New Mexico Tech is featured prominently in two recent national rankings highlighting both job placement after graduation and career earnings.

CNBC’s ranking pegs Tech as the number 21 public university in the nation in its “The top 50 U.S. colleges that pay off the most in 2020.” CNBC spotlights the top 50 schools – 25 public and 25 private – that provide students the highest average salaries for their tuition dollars. The rankings were published July 28 using data from Payscale’s College Salary Report.

Of the over 1,500 universities ranked by College Salary Report, New Mexico Tech landed at No. 56 nationally and is the only university in New Mexico ranked in the top 300.

According to CNBC, the median salary for New Mexico Tech alumni with 10-plus years of experience is $120,400.

Zippia.com named Tech the top school in New Mexico for launching a career. That article, titled “Best colleges in each state for getting a job in 2020,” identifies the universities that have the best employment statistics for recent graduates.

CNBC’s Abigail Hess writes, “Today, college graduates on average earn 80% more than those with just a high school diploma. College is more expensive – and important – than ever before, and this dichotomy puts students in a difficult situation. The coronavirus pandemic has considerably changed the on-campus experience, and this year more than ever, students have to ask, ‘Is this college worth the cost?’”

The Zippia ranking placed a high importance on salary information and used a similar methodology as CNBC, but weighted employment statistics over salary data.

“We’re here to tell you that the most important reason to go to college is to find a great job,” Zippia stated. “And while you may know that in the back of your mind, you may not know what are the best colleges to get a job after graduation.”

John Larson, El Defensor Chieftain