New Mexico: school, college and career rules
New Mexico requires 24 units (from cohort 2029: 4 English, 4 math, 3 science, 4 social studies and a 2-unit local requirement, with Algebra 2 no longer required), tests with MSSA, ASR and the grade 11 SAT, gives resident tuition after 12 months of physical presence, and covers full tuition through the Opportunity and Lottery scholarships.
Linked from the State Population Totals 2020-2025 page (census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-state-total.html); population and rank copied from the POPESTIMATE2025 and NRANK_POPEST2025 columns.Census
High school diploma
High school graduation requirements are set by the legislature (House Bill 171, 2024). Students entering high school in 2025-26 (cohort 2029) and later need 24 units: Linked as the Cohort 2029 flyer from the PED Graduation Requirements page.NMPED
| Subject | State minimum |
|---|---|
| English | 4 units: ELA 1, 2 and 3 and a fourth English (ELD courses, CTE or work-based learning can count) |
| Mathematics | 4 units: Algebra 1, Geometry, a third and a fourth math (Algebra 2 must be offered but is not required) |
| Science | 3 units, two of them lab sciences |
| Social studies | 4 units: U.S. history with New Mexico history, world history, government/economics and a fourth social studies |
| Physical education | 1 unit |
| Health | 0.5 unit |
| Electives | 5.5 units, including a 2-unit pathway concentration of the student's choice |
| Local requirement | 2 units set by each school board or governing body |
24 units.
State tests for the diploma
No exit exam. A Final Next Step Plan, started in grade 8 and aligned to the graduate profile, is a mandatory prerequisite for graduation. Linked as the Cohort 2029 flyer from the PED Graduation Requirements page.NMPED
Also good to know
- House Bill 171 removed the state demonstrations of competency in five core subjects; districts may still set local ones (such as portfolios or capstones), and all students still take the state and federal ESSA assessments in grade 11.
NMPED
Graduation Manual - HB171 (April 2026)New Mexico Public Education Department- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
- Algebra 1, Geometry and Health taken before high school count toward the diploma; any other deviation needs a coursework waiver from the Public Education Department.
NMPED
Graduation Requirements Beginning with Cohort 2029 (flyer, May 2025)New Mexico Public Education Department- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
Linked as the Cohort 2029 flyer from the PED Graduation Requirements page.
View source - Students who entered high school before 2025-26 follow the earlier cohort requirements and guidance posted by the PED College and Career Readiness Bureau.
NMPED
Graduation RequirementsNew Mexico Public Education Department, College and Career Readiness Bureau- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
State test: MSSA, ASR and the grade 11 SAT
New Mexico Measures of Student Success and Achievement (MSSA), Assessment of Science Readiness (ASR) and SAT School Day. New Mexico's summative ESSA tests are MSSA in grades 3 to 8, the ASR science test in grades 5, 8 and 11, and the SAT School Day in grade 11; Spanish versions of MSSA and ASR are offered. NMPED
View source
| Test | Subjects | Grades |
|---|---|---|
| MSSA | Mathematics and English language arts | Grades 3–8 |
| ASR | Science (STEM Ready! standards) | Grades 5, 8 and 11 |
| SAT School Day | Reading and writing, mathematics | Grade 11 |
Source: NMPED
View source
What the scores are used for
- SAT School Day scores of 480 in reading and writing and 530 in math, or an ASR science score of 1160, are among the mastery scores that let a CTE or work-based learning course count as core credit.
NMPED
Graduation Requirements Beginning with Cohort 2029 (flyer, May 2025)New Mexico Public Education Department- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
Linked as the Cohort 2029 flyer from the PED Graduation Requirements page.
View source
National tests (SAT, ACT, AP, NAEP) are on the Exams hub.
Public colleges and universities
The state's public university system(s) and community colleges, from their own pages.
- University of New Mexico (UNM)University system · Founded in 1889 as New Mexico's flagship university, on nearly 800 acres in Albuquerque.
