New Mexico Tech was originally founded in 1889 by the Territorial Legislature as the New Mexico School of Mines to primarily teach mining methods. After World War II, the STEM-oriented education expanded to include graduate degrees. Its current name was adopted under the State Constitution’s Article XII in 1951. Endowed for $16.1 million, the public, co-educational research institution retains a close-knit community of 1,630 undergrads and 500 post-grads. New Mexico Tech occupies 320 rural acres in Socorro around 74 miles south of Albuquerque in the Rio Grande Valley. With average retention at 77 percent, NMT has produced alumni like Conrad Hilton, Irene E. Ryan, and Lukas Lundin.

According to the U.S. News, New Mexico Tech is the West’s 27th best university and third top public school with the 151st best undergrad engineering programs nationwide. Forbes ranked NMT as the country’s 94th best public college and 178th top value. On Niche, NMT stands as America’s 99th “Hardest College to Get Into” and 80th “Best Small College.” Newsweek placed New Mexico Tech as the 10th most desirable rural school. The National Science Foundation recognized NMT for the 15th highest producer of future doctorate recipients. New Mexico Tech was crowned the 18th best master’s-level university and 114th best Western bang for the buck in Washington Monthly too.

New Mexico Tech Accreditation Details

Continuously since 1949, the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (HLC-NCA). This regional agency is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to extend Title IV eligibility to NMT’s two associate, 24 bachelor’s, 17 master’s, and nine doctoral degrees. The Department of Computer Science and Engineering holds programmatic approval from the ABET Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC). New Mexico Tech is also named a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education (CAE/IAE).

New Mexico Tech Application Requirements

Crafting a pristine application is essential to pass the “more selective” admission process to New Mexico Tech with 24 percent of applicants. Entering freshmen must have received or will receive a U.S. high school diploma. Official GED scores of 500 or higher combined could be accepted instead. Meeting curriculum prerequisites, including four years of English and three years of math, is mandatory with a minimum 2.5 GPA. First-year applicants must also score at least 21 on the ACT or 1070 on the SAT Critical Reading and Math sections.

Incoming transfers at NMT must place into Math 103 or Pre-Calculus after finishing 12+ credits at regionally accredited colleges. Undergrad transfers need courses graded “C-” or better with an overall GPA above 2.0. Entering the M.S. in Computer Science will require completing a Bachelor of Science in technical STEM fields with a minimum “B” average. The Ph.D. in Computer Science mandates master’s-level knowledge of computing with an average GPA of 3.75. International students seeking teaching assistantships on I-20 visa need a TOEFL score of 80 or IELTS score of 6.5.

The New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology requires degree-seeking students to apply before August 1st for Fall, January 2nd for Spring, and May 1st for Summer enrollment. The Office of Admission allows students to apply online or mail the printed application to 801 Leroy Place in Socorro, NM 87801. Please don’t forget to submit the following:

• Application fee ($15 for undergrad or $45 for grad)

• Transcript requests for each school attended

• Official GED, SAT, ACT, or GRE scores

• Tests of English language proficiency if applicable

• Three letters of professional recommendation

Tuition and Financial Aid

Full-time undergrads from New Mexico are charged $3,500 per semester. Non-resident B.S. students are billed $10,075 per full-time semester. Living on-campus in Socorro costs $3,971 for room and board on average. NMT suggests budgeting $539 for books, $826 for personal costs, and $1,601 for travel. Total cost of attendance is $10,470 (in-state) and $17,045 (out-of-state) each undergrad semester. Graduates in New Mexico will pay $3,566 while non-residents afford $10,606 per term of the M.S. or Ph.D. in Computer Science.

The NCES shows that 92 percent of full-time New Mexico Tech students earn financial aid packages worth $6,817 on average. Computer science majors could receive institutional awards like the Presidential Scholarship, Tech Tuition Assistance, Mills Family Scholarship, Transfer Excel Scholarship, and Maurice Greenberg Scholarship. Low-income learners often claim the Federal Pell Grant or Federal SEOG Grant for up to $5,730 yearly. Living in the “Land of Enchantment” qualifies you for the New Mexico Student Incentive Grant and NM Legislative Lottery Scholarship. There’s a Colorado Reciprocity (CORE) Program for students with a 2.5 GPA or higher. B.S. students could land Work-Study jobs for at least $9.25/hour. Borrowing Perkins, Stafford, Grad PLUS, and private loans is another alternative.

Studying Computer Science at NMT

Founded in 1966, New Mexico Tech’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering is an ABET-accredited division offering three degrees and a minor. Thanks to the 12:1 student-faculty ratio, nearly 60 percent of courses have fewer than 20 pupils for hands-on engagement. Majors benefit from access to state-of-the-art facilities like the Institute for Complex Additive Systems Analysis (ICASA). Future computer scientists can consider pursuing these NMT degrees:

B.S. in Computer Science

Consisting of 130 credits, the B.S. in Computer Science is a rigorous, four-year program giving NMT undergrads the fundamental engineering skills to design and construct hardware or software systems. Delivered in the Tech Computer Center, the curriculum includes courses for algorithms, calculus, programming, probability, operating systems, and network administration. Partnerships produce internship opportunities with the Idaho National Laboratory, Department of Defense, Apple, Intel, and more.

M.S. in Computer Science

Offered with an optional Information Technology Option, New Mexico Tech’s M.S. in Computer Science builds on basic computing proficiency to prepare grads for leadership in designing tech solutions with emerging tools like artificial intelligence. Ranging from 24 to 27 credits, the curriculum features courses in advanced visualization, embedded systems design, parallel processing, and algorithm analysis. Students choose to conduct a master’s thesis or take the non-thesis competency exam.

Ph.D. in Computer Science

Post-master’s students are selectively welcomed into the Ph.D. in Computer Science, the field’s highest terminal degree focused on preparing grads for advanced industrial research or academic teaching. For 3+ years, doctoral candidates take seminars like neural networks, genetic algorithms, database administration, and information assurance full-time. Students at New Mexico Tech also complete 24 credits of dissertation research with scientists at Los Alamos National and Sandia National Laboratories.

Related resource:

Top 30 Best Online Schools for Computer Science Degrees