University of New Mexico-Main Campus vs California State University-San Bernardino

University of New Mexico-Main Campus and California State University-San Bernardino are both well-regarded institutions, but they differ in important ways. Here's how they compare across key dimensions.

Admissions: University of New Mexico-Main Campus is more selective with a 95.5% acceptance rate compared to California State University-San Bernardino's 98.3%.

Cost: California State University-San Bernardino offers a lower average net price at $5,918, which is $11,560 less than University of New Mexico-Main Campus ($17,478). After financial aid, this can make a significant difference over 4 years.

Career Outcomes: Graduates from California State University-San Bernardino earn a median salary of $59,977 ten years after enrollment, which is $15,185 more than University of New Mexico-Main Campus graduates ($44,792).

Graduation: California State University-San Bernardino leads with a 54.5% graduation rate, and freshman retention rates are 72.9% vs 77.6%.

Campus Size: University of New Mexico-Main Campus is the larger campus with 16,686 total students, while California State University-San Bernardino has 15,771.

Bottom Line: California State University-San Bernardino stands out as both more affordable and producing higher-earning graduates — making it the stronger value proposition overall.