A public tribal college in Santa Fe, New Mexico dedicated to preserving and advancing American Indian and Alaska Native arts, culture, and heritage through specialized higher education.
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Thinking about Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development, a college in New Mexico where more students graduate in Visual & Performing Arts than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.
The Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development is a public tribal college located in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The school focuses on providing educational opportunities rooted in Native American cultures and artistic traditions. With a student body of 334 undergraduates and 70 graduate students, the institute serves as a cultural and educational hub for indigenous communities.
Official website: iaia.edu
The institute earns an Average UCD Score of 43.78, which reflects its position as a specialized institution within the peer group of 4-year selective colleges. The score emphasizes the school's strengths in affordability and instructional investment relative to its peer institutions.
The institute has an acceptance rate of 97%, indicating an open admissions approach. Standardized test scores are not required for admission.
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Annual tuition is $5,920 for both in-state and out-state students, with room and board costs averaging $13,028. The net price of attendance after grants varies by income level; students from families earning $0.30k pay approximately $10,974 annually, while those from families earning $75.110k pay about $21,413. This variation reflects available aid distribution patterns across income brackets.
The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Application fee: $25 (one-time, due at submission)
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
The institute reports a graduation rate of 15%, which is notably low and reflects the challenges of degree completion at a small specialized institution. The retention rate is 64%, indicating that a significant portion of enrolled students continue to the following year.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
Six years after enrollment, median earnings for graduates are approximately $20,816 annually. Ten years after enrollment, median earnings increase to $24,505, suggesting modest long-term wage growth in the careers pursued by graduates.
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
About 38% of students are first-generation college students. The student body includes 11.7% Hispanic students and 10.2% white students, reflecting a diverse community centered on Native American educational experiences.
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
Where students live, learn, and connect at Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
After that comes the national picture for English graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.
Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development offers a varied set of programs: 11 distinct programs across 4 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
The institute has a full-time faculty composition, with instructional spending of $15,463 per student. This reflects a strong commitment to educational investment and direct faculty engagement with learners.
27 instructional faculty across 3 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
| Rank | Faculty Count | Share | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Professors | 1 | 4% | $83,734 |
| Associate Professors | 5 | 19% | $77,407 |
| Assistant Professors | 21 | 78% | $62,674 |
Strength: The institute offers a unique mission-driven education focused on Native American arts, culture, and heritage with strong instructional investment and minimal tuition costs. Concern: The graduation rate of 15% is notably low for a four-year institution, suggesting significant barriers to degree completion that prospective students should carefully consider.
Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.
Here are answers to common questions about the Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development.
One federal dataset, 3,811 colleges. The median school costs $16,296 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,280 students. The shape of US higher ed.
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
For-profit colleges post the highest median net price of any sector and the lowest graduate earnings. They cost more than private nonprofits and pay less than publics.
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