Spotlight on the Land of Enchantment: College Success for First-Generation, Neurodiverse, and the Hidden Barriers to Finishing What You Start
For many students in Albuquerque, going to college isn’t just a milestone— it’s a first.
A significant portion of students in New Mexico are first-generation college students, meaning their parents did not attend college. At the same time, increasing numbers of students find themselves with a diagnosis of ADHD or ASD, with little resources or understanding from their community. Each of these factors alone can shape a student’s college experience. Combined, they can create both unique strengths, and serious challenges.
Many students and families assume that getting into college is the hard part. In reality, finishing is often the bigger challenge.
The Reality: First-Generation Students Face Steep Odds
National data* show:
About 38-40% of college students are first-generation
Only about 26% of first-generation students earn a bachelor’s degree
By comparison, 82% of students with two college-educated parents graduate
First-generation students are twice as likely to leave college without a degree
Why this matters in Albuquerque
Students in Albuquerque are more likely than average to be:
First-generation
From lower-income households
Navigating college systems without family guidance
That combination increases the risk of starting college but not finishing it.
The Big Problem: Most Students Don’t Strategize Effectively
Regardless of whether a student is first-generation, has a disability, or none of the above, many go to college without a clear strategy for success. Nearly 40% of all students do not complete a degree within six years. First-generation students, especially, lack “hidden knowledge” that students with parents with college experience provide. They might think college is simply a continuation of high school and that similar strategies will yield similar results. They often don’t know how to build relationships with professors or how to navigate academic systems— important factors in completion rates that are not talked about in high school.
If students also face financial pressures, they might also try to balance working long hours, take fewer credits, or drop classes to manage stress. This slows progress, which can lead to dropping out.
Finally, first-generation students often choose schools based on reputation, cost, or limited information. A poor college fit is a critical factor for neurodiverse and first-generation students. Additionally, success requires continuous adjustments, not a one-time plan. For many students, planning stops after college acceptance or the first semester.
What Actually Improves Success Rates
Students who fall into the above categories can greatly improve their chances for success when they:
Start planning early. This includes not just where to apply, but how to function in college and what support they’ll need.
Choose the right environment. For neurodiverse students, this might mean smaller class size, structured programs, and strong disability services. College should truly feel like home, and your classmates and professors should feel like family. A lack of feeling of inclusion and like you belong is a major risk for dropping out.
Build executive functioning systems. For example, weekly planning routines, accountability structures, and external deadlines are non-negotiable for neurodiverse students.
Use support services consistently, not just when struggling. There are services— that your tuition dollars pay for; you’re not only paying for classes!— for tutoring, advising, and disability accommodations like note takers or extended time for assignments.
Have ongoing guidance. Students who receive structured support throughout college— not just during the application period— tend to persist at higher rates.
Why Neruodiverse-Focused College Support Helps First-Generation Students Too
Support services designed for neurodiverse students are often built around structure, clarity, and explicit guidance. Interestingly, these are the exact elements that many first-generation students also need, regardless of diagnosis.
The overlap is not coincidental.
Many of the barriers first-generation students face (like navigating unfamiliar systems, managing long-term deadlines, and understanding unspoken expectations) mirror the challenges that neurodiverse students encounter in college environments. College advising can help:
Making the “hidden curriculum” visible. One of the biggest gaps for first-generation students is the lack of access to informal knowledge about how college works. Neurodiverse-focused support programs break down expectations step-by-step, provide explicit instructions for tasks that are often assumed common knowledge, teach skills for interacting with professors, advisors, and peers. This kind of transparency benefits any student who has not been exposed to college norms at home.
Reducing stigma around support. For first-generation students, weekly check-ins, clear timelines, and ongoing accountability often mirrors the support services for students with ADHD. Students whose parents completed college often have regular, informal check-ins that provide external guidance. This continuity of support is critical for success. Research consistently shows that the highest dropout rates occur in the first year of college, when students are adjusting academically and socially. Students with disabilities know that accommodations and assistance are normal, proactive tools, not signs of weakness. First-generation students may hesitate to ask for help, feel pressured to succeed independently, and be unfamiliar with available resources.
Focus on fit, not just admission. First-generation students are often encouraged to focus getting into the “best” (i.e., most recognized) college. However, neurodiverse-informed counseling emphasizes learning environment, class structure, social fit, and other variables that are equally important to academic rigor.
The Bottom Line
For high school students in Albuquerque, getting into college is not the finish line. First-generation students face significant completion gaps. Neurodiverse students need different— not more or less— support than neurotypical students. Many students fail not because of ability, but because of lack of strategy. One crucial difference in college is that, unlike high school, you can become just a number to your instructors. They might not even notice if you come to class or don’t. In all likelihood, you won’t have a parent to make sure you get to class every day or say “no” to social activities because you need to stay home and study.
The students who succeed are rarely the ones who simply “figure it out.” They are the students who understand the system, choose the right environment for their needs, build structure early, and get the right kind of support along the way.
