據了解，美國憲法規定，各州政府負責注冊并審批各類高等院校，但各院校是否被社會所認可則取決于政府承認的認證機構的認證。

　　美國高等院校包括公立與私立兩種。主要實行二年學制或四年學制，二年制的多為技術專科學校和社區學院。據統計，目前美國各類高等院校有3600多所。

　　美國高等院校的質量認證一般由專業認證機構負責，經美國教育部認可的專業認證機構主要有六大區域認證機構及近百個專業認證機構。聯邦政府通過認證機構間接起到對各院校的管理與規范。全美高等教育認證委員會（CHEA）是協調并審核認證機構的專業機構。 通過區域性認證協會或其它專業認證機構的認證，各院校可實現學分相互轉換，所頒發的學位證書或文憑證書能獲得社會的廣泛認可。

　　2012年美國新墨西哥州教育部批準境外正規高校名單：

　　New Mexico

　　Aladdin Beauty College #22 (Roswell)

　　Albuquerque Barber College (Albuquerque)

　　Albuquerque Technical Vocational Institute (Albuquerque)

　　Apollo College (Albuquerque)

　　The Art Center Design College (Albuquerque)

　　Body Dynamics School of Massage Therapy (Albuquerque)

　　Business Skills Institute (Las Cruces)

　　Clovis Community College (Clovis)

　　College of Santa Fe (Santa Fe)

　　College of the Southwest (Hobbs)

　　DeWolff College of Hairstyling and Cosmetology (Albuquerque)

　　Eastern New Mexico University (Portales)

　　Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell (Roswell)

　　Eddy County Beauty College (Carlsbad)

　　Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development (Santa Fe)

　　International Institute of the, Americas Albuquerque, NM (Albuquerque)

　　International Schools (Sunland Park)

　　ITT Technical Institute (Albuquerque)

　　Luna Community College (Las Vegas)

　　Massage Therapy Training Institute (Las Cruces)

　　The Medicine Wheel (Farmington)

　　Mesalands Community College (Tucumcari)

　　Metropolitan College (Albuquerque)

　　New Mexico Aveda Institute de Bellas Artes (Albuquerque)

　　New Mexico Highlands University (Las Vegas)

　　New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (Socorro)

　　New Mexico Junior College (Hobbs)

　　New Mexico Military Institute (Roswell)

　　New Mexico State University at Alamogordo (Alamogordo)

　　New Mexico State University-Carlsbad (Carlsbad)

　　New Mexico State University (Las Cruces)

　　Nonproliferation and National Security Institute (Albuquerque)

　　Northern New Mexico Community College (Espanola)

　　Olympian University of Cosmetology (Alamogordo)

　　Olympian University of Cosmetology (Albuquerque)

　　Olympian University of Cosmetology (Las Cruces)

　　Pima Medical Institute (Albuquerque)

　　Ron L. Straughan & Associates, Inc. (Albuquerque)

　　St. John‘s College (Santa Fe)

　　San Juan College (Farmington)

　　Santa Fe Community College (Santa Fe)

　　Southwest Health Career Institute (Albuquerque)

　　Southwestern College (Santa Fe)

　　Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (Albuquerque)

　　Universal Therapeutic Massage Institute (Albuquerque)

　　University of New Mexico (Albuquerque)

　　Western New Mexico University (Silver City)