University of New Mexico-Main Campus (UNM) Academics and Admissions

Academics

The University of New Mexico is a public university, which has its main campus in Albuquerque, and branch campuses in Gallup, Los Alamos, Taos and Valencia County. Located in the heart of Albuquerque, New Mexico the University of New Mexico’s Main Campus has been serving the higher education needs of New Mexico since 1889. Set on 600 acres along old Route 66, the campus is a celebration of cultures and history, featuring Pueblo Revival architecture. Albuquerque is bordered by mesas to the west, the Rio Grande, and the Sandia Mountains. The UNM campus is proud to display natural botanical features of New Mexico in the Campus Arboretum and the Duck Pond. With 310 days of sunshine each year, Albuquerque is a destination location for architecture, artwork, cultural centers and dining. It is a popular spot for outdoor entertainment like the Rio Grande Nature Center with a riverside bike and walking path, and a wealth of nearby lakes for fishing, boating and water skiing. One of UNM’s distinguishing features is its variety of excellent campus museums, including the Geology Museum, the Greenhouse Conservatory, the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, the Meteoritic Museum the Southwest Biology Museum and the University Art Museum. It is also home to campus galleries the Jonson Gallery, the Masley Hall Art Gallery, the Sommers Gallery, and the Tamarind Institute.

The University of New Mexico offers a slew of degree and certificate programs from the Anderson School of Management, the College of Arts & Sciences, the College of Education, the College of Fine Arts, the College of Nursing, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Architecture and Planning, the School of Engineering, the School of Law, the School of Medicine, the School of Public Administration and the University College. With 94 baccalaureate, 71 master’s and 37 doctoral degree-granting courses of study, as well as graduate & post-graduate certificate programs and educational specialist programs amounting to over 215 degree and certificate programs, students are sure to encounter their desired area of study at UNM. Some of the most popular and celebrated programs are art studies, drama and the performing arts, the Model United Nations team, the School of Engineering, the UNM School of Medicine, and the UNM School of Law which has been steadily climbing in the rankings over the years. Students are offered flexible, non-traditional student schedules by way of the Evening and Weekend Degree Program. The various University of New Mexico schools, colleges and programs are accredited by separate appropriate accrediting organizations.

As a research institution, and the flagship research institution of New Mexico, UNM is an important economic powerhouse in the New Mexican economy. The University offers excellent research opportunities and state-of-the-art facilities to help students excel in its wealth of degree and certificate programs. The University’s Health Sciences Center is largest integrated health care treatment, research, and educational organization in New Mexico. Other celebrated research units are the High Performance Computing Center, the Cancer Center, the New Mexico Engineering Research Institute, the Center for High Technology Materials, the Design Planning Assistance Center, the Environmental Law and Policy department and the Center for Non-Invasive Diagnosis.

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Information Summary

Ranks 4th in New Mexico and 874th overall. See the entire top 2,000 colleges and universities list
Overall Score (about)	82.1
Total Cost On-Campus Attendance	$22,639
Admission Success rate	N/A
ACT / SAT 75%ile scores	25 / 1270
Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty	17 : 1
Retention (full-time / part-time)	74% / 49%
Enrollment Total (all students)	24,319

Admissions

Admissions at the University of New Mexico are reviewed on a rolling basis. Early admission applications are accepted. All prospective applicants are welcomed to apply, however only New Mexico residents will receive the lower in-state tuition rates.

Undergraduate students must submit an application either by hard copy or online, must submit all official high school transcripts with class rank or GED scores, must submit any official transcripts for accredited colleges and universities (if any), must submit official ACT or SAT-I scores, and must include the non-refundable application fee.

Applicants to UNM Graduate programs must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. college or university, or the international equivalent. Applicants should have achieved a 3.0 GPA in their last two undergraduate years and major field of study, have completed on average 12 hours of upper division undergraduate prerequisite coursework (300-level and higher), and must meet any specific departmental requirements which are attainable by consulting the chosen UNM graduate program directly.

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Financial Aid

Financial aid at the University of New Mexico is administered by the Student Financial Aid Department. Prospective UNM students should fill out the FAFSA before March 1st of the year in which they wish to begin their studies. Financial aid is need-based, and available in the form of federal and private loans, grants and work study programs.

Scholarships are available at UNM, and most will be administered through the University of New Mexico Scholarship Office which oversees the giving of more than 50 million dollars at the University each year. The majority of scholarships will be merit based with varying levels of competitiveness. Some available types of scholarships are institutional scholarships like the Presidential, Omega, PACE and UNM Scholars scholarships, state funded scholarships like the NM Legislative Lottery, Amigo and NM Scholars scholarships, departmental scholarships, and private and outside scholarships.

Student Financial Aid Details

Ranks 4577th for the average student loan amount.
Secrets to getting the best scholarships and financial aid in New Mexico.

Students

The over 25,000 students at the University of New Mexico get involved on campus through a wide variety of campus programs like the Student Government, student activities, clubs and organizations, sororities and fraternities, the Peace Corps, and Army, Navy and Air Force ROTC. Students are encouraged to join up with a club or organization, or to charter their own. Some examples of campus clubs and organizations are the American Civil Liberties Union, the High Desert Linguistics Society, the Simon Charitable Foundation, Teach for America UNM, and the Women’s Law Caucus. The Greek life on campus has a history reaching back over 100 years, and features frats and sororities like Pi Kappa Alpha, Alpha Tau Omega, Phi Gamma Delta, Sigma Chi, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Pi Beta Phi, Alpha Chi Omega and Chi Omega.

Many students, over 2,000, elect to live on-campus in one of eight residence halls, or in off-campus family and graduate student housing. Rooms can be private or shared, and meal plans are available via main campus eatery La Posada, or at a variety of other campus dining halls. Some students participate in special living-learning communities where they share academic interests with their roommates and neighbors, like the global learning community where international and local students are mixed for a multicultural living experience.

Student Enrollment Demographics

Student Graduation Demographics

Athletics

The cherry and silver UNM Lobos field men’s and women’s intercollegiate athletic teams in the Mountain West conference. The Lobos have a longstanding rivalry with New Mexico State University, represented by the Rio Grande Rivalry and celebrated at the UNM Red Rally bonfire which happens every Thursday before a UNM-NMSU football game. The Lobo basketball team plays in famous venue University Arena, or “the Pit.” Men’s teams compete in basketball, cross country, football, golf, skiing, soccer, tennis, track & field and volleyball. Women’s teams compete in basketball, skiing, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, softball, swimming and diving, track and field, and volleyball.

Recreational services provide the student body with plenty of recreational activities, a gym, and pool and fitness facilities. Students may elect to participate in fitness and wellness classes, getaway adventures like the “wilderness first aid class,” aquatics and a wide variety of intramural sports including golf, kickball, tennis, football, soccer, racquetball, badminton and more. For student’s sporting needs they head to the Outdoor and Bike Shop, which also offers cross country ski packages, and camping and backpacking clinics.

University of New Mexico-Main Campus