The Land of Enchantment is positioned to be a leader in several emerging job sectors, and students with the right training from career and technical schools in New Mexico are vital to its success. Key industries in the state include sustainable agriculture, green energy, advanced manufacturing, aerospace, film and television and more, and trade school training can prepare you for an entry-level job in nearly all of them.
Training in certain subjects might be especially valuable in the right regions of the state. Construction management expertise pays off big in the Farmington area, where average wages are nearly 15 percent higher than the state average for the position. Aerospace and defense skills are likely to carry extra weight around Las Cruces, Deming and Alamogordo -- the metro areas located closest to Spaceport America.
Why is New Mexico Good for Vocational/Career Schools?
Career technical education (CTE) is on the rise all over the country, and students throughout New Mexico are realizing that a trade school education can have several advantages over earning a bachelor's degree at a university. Cost is one major factor -- the basic annual attendance costs for New Mexico university students were over $6,700 in 2018, roughly four times what the average trade school student pays in tuition and fees for a year.
Earning a CTE certification in New Mexico can also help you find a foothold in the workforce much faster than a traditional four-year bachelor's degree. Associate degrees from career and technical schools in New Mexico typically require around two years of full-time study, and numerous certificate plans throughout the state can be completed in a year or less.
Check out our state rankings of two-year schools below, and read on for some helpful tips on how to apply for financial aid in New Mexico.
Highest-Paying and Fastest-Growing Careers in New Mexico
The Best Trade and Vocational Schools in New Mexico
Whether your goal is to earn CTE certification in New Mexico or train for the basics of a more complex career and transfer to a university, it can help to have some information about the institutions available to you. Here's our list of the best trade and vocational schools in New Mexico, based on important characteristics like affordability, schedule flexibility and student success:
One of the more comprehensive measures of college cost is average net price, which adds up the total expected costs for tuition, fees, room and board, books, transportation and other essentials and subtracts the average amount of grant and scholarship aid awarded per student. Central New Mexico Community College posted the lowest average net price in the state in 2018, with students paying less than $4,600 for a full year of study.
What vocational programs CNM offers: The expansive catalog at CNM includes a wide range of programs, from certificates in electrical trades like residential wiring and photovoltaic systems to associate degrees in respiratory care and veterinary technology. Two levels of certificate in unmanned aerial systems (UAS) can teach you the finer points of drone piloting.
This Farmington institution is one of the top online trade schools in New Mexico in terms of enrollment, reporting that close to 43 percent of students enrolled in 2018 took at least some of their courses via distance education. Alumni of San Juan College also reported the state's highest average salary after ten years on the workforce, earning close to 10 percent more than the state average for trade school graduates.
What vocational programs SJC offers: Students hoping to work in the entertainment industry can earn a degree in film and digital media arts at SJC, which covers both the creative skills and technical knowhow of the field. An Associate of Science (A.S.) degree in computer science can give you a strong foundation for a tech career.
Eastern New Mexico University posted the third-highest graduation rate in the state, and the numbers suggest that its students keep the same level of dedication once they hit the workforce. Just one other school on our list reported a higher proportion of graduates who found work and stayed employed for at least six years after graduation than the more than 84 percent recorded here.
What vocational programs ENMU-Roswell offers: Aspiring aviators can earn an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree from the professional pilot training program at ENMU-Roswell, which provides extensive simulator training and generally ideal weather and flying conditions for beginning pilots. The associate degree in agriculture available here can function as a stand-alone vocational program or transfer into a bachelor's program at ENMU-Portales.
A wide array of career-focused programs awaits students who enroll at Santa Fe Community College, with more than 150 different study plans available for students to choose from. There's also a comfortably intimate learning environment here, evidenced by the student-faculty ratio of 13:1, which suggests that students who like the option of one-on-one time with professors outside of class hours should be able to get the help they need.
What vocational programs SFCC offers: If you want to design and develop built environments like houses, office buildings and shopping centers, SFCC offers degrees and certificates in architectural and interior design. Students interested in the budding biofuels industry can sign up for a certificate in algae cultivation or an A.A.S. degree in controlled environment agriculture.
