WNMU participates annually in Quality New Mexico activities and recognition programs and through that annual feedback has identified a number of potential areas for improvement. The Strategic Context for your institution's future. The typical freshman does not enter Western directly from high school. The average age of new on-campus freshman is 21. Off campus this rises to 35.
Women form the majority of all student classifications.
Many are single parents. A large proportion of the student body is bilingual, with Spanish frequently used in formal and casual conversation. One-third of the Gallup student body is Native American. Strong, on-going relationships in those communities should enable WNMU to play an integral role in providing additional educational services. However, it will also increase the likelihood of competition from other institutions.