Business Administration, Management and Operations at University of New Mexico-Los Alamos Campus

The small class size here demands caution, but the numbers tell a story of a program that starts slow and catches up. That $25,698 first-year figure sits well below both the national median ($33,977) and what top New Mexico programs deliver—Brookline College grads earn $42,749 right out of the gate. Yet by year four, earnings jump 57% to over $40,000, suggesting graduates find their footing in Los Alamos's specialized economy, home to the national laboratory and related industries.

The state context matters: this program ranks at the 60th percentile among New Mexico business programs despite the weak start, and the debt load of $11,338 is manageable—lower than both state and national medians. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.44, while initially concerning, improves significantly as earnings grow. That said, competing programs in the state offer substantially higher starting salaries without proportionally higher debt, making the value proposition less clear.

For families considering this associate's degree, understand you're looking at a challenging first year financially, but with patience the earnings trajectory improves meaningfully. If your student needs immediate earning power, other New Mexico community colleges show stronger early returns. But if Los Alamos's location works for your family and the sample data holds true at scale, the combination of low debt and strong earnings growth could work—just know it's a longer game than alternatives.