Public Associate Fair 49/100

Santa Fe Community College

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Santa Fe, New Mexico

About Santa Fe Community College

Thinking about Santa Fe Community College, a college in New Mexico where more students graduate in Health 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.

Santa Fe Community College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It enrolls 3,369 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
Open
Graduation
23.3%
Net Price
$11,067
Median Earnings (10yr)
$38,005
Enrollment
3,369
Student : Faculty
11:1

Accreditor Higher Learning Commission
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (2-Year), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Fair
49/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes 14
Value 47
Affordability 29
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

As a two-year college, Santa Fe Community College admits essentially everyone who qualifies, so plan around cost and completion instead of your odds of getting in.

Acceptance Rate
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $11,067 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

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.

Average Net Price
$11,067
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
17%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
1%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$1,851
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$4,131
Room & Board (off-campus)
$19,170
Books & Supplies
$1,235
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$5,835
Total Cost of Attendance
$18,405

Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $10,145
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $11,255
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $13,688

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$2,000
10% percentile
$4,189
25% percentile
$13,236
Median percentile
$19,813
75% percentile
$34,615
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $10,250 ↓ $2,986
No Pell $9,419 ↓ $3,817
Dependent students $5,500 ↓ $7,736
Independent students $11,261 ↓ $1,975
Female students $9,604 ↓ $3,632
Male students $9,500 ↓ $3,736
Pell recipients: 18.5% (2,443 students)No Pell: 17.0% (2,245 students)Dependent students: 9.9% (1,311 students)Independent students: 20.3% (2,684 students)Female students: 17.3% (2,289 students)Male students: 17.1% (2,264 students)Overall Median$13,236
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $9,500, close to what completers borrow ($13,236) but without the degree to show for it.

Graduation Rate & Retention

23% of students who start here finish within six years, and 57% come back after first year. Most students who start here do not finish. That is the single most important number on this page. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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.

6-Year Graduation Rate
23%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
57%
Returning for their second year
What this means: Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $38,005 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$38,005
Earning > $25K
62%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$31,000$33,000$35,000$37,000$39,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$34,600

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$35,700

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 24.1 pts across 6 years
51.3%1yr60.4%3yr68.7%5yr75.5%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 75% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 3,369 students, a mid-sized community. Worth knowing: 51% are the first in their family to go to college, and 80% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.

Total Enrolled
3,369
Part-Time
80%
First-Generation
51%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
Hispanic 54.8% 1,845
White 29.0% 978
Other 7.6% 255
International 4.6% 155
Asian 1.6% 55
Black 1.3% 42
Hispanic: 54.8% (1,845 students)White: 29.0% (978 students)Other: 7.6% (255 students)International: 4.6% (155 students)Asian: 1.6% (55 students)Black: 1.3% (42 students)Total3,369

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Santa Fe Community College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Rural: Fringe Santa Fe, New Mexico
Housing
Commuter campus No on-campus housing
Adult Learners
47% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure
Designation
Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Business graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Santa Fe Community College offers an extensive catalog of programs: 47 distinct programs across 20 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.

13 Programs
3 Programs
6 Programs
2 Programs
2 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 11 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
11:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$5,012
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$12M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$64,805
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

65 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 3 5% $68,655
Associate Professors 7 11% $67,340
Assistant Professors 55 85% $64,273

Pros & Cons of Santa Fe Community College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Santa Fe Community College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

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.

PROS
  • Below-average net price
  • Open admissions
  • Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
  • First-gen-friendly student body
  • Flexible part-time enrollment options
CONS
  • Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
  • First-year retention is below typical
  • Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
  • Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
  • Mostly part-time student body, less full-time campus feel
Best for: Based on the data, Santa Fe Community College is a fit for students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; working adults or students needing part-time study options.

Frequently Asked Questions about Santa Fe Community College

The questions families ask most about Santa Fe Community College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Santa Fe Community College hard to get into?
Not especially. Santa Fe Community College admits most qualified applicants, and reports no competitive acceptance rate. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Santa Fe Community College?
No acceptance rate is reported, which for a college like this normally means admission is open to anyone meeting the basic requirements. Confirm with the admissions office rather than assuming it.
How much does Santa Fe Community College cost?
Budget around $11,067 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Santa Fe Community College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $38,005 a year against a net price of $11,067, about 3.4 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Santa Fe Community College known for?
Mostly Practical Nursing, Nursing, Accounting. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Santa Fe Community College graduates earn?
About $38,005 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Santa Fe Community College accredited?
Yes. Santa Fe Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Santa Fe Community College?
3,369 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Santa Fe Community College?
23% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Santa Fe Community College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Santa Fe Community College located?
Santa Fe Community College is located in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
What programs does Santa Fe Community College offer?
47 different programs, most commonly Practical Nursing, Nursing, Accounting. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Santa Fe Community College?
11 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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