"Where Excellence Meets Opportunity"

The best and brightest students at NMSU have homes in two colleges – they pursue an academic degree in their chosen discipline, but they also participate in the NMSU Honors College. Our Honors College is the oldest in New Mexico, and is a nurturing liberal arts college embedded within the bigger university. Honors College students receive the same type of quality education that a student might at an elite college like Oberlin, Swarthmore, or Dartmouth – without the $60,000 annual price tag.

Our students fulfill some of their required General Education courses by taking classes in the Honors College – courses taught by master teachers that emphasize interactive learning, challenging readings, enhanced analytical abilities, and superior communication abilities. When they complete their general education requirements they continue on to take honors designated courses in their academic majors, and complete their degrees with a Senior Capstone Project.

Our Mission

The mission of the New Mexico State University Honors College is to serve the citizens and state of New Mexico by providing an enriching environment for diverse, academically talented, and motivated students. The Honors College also seeks to create a community of scholars and mentors that fosters personal growth, critical thinking, leadership, independence, curiosity, and social responsibility.  The college aspires to cultivate student potential to broadly understand and positively impact communities, organizations, and the larger world.  The Honors College aims to focus campus attention on excellence in undergraduate education while strengthening the university’s reputation as the university of choice in New Mexico.

Our Values

  • We value the opportunity for each student to achieve their full potential through financial and logistical support, mentoring, and challenging learning environments through the Honors College.

  • We value diversity in all its aspects – backgrounds, perspective, lived experiences, interests, and goals.

  • We value the opportunity to provide students with an interdisciplinary, intellectually challenging curriculum that integrates active and service-based learning.

  • We value the university-wide undergraduate research opportunities, that link students with faculty mentors.

  • We strive to encourage, mentor, and guide students seeking postgraduate scholarships and fellowships.

  • We endeavor to offer students opportunities for developing leadership skills.

2023 Honors Graduates

Congratulations Spring 2023 Crimson Scholar Graduates, Honors Certificate Recipients, and Graduates completing University Honors!

Graduation Photos