highlands University offers two majors: Health, and Human Performance and Sports. The Health major itself has four different tracks – health education, health promotion and wellness, pre-professional health, and pre-professional athletic training. On the other hand, the Human Performance and Sports are designed for those who want to be Physical Education teachers in the future.
Nursing
The Department of Nursing offers Bachelor of Science in Nursing with the aim to build up professional health care personnel who excel at the service. Alongside theoretical knowledge, the students are taught practically as well, so that they are prepared for their nursing duties. The students are nurtured in such a way so as to challenge their critical thinking capabilities, so that they can bring about new ways in professional care giving.
University of Phoenix – Albuquerque, New Mexico
The University of Phoenix in Albuquerque is the New Mexico campus of the renowned national university. The students get to learn both on-campus as well as via online courses, thus making this university a truly 21st century university. According to the university, campuses like Albuquerque are mainly made for students who work full-time but still want to continue their education. As a result, classes for each course are held once a week, generally in the evening hours. Some of the on-campus programs at University of Phoenix in New Mexico are:
Business and Management
The university offers a wide range of courses on Business and Management in Associate, Bachelor, Master and Doctoral levels. While most of these programs are conducted online, some undergraduate Business and Management programs are taught in the Albuquerque campus of the university.
Information Technology
The IT industry is always evolving, and to deal with the upgrading of technology, the university offers a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology. This course is available both on-campus and online. Networking, cloud, cyber security and software development are taught among various other contents of this rigorous program.
To make education more accessible for everyone, most of these universities in New Mexico offer need and merit based financial aid. However, there are more scholarship opportunities in New Mexico that you can apply for, subject to eligibility. Here are a few notable ones.
EMU National Scholars Program
With a total up to 120 credit hours over 4 years, the EMU National Scholars Program offers up to $15000 in scholarship to deserving out-of-state candidates. The freshman must have a minimum GPA of 3.5 and recipients must reside in university housing for the initial two years of the scholarship.
Henry and Joyce W. Sumid Scholarship
Both college and high school students interested in theater arts may consider applying for the Henry & Joyce W. Sumid Scholarship of $5000. To be eligible, you must have a minimum CGPA of 3.0. Remember, you need to apply with proper documentation showing financial need, as well as your resume showcasing your talent.
NIADA Foundation Regional Scholarship
New Mexico falls in Region 4 of this prestigious scholarship program. High school seniors can apply for this scholarship, provided that their academic record is outstanding and they have high scores in SAT or ACT. This is a very competitive program, but you can win a $3500 worth scholarship to your college of choice.
ACF Notah Begay III Scholarship Program
This scholarship program is exclusively for Native American students who are athletes and are interested in varsity-level sports. The applicant must have a GPA of 3.0 or above and provide proof of Native American heritage. A proven athletic background would be prioritized.
Church’s Chicken Community Scholarship Program
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must be a graduating high school student who doesn’t plan on taking a break from education and is interested in completing the undergrad degree. The minimum GPA should be 2.7.
New Mexico provides a surprisingly reasonable place to work. New Mexico is suitable for those of you who want to settle in slightly warmer climates. Furthermore, it is not a busy area, and not completely barren. It has a very high level of diversity and knowing Spanish can increase your prospects in landing a better career in this particular state. Moreover, there are some lovely tourist spots in New Mexico, which makes the place a suitable area to work, especially for those who are interested in tourism, hiking, trekking and other such activities.
There are many professions that are suitable in New Mexico. Here are some examples of careers that you may want to consider in you are interested in settling in New Mexico.
Dentist
Being a dentist is a little different from being a doctor. After earning a bachelor’s degree in a suitable major or a pre-dental program, you are required to study at a dentist school for five years. A dentist school is not a medical school; they are two separate institutions and a dentist is qualified only for treatment related to the oral cavity. Dentists at New Mexico are one of the highest paid professionals. Their average annual income comes as high as &170,000, and a dentist beginning his career starts with an annual salary of over $30,000.
There are several duties of dentists. Some of them are as follows:
• Perform regular checkups n patient to ensure that their dental health is alright
• Educate patient on the proper way to take care of their teeth, such as brushing and the use of dental floss
• Removing teeth from the oral cavity when required
• Performing complex surgeries within the oral cavity when required, especially in case of health complications, such as a root canal.
• Check up on operated patients to make sure that the patient is recovering well
• Advising proper treatment to the needs of the patient
• Refer to any necessary doctors
• Install and remove any braces, caps onto the teeth
Nuclear Engineers
A nuclear engineer deals with a lot of exciting matters. Nuclear engineers study and test out the reactions of the nuclear structure. This is one study that is understanding just the tip of the ice berg and there are more believed to be discovered. Today, their pay-scale ranged to over $160,000.
In order to become a nuclear scientist, you simply need a bachelors’ degree that will allow dry areas to work on. Nuclear engineering is hoped to provide clean energy and many other things, which you may or may of be on the front cover for?
Here are some of the various duties of nuclear engineers.
• Examine accidents in order to obtain data that can be used to design preventive measures.
• Monitoring the operations of nuclear facilities so that flaws in design or operation practices can be amended to ensure proper safety.
• Staying informed of new research and development of nuclear field from journals and studies.
• Design and develop nuclear equipment like reactor cores, control mechanisms, etc.
• Initiate corrective actions and/or order plant shutdowns in emergency situations.
• Dictate preventive measures for handling of nuclear tech.
• Write instructions for nuclear plant operations, waste management, etc.
Physicist
Becoming a physicist requires a fair bit if study. After completing your four-year undergrad degree in physics, you need to conduct researches via PhD programs and writes papers on your findings and theories present. You can get rid of a theory and insert a new believe of your research has proper proof. An average physicist earns over $130,000 in a year, and the job has a starting salary of six figures. Of course, being a physicist at all requires a lot of patience and experience, so the hefty paycheck makes much more sense after that.
Here are some steps on how to become a physicist:
• Earn a Bachelor's Degree in Physics
• Get Research Experience
• Pass Additional Tests
• Earn a Doctoral Degree
• Advance Your Career by Joining Postdoctoral Research Projects
Here are some duties of physicists:
• Analyzing data of researches about detection and measurement of physical phenomena.
• Expressing the outcomes of the observations in mathematical terms.
• Making computer simulations of real physical data for further investigation.
• Come up with theories or laws based on the observations of experiments.
• Apply those theories and laws on various sectors of physics.
• Performing calculations to analyze and evaluate data.
• Writing scientific papers for journals and conferences to showcase the observations and understandings of data.
• Teach physics to high school or university students.