据了解，美国宪法规定，各州政府负责注册并审批各类高等院校，但各院校是否被社会所认可则取决于政府承认的认证机构的认证。

　　美国高等院校包括公立与私立两种。主要实行二年学制或四年学制，二年制的多为技术专科学校和社区学院。据统计，目前美国各类高等院校有3600多所。

　　美国高等院校的质量认证一般由专业认证机构负责，经美国教育部认可的专业认证机构主要有六大区域认证机构及近百个专业认证机构。联邦政府通过认证机构间接起到对各院校的管理与规范。全美高等教育认证委员会（CHEA）是协调并审核认证机构的专业机构。 通过区域性认证协会或其它专业认证机构的认证，各院校可实现学分相互转换，所颁发的学位证书或文凭证书能获得社会的广泛认可。

　　2012年美国新墨西哥州教育部批准境外正规高校名单：

　　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)