Portales, NM – February 13, 2025 – Offering an unmatched student experience and an education of value, Eastern New Mexico University has been recognized by the Wall Street Journal as one of the nation’s best colleges for 2025. ENMU ranks number 69 of 500 colleges in the U.S. for overall experience while attending the university.
As part of its student experience ranking, the publication scores colleges based on surveys that measure student satisfaction with campus facilities, sense of community, health and well-being, safety, sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and opportunities to interact with students from different backgrounds.
“This ranking underscores our mantra of being One Eastern, One Family. We are proud that our students recognize Eastern New Mexico University as one of the best in the nation for student experience,” said James Johnston, ENMU Chancellor. “Our students enjoy a space where we empower them to take advantage of all we have to offer from day one while providing them with a high-quality education.”
Recognizing ENMU’s value, the Wall Street Journal also ranked ENMU as the best-value college in New Mexico for 2025. The best value ranking lists schools in order of how quickly the difference between their graduates’ salaries and those of comparable high school graduates pays back the average net price of four years of study–what the Journal calls “Years to pay off net price.”
Additionally, the Wall Street Journal ranked ENMU in the top three in the state of New Mexico for social mobility, best overall college, and best salaries when related to the impact on graduates’ wages and how this relates to the cost of attending the college.
More students are choosing ENMU.
The 2025 rankings come as ENMU continues seeing the most significant enrollment growth over a decade. The first-time freshman class for fall 2024 was up 18.9 percent, new graduate students were up 19.7 percent, and continuing students were up 6.1 percent compared to fall 2023. Total fall 2024 graduate enrollment increased by 13.1 percent, resulting in a record number of 1,487 graduate students. Overall enrollment increased to 5,737, a 6.3 percent increase from fall 2023.
“The overall outstanding student experience is a product of combined efforts using an engaged and supportive learning environment partnered with robust campus support services and programming,” said Christy Johanson, Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. “We create a culture at ENMU that supports learning, growing, and individuality. We embrace differences and see opportunities to grow together as a community.”
Spring 2025 also saw increased enrollment growth. Spring enrollment was up 5.2 percent over spring 2024, with undergraduate enrollment up 3.7 percent and graduate enrollment up 9.6 percent.
For more information on the 2025 Wall Street Journal Best College Rankings, visit https://www.wsj.com/rankings/college-rankings/best-colleges-2025.
