Data Processing at Southeast New Mexico College

Southeast New Mexico College's Data Processing program shows a troubling pattern: graduates earn $38,559 in their first year—matching both national and state medians—but see their income drop 19% to just $31,241 by year four. That's unusual for any technical credential and suggests graduates may struggle to advance or find stable positions in the field. The $9,750 debt load is significantly lower than the national median of $16,500, which somewhat cushions the blow, but declining earnings in your late twenties is rarely a good sign for long-term career prospects.

The program does rank in the 60th percentile among New Mexico's seven Data Processing associate programs, though all the top-performing schools in the state report identical median earnings. The real concern isn't where it stands relative to peers—it's that trajectory. Technical skills typically become more valuable with experience, not less. This reversal could reflect local labor market limitations in Carlsbad, challenges with the curriculum's relevance, or simply the reality of a very small sample size (under 30 graduates tracked).

Given the small cohort, these numbers may not reliably predict your child's outcome. If your student is specifically drawn to this field and prefers staying in southeastern New Mexico, the manageable debt makes this less risky than many alternatives. But the earnings decline warrants serious investigation—talk to current students and recent graduates about where they're actually working and why some may have left the field.