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

Starting salaries below $26,000 put University of New Mexico-Taos grads well behind the national median for business associate's degrees—landing in just the 14th percentile nationally. However, this program actually performs at the state median for New Mexico, where business associate's earnings run notably lower than the national average. The more encouraging signal is the 57% earnings jump to over $40,000 by year four, suggesting graduates find their footing in the local economy after that difficult first year.

The debt load of $11,338 is manageable relative to those early earnings, creating a debt-to-income ratio under 0.5 that most families could handle. Still, you're looking at a starting salary that's barely above minimum wage full-time work, which means the first year or two could be financially tight even with modest debt. The small sample size (under 30 graduates) adds uncertainty—these numbers might not reflect what your student would actually experience.

If your child is committed to staying in northern New Mexico where job options are limited, this represents an affordable path to business credentials. But if they're willing to relocate or consider other New Mexico community colleges, schools like Santa Fe Community College or Central New Mexico Community College show significantly stronger first-year outcomes at similar debt levels.