Mesalands Community College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Tucumcari, New Mexico. It enrolls 411 students (a very small, intimate student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (2-Year). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Good
56/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes35
Value47
Affordability33
Selectivity—
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
As a two-year college, Mesalands Community College generally admits all qualified applicants.
Acceptance Rate
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending Mesalands Community College isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $9,445 per year. That's well below the typical net price for public colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$9,445
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
17%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
2%
Borrowing to attend
Full Cost Breakdown
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$2,136
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$3,408
Room & Board (off-campus)
$9,224
Books & Supplies
$1,700
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$7,425
Total Cost of Attendance
$15,975
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$9,778
$48,001 – $75,000
$6,353
$75,001 – $110,000
$10,855
Over $110,000
$11,655
What this means:
17% of students receive Pell grants. Most cost is borne by families above Pell thresholds. Verify your individual aid offer before deciding.
Graduation Rate & Retention
29% of full-time students who enrolled at Mesalands Community College graduate within six years, and 59% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
29%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
59%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered Mesalands Community College earn a median of $32,272 ten years after first enrolling. That's below the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$32,272
Earning > $25K
52%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$22,700
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$40,200
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $17,500, about 44% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
What this means:
Solid return on investment. Every dollar of net annual cost is matched by ~$3.4 of median earnings 10 years out.
Who Studies Here
Mesalands Community College is home to 411 students, an intimate, close-knit community. Some distinctive traits: 51% are first-generation college students, 79% study part-time.
Total Enrolled
411
Part-Time
79%
First-Generation
51%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
Hispanic 50.4%207
White 39.7%163
Black 4.6%19
Other 4.1%17
Asian 1.0%4
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Mesalands Community College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Town: RemoteTucumcari, New Mexico
Housing
Commuter campusNo on-campus housing
Adult Learners
55%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
What You Can Study
Mesalands Community College offers
a varied set of programs:
18 distinct programs across
10 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
The student-to-faculty ratio at Mesalands Community College is 12:1, close to the national average.
Student : Faculty
12:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$7,855
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$1.3M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$56,700
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
13 instructional faculty across 1 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Instructors
13
100%
$56,700
Pros & Cons of Mesalands Community College
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Mesalands Community College tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Very affordable net price after aid
Open admissions
Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
Tight-knit, close community feel
First-gen-friendly student body
Flexible part-time enrollment options
CONS
Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
First-year retention is below typical
Below-average post-graduation earnings
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Best for:
Based on the data, Mesalands Community College is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; families focused on keeping net cost low; working adults or students needing part-time study options.
Frequently Asked Questions about Mesalands Community College
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Mesalands Community College.
Is Mesalands Community College hard to get into?
Mesalands Community College has open or near-open admissions. Most qualified applicants are accepted.
What is the acceptance rate at Mesalands Community College?
Mesalands Community College has an acceptance rate of 0%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
How much does Mesalands Community College cost?
The average net price after aid at Mesalands Community College is $9,445 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Mesalands Community College worth it?
Solid return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $32,272 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $9,445 per year. That's roughly 3.4x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Mesalands Community College known for?
Mesalands Community College is best known for its programs in Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians, Liberal Arts, Precision Metal Working. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do Mesalands Community College graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering Mesalands Community College are $32,272, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is Mesalands Community College accredited?
Yes. Mesalands Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Mesalands Community College?
Mesalands Community College enrolls 411 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at Mesalands Community College?
Mesalands Community College graduates 29% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Mesalands Community College a public or private college?
Mesalands Community College is a Public institution.
Where is Mesalands Community College located?
Mesalands Community College is located in Tucumcari, New Mexico.
What programs does Mesalands Community College offer?
Mesalands Community College offers 18 distinct programs. The most popular include Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians, Liberal Arts, Precision Metal Working.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Mesalands Community College?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Mesalands Community College is 12:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
Related Colleges in New Mexico
Other colleges in New Mexico share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Build Your College List Pillar
The full process of narrowing from 3,839 US colleges to a shortlist of ~10. Cost, location, size, selectivity, and fit factors that actually predict whether you'll thrive.
What actually makes a college work for first-generation students, the support and aid signals that predict success, and how to find the schools that deliver them using federal data.
How to find the colleges that deliver the strongest return on a STEM degree by weighing earnings outcomes against net cost, rather than chasing the most selective name.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
American Colleges by the Numbers
One federal dataset, 3,839 colleges. The median school costs $16,371 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,259 students. The shape of US higher ed.
Higher education data
Net price
College enrollment
Acceptance rate
College ownership
Do Selective Schools Actually Graduate More Students?
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
Graduation rate
Acceptance rate
Selectivity
Completion
College outcomes
For-Profit Colleges Charge the Most and Pay the Least
For-profit colleges post the highest median net price of any sector and the lowest graduate earnings. They cost more than private nonprofits and pay less than publics.
For-profit colleges
Net price
Earnings
College ROI
College ownership
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