Clovis Community College is another of the best online trade schools in New Mexico, reporting that nearly 50 percent of students take some or all of their credits online. The flexibility options don't stop there at CCC, however; students who need their GED or other high school equivalency (HSE) degree can attend classes in the evening and on weekends to get themselves college-ready.
What vocational programs CCC offers: Several programs here are available entirely online, including an A.A.S. in business administration, and certificates in criminal justice and early childhood education. The catalog of campus-based programs includes study plans in emergency medical services, paralegal studies, physical therapist assisting, graphic design and media art, nursing, welding, automotive technology and more.
Student success was at the forefront of the data for Mesalands Community College. Roughly 77 percent of students who enroll in two-year programs at the Tucumcari school return to complete the second year of their programs — a figure that ranks in the 90th percentile nationwide — and no other institution in the state recorded a higher rate of students finishing their degrees, diplomas or certificates three years or less after enrollment.
What vocational programs MCC offers: An associate degree in agribusiness from MCC can train you in the skills necessary to run a successful farm or ranch, while a degree in animal science focuses on the care and handling of livestock. Students interested in cowboy arts and Western silversmithing have two certificates and an A.A.S. plan to choose from.
Luna Community College is one of the more affordable career and technical schools in New Mexico. The Las Vegas institution's average net price of just over $5,000 for a year of study was better than nearly 90 percent of all the trade schools we surveyed nationwide. LCC graduates also reported the highest rate of job security in the state, with nearly 86 percent finding jobs after finishing school and keeping them for six years or more.
What vocational programs LCC offers: Students hoping to attend online trade schools in New Mexico should find a lot to like about the LCC catalog. The A.A.S. in business administration is delivered entirely online, and other programs like the A.A. in criminal justice can include up to 49 percent distance education credits.
How to Apply for Trade School Financial Aid in New Mexico
Even though tuition at trade and vocational schools in New Mexico tends to be lower than it is at four-year universities, financial aid can still make a big difference to a student who's on the fence about whether or not they can afford to pay for college. If you're wondering how to apply for trade school financial aid in New Mexico and you haven't about the FAFSA, now's the time to get familiar.
FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and it's the only way to qualify for federal programs like low-interest Stafford Loans and the need-based Pell Grant. Even if you're not planning to seek federal aid, state-based New Mexico scholarships and grants typically require a completed FAFSA along with any other application materials you're asked to submit.
You can get more detail about the FAFSA and pick up some other general tips on how to apply for financial aid in New Mexico by visiting the official RWM guide to financial aid. Here's a short list of New Mexico scholarships that you might qualify for.
Check out these state-based New Mexico scholarships and grants that might be able to help you pay for school:
- New Mexico Legislative Lottery Scholarship Program - Trade school students enrolled in at least 12 credit hours per semester can apply for this state scholarship, which awards up to 100 percent of the cost of tuition.
- Kiwanis Club of Albuquerque Scholarship - Students who graduate from high schools in the Albuquerque metro area with a strong record of service and academic performance can apply to receive up to $1,000 through this program.
- James Ledwith Memorial Scholarship - This program awards up to $2,000 to a qualifying student pursuing a life dream or professional goal despite facing extraordinary personal adversity.
Resources for Vocational Students and Vocational Job Seekers in New Mexico
- The higher education section of New Mexico's state government Web portal has information about trade schools in the state for both students and parents.
- Find out more about New Mexico's scholarships for high school and community college students at the Albuquerque Community Foundation's student aid page.
- Accreditation is a way to know that your training will meet accepted employer standards, so it's important to make sure that your chosen school has earned it. Public two-year schools in New Mexico are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Individual programs typically earn their accreditation from independent industry groups, such as the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ABCSP).
Take a look at the state page on Advance CTE for more information about the impact that CTE certification can have in New Mexico, and visit the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) for a wealth of information about trade school news, programs and outcomes in New Mexico and across the country.