- Central New Mexico Community College (CNM)Community colleges · The largest community college in New Mexico and the state's largest higher education institution by undergraduate enrollment, with five campuses and transfer agreements with four-year schools including UNM.
Sources: UNM
View sourceCNM
View source
Every school in New Mexico, public and private, with cost and completion: 45 colleges, community colleges and trade schools, with 3 city pages.
In-state tuition: the residency rule
Public colleges charge less to state residents. Who counts as a resident is set by state law or the college system, not by where you went to school alone.
- 5.7.18.9 NMAC: to become a New Mexico resident for tuition, a person must physically live in New Mexico for the 12 consecutive months immediately before the term, be financially independent (or have New Mexico resident parents), sign a written declaration of intent, and show overt acts such as a New Mexico driver's license or a New Mexico high school transcript from the past year.
NMAC
5.7.18 NMAC, Residency for Tuition Purposes (5.7.18.9 requirements; 5.7.18.10 waivers)New Mexico Higher Education Department (New Mexico Administrative Code, State Records Center and Archives)- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
- The 12-month wait is waived for spouses of New Mexico residents and for people who move to New Mexico for a permanent full-time job or business, or to retire.
NMAC
5.7.18 NMAC, Residency for Tuition Purposes (5.7.18.9 requirements; 5.7.18.10 waivers)New Mexico Higher Education Department (New Mexico Administrative Code, State Records Center and Archives)- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
- In-state rates are also given to members of American Indian nations, tribes and pueblos located wholly or partly in New Mexico, to active-duty military in New Mexico, National Guard members and their families, and to some Texas residents.
NMAC
5.7.18 NMAC, Residency for Tuition Purposes (5.7.18.9 requirements; 5.7.18.10 waivers)New Mexico Higher Education Department (New Mexico Administrative Code, State Records Center and Archives)- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
The college's residency office makes the final decision. More on costs: What college costs.
State financial aid
Run by the New Mexico Higher Education Department (ReachHigherNM). Federal aid (Pell Grants, loans) starts with the FAFSA: FAFSA, grants and loans.
New Mexico Opportunity Scholarship
Covers 100% of tuition and course-specific fees at New Mexico public colleges and universities for established New Mexico residents of any age working toward a for-credit certificate, associate degree or bachelor's degree; there is no separate application. hed.nm.gov/students-parents/explore-colleges-universities redirects here.NMHED
Legislative Lottery Scholarship
New Mexico's first tuition-free college program: covers 100% of tuition for recent New Mexico high school graduates at New Mexico public colleges and universities. hed.nm.gov/students-parents/explore-colleges-universities redirects here.NMHED
Licensing boards
Lawyers, doctors, CPAs and nurses need a New Mexico license from a state board, even after passing a national exam. These are the boards that grant it.
| License | New Mexico board | Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer How bar admission works | New Mexico Board of Bar Examiners | Uniform Bar Exam (MBE, MEE and MPT). MPRE required (passing score 80). NextGen UBE from July 2027. NCBENew Mexico: bar admission informationNational Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE)
Bar admission agency, the NCBE exams the jurisdiction requires, MPRE passing score and NextGen UBE plans. NCBE advises checking the agency itself for the latest rules. View source |
| Physician How a medical license works | New Mexico Medical Board | USMLE (M.D.) or COMLEX-USA (D.O.) FSMBContact a State Medical BoardFederation of State Medical Boards (FSMB)
Directory of every state's medical (and separate osteopathic) board. fsmb.org answers automated reads with 403, so it was read from the Internet Archive capture of 14 Sep 2026; each board link was then opened on 22 Oct 2026, through the board's site or, where it blocks reads from India, its latest archive capture. View source |
| CPA How the CPA license works | New Mexico Public Accountancy Board | Uniform CPA Examination NASBAState Boards of AccountancyNational Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA)
Directory of the 55 boards of accountancy. nasba.org answers automated reads with 403, so it was read from the Internet Archive capture of 15 Oct 2026; board links that had moved were replaced with the board's current page, opened on 22 Oct 2026. View source |
| Registered nurse How the RN license works | New Mexico Board of Nursing | NCLEX-RN · Nurse Licensure Compact member since Jan. 19, 2018 NCSBNContact New Mexico Board of NursingNational Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)
NCSBN / NLCNLC states and implementation dates (NLC map, PDF)National Council of State Boards of Nursing (Nurse Licensure Compact)
|
Engineering, teaching, real estate, cosmetology and the trades have their own boards: all professional licenses · trades and apprenticeships.
