2026 Best Value Agriculture & Agriculture Operations Schools in New Mexico

[Agriculture & Agriculture Operations](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 11 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for agriculture & agriculture operations students.
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2026 Best Value Agriculture & Agriculture Operations Schools in New Mexico
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in agriculture & agriculture operations, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Agriculture & Agriculture Operations Schools
Central New Mexico Community College earned the #1 spot for value among agriculture & agriculture operations schools in New Mexico. Located in the city of Albuquerque, Central New Mexico Community College is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $2,060, with out-of-state students paying around $8,684. Agriculture & Agriculture Operations graduates carry a median of $10,112 in student loans. Early-career agriculture & agriculture operations graduates make about $28,323. That is a strong return on a $10,112 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in agriculture & agriculture operations will find it at San Juan College, which ranked #2. Located in the rural area of Farmington, San Juan College is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $1,910, with out-of-state students paying around $5,393. Typical student debt for agriculture & agriculture operations graduates is $19,500. Agriculture & Agriculture Operations graduates of San Juan College earn a median of $43,730 early in their careers. Set against $19,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #3 makes New Mexico State University Main Campus one of the best values for agriculture & agriculture operations. New Mexico State University Main Campus is a large public school located in the suburb of Las Cruces. Students from in state pay about $8,183 in tuition and fees, compared with $25,307 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for agriculture & agriculture operations graduates is $18,558. Agriculture & Agriculture Operations graduates of New Mexico State University Main Campus earn a median of $30,929 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $18,558 median debt. New Mexico State University Main Campus admits about 89% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in agriculture & agriculture operations will find it at Santa Fe Community College, which ranked #4. Set in the rural area of Santa Fe, Santa Fe Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $1,851, with out-of-state students paying around $4,131. Agriculture & Agriculture Operations graduates carry a median of $15,267 in student loans. Early-career agriculture & agriculture operations graduates make about $51,935. That is a strong return on a $15,267 median debt.
A rank of #5 makes Pima Medical Institute Albuquerque one of the best values for agriculture & agriculture operations. Located in the city of Albuquerque, Pima Medical Institute Albuquerque is a small private for-profit university. Agriculture & Agriculture Operations graduates carry a median of $9,500 in student loans. Agriculture & Agriculture Operations graduates of Pima Medical Institute Albuquerque earn a median of $31,470 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $9,500 median debt.
More Agriculture & Agriculture Operations Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 11 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.