NMSU-Dona Ana vs Rio Salado

New Mexico State University-Dona Ana and Rio Salado College, while both offering accessible and affordable education, present distinct characteristics that cater to diverse student needs. NMSU-Dona Ana boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a broader range of applicants, while Rio Salado College maintains a more selective admissions process. In terms of student demographics, NMSU-Dona Ana's student body is predominantly Hispanic, reflecting the region's cultural heritage, while Rio Salado College's student population is more diverse, with a significant representation of various ethnicities. Regarding academic offerings, NMSU-Dona Ana excels in programs like Agriculture, Engineering, and Education, whereas Rio Salado College specializes in Business, Healthcare, and Public Safety. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details and discover which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	New Mexico State University-Dona Ana	Rio Salado College
Overview
Location	Las Cruces, New Mexico	Tempe, Arizona
Campus setting	Rural: Fringe	City: Midsize
College type	2 year	2 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	59.0%	37.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	Open Admission
Application fees	$20
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants
Total number of admissions given out
Admitted students who chose to enroll
Yield rate
Test scores (SAT/ACT)		Not required
High school GPA	N/A	N/A
Recommendation letters	N/A	N/A
High school transcript	N/A	N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	N/A	N/A

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $16,869 Out of state: $20,373	In state: $14,542 Out of state: $20,326
Average net price	$6,147	$9,426
Tuition	In state: $1,962 Out of state: $5,466	In state: $2,040 Out of state: $7,824
Room & board
Available payment plans		Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	85.0% Average amount $5,487	71.0% Average amount $5,379
Students receiving federal student loan	18.0% Average amount $2,169	26.0% Average amount $4,710
Students taking out private loans	0.0% Average amount $2,000	0.0% Average amount $0

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	6,454 Men 39.3% Women 60.7%	15,682 Men 40.6% Women 59.4%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	6.5%	12.0%
International students	2.6%	0.2%
Campus local/setting	Rural: Fringe	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	N/A	N/A
First year students are required to live on campus?	N/A	N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	New Mexico Texas Arizona California Colorado	Arizona California Texas Louisiana Alabama

Academics
Popular study areas	Liberal Arts Health Professions Business Law Enforcement and Firefighting Computer and Information Science	Law Enforcement and Firefighting Business Liberal Arts Visual & Performing Arts Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	19:1	25:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	15.1%	8.5%
Dropout rate	56.5%	64.9%
Transferred out	9.9%	20.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $59,682 Year 2: $63,997 Year 3: $64,455 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $42,177 Year 2: $45,696 Year 3: $43,220 Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $37,092 Precision Metal Working (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $28,002 Year 2: $24,730 Year 3: $35,402 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $25,062 Year 2: $22,420 Year 3: $26,850 Business/Commerce, General (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $21,587 Year 2: $17,794 Year 3: $24,366 Data Processing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $26,353 Year 3: $24,107 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $25,370 Year 2: $23,005 Year 3: $23,805 Business Operations Support and Assistant Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $22,739 Year 2: $23,930 Year 3: $20,658 Health and Medical Administrative Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $19,515	Criminal Justice and Corrections (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $42,986 Year 2: $41,884 Year 3: $44,530 Business Operations Support and Assistant Services (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $42,922 Year 2: $34,348 Year 3: $39,074 Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $39,369 Year 3: $37,704 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $37,568 Year 3: $34,090 Legal Support Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $30,047 Year 3: $28,264 Data Processing (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,938 Year 3: N/A Dental Support Services and Allied Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $52,941 Year 3: N/A

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