State and city government jobs
Federal jobs are on USAJOBS; state and city governments hire through their own systems.
Work for New Mexico (SHARE HCM careers)
New Mexico State Personnel Office
- External applicants search current job openings from the State Personnel Office's Work for New Mexico page, which opens the state's SHARE HCM careers site.
- The page links an application guide and FAQ; local America's Job Center New Mexico offices help with applications.
Source: NM SPO
View source
Police, fire and other public-safety routes: Public Service & Safety hub.
Registered apprenticeship
New Mexico has a State Apprenticeship Agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor. Apprenticeship.gov
View source
- New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions, State Apprenticeship OfficeNew Mexico is a State Apprenticeship Agency state: under 11.2.3 NMAC the Department of Workforce Solutions is the SAA and the registration agency for New Mexico, with the apprenticeship director as its administrator.
- Trades and apprenticeshipsElectrician, plumber, HVAC and other trade routes on this site
Source: dws.state.nm.us returns 403 to India and to a US-based fetch and has no Internet Archive capture of its apprenticeship pages.NMAC
Where these facts come from
Official and primary sources only, each checked on the date shown. Rules on testing, aid, licensing and immigration change, so confirm a detail with its source before you rely on it.
- Annual Estimates of Resident Population Change for the United States, States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and State Rankings: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2025 (NST-EST2025-POPCHG2020-2025, CSV) · U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025) checked 2026-10-21
- New Mexico: bar admission information · National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) checked 2026-10-22
- Contact a State Medical Board · Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) checked 2026-10-22
- State Boards of Accountancy · National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) checked 2026-10-22
- Contact New Mexico Board of Nursing · National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) checked 2026-10-22
- NLC states and implementation dates (NLC map, PDF) · National Council of State Boards of Nursing (Nurse Licensure Compact) checked 2026-10-07
- Graduation Requirements Beginning with Cohort 2029 (flyer, May 2025) · New Mexico Public Education Department checked 2026-10-22
- Graduation Manual - HB171 (April 2026) · New Mexico Public Education Department checked 2026-10-22
- Graduation Requirements · New Mexico Public Education Department, College and Career Readiness Bureau checked 2026-10-22
- Assessment · New Mexico Public Education Department, Assessment Bureau checked 2026-10-22
- About The University of New Mexico · The University of New Mexico checked 2026-10-22
- Who We Are · Central New Mexico Community College checked 2026-10-22
- 5.7.18 NMAC, Residency for Tuition Purposes (5.7.18.9 requirements; 5.7.18.10 waivers) · New Mexico Higher Education Department (New Mexico Administrative Code, State Records Center and Archives) checked 2026-10-22
- Tuition-Free Education is Here New Mexico! (Opportunity and Lottery scholarships) · New Mexico Higher Education Department (ReachHigherNM) checked 2026-10-22
- Job Opportunities: Work for New Mexico · New Mexico State Personnel Office checked 2026-10-22
- 11.2.3 NMAC, Apprenticeship Programs (Department of Workforce Solutions as the State Apprenticeship Agency) · New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions (New Mexico Administrative Code, State Records Center and Archives) checked 2026-10-22
- State Offices: Office of Apprenticeship and State Apprenticeship Agency contacts by state · U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship checked 2026-10-21