Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at New Mexico Highlands University

At just $26,461 in first-year earnings, this program trails the New Mexico median for liberal arts degrees by nearly $5,000—and that's the charitable comparison. Nationally, it sits in the 12th percentile, meaning 88% of similar programs produce better outcomes. The debt burden of $28,606 isn't unusually high, but when paired with those earnings, it creates a concerning situation where your child would owe more than they earn in their first year out of college.

The small sample size here (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could shift with a larger cohort, but the pattern is hard to ignore. Eastern New Mexico University's liberal arts graduates earn $43,186—63% more than NMHU graduates with the same degree. Even New Mexico State's $31,568 median provides a meaningful cushion. Nearly half of NMHU students receive Pell grants, suggesting many families are already financially stretched, which makes these post-graduation earnings particularly problematic.

If your child is set on a liberal arts degree in New Mexico, other state universities offer substantially better financial outcomes. The numbers suggest this particular program struggles to position graduates for economic stability, at least in that crucial first year after college.