Accredited Online Colleges in New Mexico (NM)

At the time of the latest United States Census from April, 2010, New Mexico’s population stood at 2,059,179 people, up from 1,819,416 as of the previous census in 2000. With a population density of only 16 people per square mile, New Mexico is the nations’ sixth-most sparsely populated state. The state has the highest number of Hispanic residents in the country and is third most in Native American population. As of March, 2011 New Mexico had an unemployment rate of 8.1 percent. Compared to the rest of the country, the cost of living in New Mexico is 6.6% percent lower than the rest of the nation.

With just over half a million residents as of the 2010 U.S. Census, Albuquerque is New Mexico’s largest city. The state’s third largest city, Rio Rancho, is considered to be a part of the greater Albuquerque metropolitan area and contains more than 85,000 residents. Las Cruces and Santa Fe are the states second and fourth largest cities respectively, with Las Cruces coming in with 97,000 people and Santa Fe coming in at more than 75,000. Oil and gas production, tourism and federal government spending are vital to New Mexico’s economy. The state is the nation’s third leading producer of crude oil and natural gas. A 2005 study conducted by New Mexico State University revealed that 11.65 percent of the state’s employment came from military spending. While more than 25% of the state’s jobs are government jobs according to the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions.

While recent job growth was down 4.3 percent over the past 12 months, the predicted future job growth over the next 10 years for the state is 23.84 percent according to Sperling’s Best Places. Healthcare related careers are expected to make up the most significant growth area over the next 10-years with home healthcare growing by 46 percent according to New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions. Professional, scientific and technical services make-up another large piece of the state’s work force and are expected to grow significantly as well. Other fields projected to be on the rise over the next decade are in mining and oil and gas extraction, administrative support , waste management and business and financial sectors.

With so many jobs expected to arise in healthcare, New Mexico students should look for education and training in healthcare. Students interested in aerospace, technical and engineering jobs should also find a solid job base over the next decade. The University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University make up the state’s largest higher learning network with both universities offering several campus locations. Eastern New Mexico University offers three different locations in the more sparsely populated southeastern corner. Specialty schools like New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology and Santa Fe University of Art and Design offer unique specialty programs.