Best Health Science Schools Near Rio Rancho, NM (2026)

Rio Rancho, New Mexico is home to about 106,533 residents. Median household income is $85,755 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 33.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Albuquerque, NM metro area, the top-earning health science-related role is Medical and Health Services Manager at a median $125,470 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Health Science Schools to Rio Rancho

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer health science programs near Rio Rancho, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Rio Rancho city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Rio Rancho. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score โ€” U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

San Juan College

Farmington, NM 131.5 miles from Rio Rancho
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
53.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,513
Avg net price $5,769/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

New Mexico State University-Main Campus

Las Cruces, NM 205.5 miles from Rio Rancho
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
50.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,067
Avg net price $8,889/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 12

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all New Mexico schools on the New Mexico health science page.


Health Science Wages Near Rio Rancho

Rio Rancho is part of the Albuquerque, NM metro area (BLS area code 10740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New Mexico statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Medical and Health Services Manager$125,470Albuquerque, NM$131,382
Health Education Specialist$63,610Albuquerque, NM$66,607
Health Information Technologist$42,000NM statewide$43,979
Health Technologist and Technician$47,130Albuquerque, NM$49,351

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Rio Rancho at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population106,533Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$85,755Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+33.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)95.5 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Rio Rancho-Area Cities With Health Science Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

What are the highest-paying health science roles near Rio Rancho?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying health science-related roles near Rio Rancho are: Medical and Health Services Manager ($125,470), Health Education Specialist ($63,610), Health Technologist and Technician ($47,130). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New Mexico statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Albuquerque instead of Rio Rancho?

Albuquerque, NM is 12.9 miles from Rio Rancho and has its own set of local health science programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Rio Rancho an affordable place to study health science?

Rio Rancho’s median household income of $85,755 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Rio Rancho while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and New Mexico public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Health Science Programs

Other Programs Available in Rio Rancho

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Rio Rancho:

Data verified: August 25, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.