Navajo Technical University — ROI, Cost & Payback
Navajo Technical University charges a net price of $5,338/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $21,352. Median earnings ten years after entry are $26,364, below the $48,360 high-school baseline, so on this institution-wide metric the degree does not clear its cost. Program choice is what changes that. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
On institution-wide earnings, Navajo Technical University does not clear its cost — it ranks #30 of 32 New Mexico colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $5,338/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $21,352 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $26,364 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$21,996/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$461,272 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Navajo Technical University's own numbers. Net price $5,338 × 4 years = $21,352 total. Median earnings $26,364 fall $21,996 short of the $48,360 high-school baseline, so the premium this formula divides by is not positive and no break-even year exists on institution-wide pay. A programme here earning $58,360 would clear the $21,352 bill in about 2.1 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of Navajo Technical University students graduate?
12% finish their degree — 88% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $21,352 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $177,933 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Navajo Technical University expensive compared with other New Mexico colleges?
Its $5,338 net price runs $1,985 below the $7,323 median across the 32 New Mexico colleges we profile, and $7,938 less across the full degree.