NM Colleges Are Worst in the Nation

Secretary of Higher Education Jose Garcia has a definite answer for anyone who has wondered how New Mexico is doing competitively, as a state in higher education. Not well. Garcia said from 1990 to 2010, the state has ranked last, 50 out of 50, in the improvement of the proportion of the population with a college degree. Garcia said while the state ranks last in higher education, it ranks first in state spending on higher education. He said the state spends 15.3 percent of their budget each year on higher education, compared to a national average of 6.8 percent. For this reason, the state had to turn to a performance-based funding formula, Garcia said. This happened in 2010. The new funding formula awards money to state institutions based on three main criteria: the number of degrees awarded, the number of science, technology, engineering and mechanical degrees and lastly, how many at-risk students are awarded degrees. Garcia said for the first time in New Mexico’s history, the older generation was at a higher level of education than the younger generation...more