The University of New Mexico (UNM) has been acknowledged as a leading institution in awarding bachelor's degrees to Hispanic students in education. According to the report "Finding your Workforce: Latino Talent in Education" by Excelencia in Education, UNM ranks 18th nationally for producing Hispanic education graduates at the bachelor’s level during the 2019-2020 academic year. Additionally, New Mexico State University holds the 22nd position.

The report highlights that the top 25 institutions reviewed are contributing to meeting national economic needs by focusing on serving Latino students and fostering Latino talent. Kristopher Goodrich, dean of UNM's College of Education & Human Sciences (COEHS), commented on this achievement, stating, “Our state has a huge need for teachers from backgrounds that represent their students, and that has been a strong mission for both our college and the university, so this is a testament to the hard work we have done to ensure that we can have the folks from New Mexico be represented within the teaching profession.”

Jay Parkes, associate dean of students at UNM COEHS, attributes this recognition to several factors including UNM’s commitment to Hispanic communities and its teacher residency partnerships which earned a national award in 2022. He also noted efforts over recent years aimed at reaching different parts of New Mexico to attract diverse talent. Parkes explained, “In the last five years, the college has been focusing on moving teacher preparation, especially outside of Albuquerque. How can we reach communities that aren’t an easy driving distance to UNM’s main campus, and how do we connect with high school students in those communities?”