Navajo Technical University vs New Mexico Highlands University
Side-by-side college ROI comparison from College Scorecard data
Verdict
Navajo Technical University has a 100.0% graduation rate compared to New Mexico Highlands University at 100.0%. Average median debt: Navajo Technical University at $22,650 vs New Mexico Highlands University at $20,676. Average first-year post-graduation earnings: $67,375 vs $56,650.
| Metric | Navajo Technical University | New Mexico Highlands University |
|---|---|---|
| Graduation Rate | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| School Type | Public | Public |
| State | Nm | Nm |
| Avg Median Debt Average median debt across all tracked majors | $22,650 | $20,676* |
| Avg 1yr Earnings Average first-year earnings across all tracked majors | $67,375* | $56,650 |
| Majors Tracked | 8 | 20 |
| Best ROI Major | Computer and Information Sciences (96/100) | Computer and Information Sciences (97/100)* |
| Best Major Debt | $20,400 | $17,663* |
| Best Major 1yr Earnings | $95,000 | $95,000 |
Navajo Technical University has a 100.0% graduation rate compared to New Mexico Highlands University at 100.0%. Average median debt: Navajo Technical University at $22,650 vs New Mexico Highlands University at $20,676. Average first-year post-graduation earnings: $67,375 vs $56,650.
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Navajo Technical University and New Mexico Highlands University graduate students at similar rates — 100.0% and 100.0% respectively. With completion rates comparable, the comparison reduces to cost, earnings, and program mix; the institutional-effect-on-completion question essentially nets out.
Debt loads run similar between the two schools — averages of $20,676 and $22,650 respectively. With debt comparable, the financial decision essentially reduces to the earnings side: which degree, from which school, produces the better post-graduation income trajectory.
Early-career earnings run moderately apart — $56,650 versus $67,375. At the mid-range gap, the ROI math is usually decided by the debt side rather than the earnings side: the school with the more favorable cost structure typically wins the absolute return calculation even when its earnings figure is the lower of the two.
Both schools sit in Nm, which simplifies the in-state-vs-out-of-state tuition question and aligns the regional labor markets students will enter post-graduation. Cross-school comparisons within the same state should weight program mix and employer-pipeline depth heavily — the cost-of-living and labor-market backdrop is effectively held constant, so program-level differences are the differentiator.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, 2026.