Best Pharmacy Technician Schools Near Rio Rancho, NM (2026)

Rio Rancho, New Mexico has 3 accredited schools offering pharmacy technician programs. Rio Rancho has a population of about 106,533. 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 pharmacy technician-related role is Health Technologist and Technician at a median $47,130 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Pharmacy Technician Schools to Rio Rancho

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer pharmacy technician 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.

Sort:
#1

Carrington College-Albuquerque

Albuquerque, NM 12.8 miles from Rio Rancho
  • 2 year
40.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,718
Avg net price $49,030/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 7

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Pima Medical Institute-Albuquerque

Albuquerque, NM 13.9 miles from Rio Rancho
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
53.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $30,917
Avg net price $21,084/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 14

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Central New Mexico Community College

Albuquerque, NM 15.2 miles from Rio Rancho
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
51.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,869
Avg net price $4,621/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 89

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

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

#5

Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell Campus

Roswell, NM 184.4 miles from Rio Rancho
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
54.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,550
Avg net price $3,645/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Pharmacy Technician 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)
Pharmacy Technician$46,630Albuquerque, NM$48,827
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 Pharmacy Technician Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited pharmacy technician schools are near Rio Rancho, NM?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering pharmacy technician programs near Rio Rancho. The closest is Carrington College-Albuquerque in Albuquerque, NM (12.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Central New Mexico Community College (15.2 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying pharmacy technician roles near Rio Rancho?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying pharmacy technician-related roles near Rio Rancho are: Health Technologist and Technician ($47,130), Pharmacy Technician ($46,630). 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 pharmacy technician 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 pharmacy technician?

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 Pharmacy Technician 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.