Located in Las Vegas, NM, New Mexico Highlands University was established by the Territorial Legislature in 1893 as the New Mexico Normal School. With the region booming due to the arrival of the Santa Fe Railroad in the 1870s, the area decided that it needed an institution of higher learning. It officially opened in 1898, and archaeologist Edgar Lee Hewett was the school’s first president.
What started as a school of 92 students and 6 faculty members quickly grew into a larger institution. Enrollment increased to over 300 in 1901. It’s name changed in 1902 to New Mexico Normal University and then again to New Mexico Highlands University in 1941.
By 1917, the school was offering four-year teacher training programs.
New Mexico Highlands University Today
Today, the school has nearly 4,000 students, mainly from New Mexico and of Latino descent. The school is known for its multi-ethnic student body and offers programs in business, education, arts and sciences, and social work.
Location: 1005 Diamond St, Las Vegas, NM 87701 35.5933° N, 105.2223° W
Historical Markers of the World 