NM higher education gets poor grades in new report

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - New Mexico colleges and universities are some of the most underperforming nationwide when it comes to students' success, according to a report released this week.

Competitive Workforce, a U.S. Chamber of Commerce affiliate, named the state's two-year and four-year public institutions among the worst. According to the national study, the state's 19 community colleges and six public universities received D and F grades for student access and academic performance.

The study found that 70 percent of New Mexico college students receive federal aid but only 40 percent of them graduate, The Albuquerque Journal (http://bit.ly/LlPgrm ) reported. Nationally, the median percentage of students who receive Pell grants is 30.8 percent and their graduation rate is 54.5 percent.

The state also received low marks for transparency and accountability. The report gave New Mexico an F for not tracking graduates' performance in the labor market.

State education officials say the study touches on the same concerns they have and taxpayers deserve a system that is efficient in cost but beneficial to students.

"It's clear we have a lot of work to do, and we will continue to accept the challenge," Larry Behrens, a New Mexico Higher Education Department spokesman, said in a statement.

University of New Mexico Provost Chaouki Abdallah believes his school is doing better than the state as a whole.

"Our numbers are not as bad, but they're not good. They're not what they should be," Abdallah said.

Abdallah said the university's 45-percent graduation rate is five percentage points higher than the state average. He also said the school has taken steps to facilitate students' success including dedicating 20 percent of revenue from next year's tuition increase for financial aid.

"I think we do provide a lot of access for people who cannot otherwise attend school," Abdallah said.

The state earned its highest grade, a C, for meeting labor market demands. The median wage for New Mexico residents with bachelor's degrees is 55 percent higher than those with a high school degree — or about $16,300 more, according to the report.

The unemployment rate for those with bachelor's degrees is 3.5 points lower than high school graduates.

Overall, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said the findings were "sobering" and urged lawmakers and educators nationwide to reform the higher education system.