Best test-optional colleges in New Mexico
Colleges that don't require the SAT or ACT for admission, ranked by Compass Score.
Best test-optional colleges in New Mexico5 schools
5 schools qualify, ranked by the Compass Score.
How this list is made
- Schools in New Mexico.
- Accredited four-year undergraduate colleges.
- Admission test policy: considered but not required, or neither required nor recommended (federal admissions data).
- Each school needs a complete Compass Score, so every row shows a rating.
- Ordered by Compass Score, highest first. Schools with the same score share a rank.
Updated Oct. 20, 2026. Methodology. Spot an error? Send a correction.
- 1
St. John's College
Santa Fe, NM · Private nonprofit#1 in New Mexico
- SAT or ACT not required
- 55% graduate
- 2
- 3
New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, NM · PublicTop 12% for low net price
- SAT or ACT not required
- 55% graduate
- 4
Eastern New Mexico University
Portales, NM · PublicTop 4% for low net price
- SAT or ACT not required
- 45% graduate
- 5
Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development
Santa Fe, NM · PublicTop 24% for low net price
- SAT or ACT not required
- 15% graduate
Compare cost and outcomes
| School | Net price a year | Median debt | Earnings 10 years out | Graduation rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. John's College | $26,674 | — | $44,985 | 55% |
| University of New Mexico | $15,489 | $18,450 | $44,792 | 55% |
| New Mexico State University | $8,889 | $17,095 | $39,067 | 55% |
| Eastern New Mexico University | $4,904 | $16,500 | $38,550 | 45% |
| Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development | $12,570 | — | $24,505 | 15% |
Net price is the average yearly cost after grants. Federal data (College Scorecard). “—” means the school reports no figure.
This list in other states
- Alabama 23
- Arizona 12
- Arkansas 10
- California 100
- Colorado 16
- Connecticut 18
- Delaware 3
- District of Columbia 5
- Florida 35
- Georgia 42
- Hawaii 5
- Idaho 6
- Illinois 56
- Indiana 40
- Iowa 29
- Kansas 24
- Kentucky 25
- Louisiana 21
- Maine 15
- Maryland 25
- Massachusetts 59
- Michigan 40
- Minnesota 35
- Mississippi 10
- Missouri 42
- Montana 7
- Nebraska 14
- Nevada 5
- New Hampshire 11
- New Jersey 33
- New York 125
- North Carolina 54
- North Dakota 7
- Ohio 68
- Oklahoma 14
- Oregon 21
- Pennsylvania 113
- Puerto Rico 32
- Rhode Island 11
- South Carolina 30
- South Dakota 10
- Tennessee 28
- Texas 65
- Utah 8
- Vermont 9
- Virginia 43
- Washington 20
- West Virginia 13
- Wisconsin 34