New Mexico Tech’s commencement ceremony Saturday was held at the Socorro Rodeo Grounds. The keynote address was
delivered by Xochitl Torres Small, Under Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture for Rural Development.
Court Kessler | NMT Photo

The New Mexico Tech Class of 2023, and hundreds of faculty, staff, fellow students, family members and friends participated in this year’s Commencement Ceremony, held Saturday at the Socorro Sports Complex and Rodeo Grounds. The NMT Board of Regents conferred three associate’s degrees, 253 bachelor’s degrees, 103 master’s degrees, 14 doctorates, eight graduate certificates, and two honorary degrees at the ceremony.

Xochitl Torres Small, Under Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture for Rural Development and former member of Congress, delivered the keynote address. Timothy Bonzon of Rio Rancho was the student speaker.

Data points about the Class of 2023 shared by Interim President Daniel H. López in his remarks:

  • The average GPA of bachelor’s recipients is 3.21.
  • Just over 72% have GPAs of 3.0 or greater.
  • 99 of the graduates (or 40%) have received at least one F in a course at NMT.
  • Four students graduated with a perfect 4.0 GPA.
  • The youngest bachelor’s recipient is 19.
  • The “most senior” recipient is 53 years old.
  • With the 2023 Commencement, NMT will have awarded 7,201 bachelor’s degrees in its history, along with 3,098 master’s degrees and 442 Ph.D.s
  • The most well-represented department conferring degrees at the undergraduate level this year is mechanical engineering, with 61 bachelor’s degrees awarded. The most well-represented department at the master’s degree level is also mechanical engineering, with 23 degrees awarded.
  • At the Ph.D. level, two departments (mechanical engineering and chemistry) both awarded three degrees.
  • Just over 80% of the undergraduates who received degrees hail from New Mexico, including students from Farmington to Carlsbad, from Shiprock to Silver City, from San Juan Pueblo to Anthony.
  • From out-of-state, the class of 2023 includes students from Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts, Maryland, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Washington.
  • This year, NMT international students earning degrees hail from Bangladesh, Cameroon, China, Ghana, Iran, Italy, Kenya, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Zambia.
  • Three alumni of Socorro High School are among the 2023 graduates.
New Mexico Tech report