to Native Americans and ninth for awarding bachelor's degrees to minorities overall for agriculture, agriculture operations, and related sciences. In 2024, New Mexico State University was ranked 16 in the nation by Washington Monthly for its support of women in STEM fields, particularly in Chemical Engineering.
== Institutes and research programs ==
=== Research programs ===
The university is the lead institution for New Mexico's Space Grant Program.
In 2010, the NMSU Physical Sciences Laboratory secured a study contract with Reaction Engines Limited, a British aerospace company that is developing technology for an airbreathing single stage to orbit, precooled air turboramjet based spaceplane.
The NMSU Department of Astronomy operates the Sunspot Solar Observatory and Apache Point Observatory, in Sunspot, New Mexico, including the site of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey.
NMSU is a research active university, with $150 million per year in externally funded research programs. Its estimated annual economic impact …
