History and Mission

Established in 1929 by the Regents of the University of New Mexico, the University of New Mexico Press ranks within the top third of publishing houses in the Association of University Presses (AUP) and is the fourth largest university press west of the Rocky Mountains in publishing new titles. With over 1,200 titles currently in print and as a distributor for local and regional publishers, the Press has been an important element in enhancing the scholarly reputation and worldwide visibility of the university.

The University of New Mexico Press participates in the public mission of the University of New Mexico through a publishing program that seeks to maintain the professional excellence of American university presses in general and to present the finest national and international scholarship in the academic areas in which we publish. We produce scholarly books in the arts, humanities, and natural and social sciences—more specifically, in the areas of fine arts, Western history, Latin American studies, literature, poetry, environmental studies, archaeology, anthropology, and natural history. In recognition of the university’s educational outreach and public role, we also publish books of general interest and significance for our state and our region.