2026 Best Value Educational Administration Schools in New Mexico

[Educational Administration](/majors/education/educational-administration/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 8 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for educational administration students.
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2026 Best Value Educational Administration Schools in New Mexico
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in educational administration, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Educational Administration Schools
Our analysis ranked Central New Mexico Community College the best value for a degree in educational administration in New Mexico. Set in the city of Albuquerque, Central New Mexico Community College is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $2,060 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $8,684. Students borrow a median of $10,112 to complete the educational administration program here. Educational Administration graduates of Central New Mexico Community College earn a median of $34,751 early in their careers. Set against $10,112 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
New Mexico State University Main Campus came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value educational administration schools. New Mexico State University Main Campus is a large public school located in the suburb of Las Cruces. In-state tuition and fees average $8,183, while out-of-state students pay about $25,307. Educational Administration graduates carry a median of $19,026 in student loans. Early-career educational administration graduates make about $62,493. That is a strong return on a $19,026 median debt. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Western New Mexico University earned it the #3 place for educational administration. Set in the town of Silver City, Western New Mexico University is a mid-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $7,855 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $14,341. Educational Administration graduates carry a median of $27,425 in student loans. Educational Administration graduates of Western New Mexico University earn a median of $48,366 early in their careers. Set against $27,425 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at New Mexico Highlands University earned it the #4 place for educational administration. Set in the town of Las Vegas, New Mexico Highlands University is a mid-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,416, with out-of-state students paying around $12,336. Educational Administration graduates carry a median of $18,900 in student loans. Educational Administration graduates of New Mexico Highlands University earn a median of $63,517 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #5 makes University Of New Mexico Main Campus one of the best values for educational administration. University Of New Mexico Main Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Albuquerque. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,140, with out-of-state students paying around $33,060. Students borrow a median of $19,738 to complete the educational administration program here. Early-career educational administration graduates make about $67,121. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of New Mexico Main Campus admits about 95% of applicants.
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.