Public · Community college
Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute
Albuquerque, New Mexico · Large suburb
- 12%
- Transfer rate
- $5,181
- Avg net price
- 14%
- Grad / completion
- $27,660
- Median earnings
Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute is a public associate-granting institution in Albuquerque, New Mexico (large suburb setting), enrolling 215 undergraduates. It is a Tribal college. Admission is open to all applicants.
About Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. By the 1500s, there were around 20 Tiwa pueblos along a 60-mile (97 km) stretch of river from present-day Algodones to the Rio Puerco confluence south of Belen. Of these, 12 or 13 were densely clustered near present-day Bernalillo, and the remainder were spread out to the south. Albuquerque hosts the International Balloon Fiesta, the world's largest gathering of hot-air balloons, taking place every October at Balloon Fiesta Park, with its 47-acre launch field. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Large suburb
- Highest degree offered
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- 6 miles to Albuquerque, NM
- To the ocean
- 462 miles
- Nearest airport
- 10 miles to Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) · major hub
How Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute compares
Higher than 2% · #27 of 29 in New Mexico
Higher than 21%
Higher than 25% · #23 of 24 in New Mexico
Cheaper than 90% · #9 cheapest of 30 in New Mexico
Lower than 89%
Larger than 46%
Percentiles compare Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in New Mexico.
Student body
Undergraduates by gender
- Women11252%
- Men10348%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- Other or multiracial100%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 215
- Student–faculty ratio
- 8 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 48%
- First-generation students
- 44%
- Students over 25
- 43%
- Median family income
- $12,918
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $64,647
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $1,095
- Room & board
- $675
- Books & supplies
- $1,545
- Total cost of attendance
- $12,125
- Average net price
- $5,181
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated
- 14%
- First-year retention
- 59%
- Transferred to another college
- 12%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $22,307
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $27,660
- Median debt at graduation
- —
- Students with federal loans
- 0%
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- Yes
- Dorm capacity
- 109
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 51%
- Application fee
- Free
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Modest institutional aid: 100% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $1,018. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 47 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $27,660
- Typical debt at graduation
- —
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- —
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 25%
The payoff is less clear-cut here — weigh the debt against the earnings and your intended field before borrowing heavily.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $5,899 (23%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 95°F
- Winter low
- 21°F
- Annual rain
- 9.8″
- Annual snow
- 7.7″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Rio Grande Nature Ctr, NM US station (3.3 mi from campus).
What Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute side by side →
Luna Community College
Las Vegas, New Mexico · Fringe rural · 87 mi to Albuquerque
- Students
- 423
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $32k
Sitting Bull College
Fort Yates, North Dakota · Remote rural · 50 mi to Bismarck
- Students
- 257
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 14%
- Earnings
- $28k
Mesalands Community College
Tucumcari, New Mexico · Remote town · 108 mi to Amarillo
- Students
- 411
- Tuition
- $2k
- Transfer
- 11%
- Earnings
- $32k
Instituto Tecnologico de Puerto Rico-Recinto de Guayama
Guayama, Puerto Rico · Small city · 34 mi to San Juan
- Students
- 216
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $26k
Roanoke-Chowan Community College
Ahoskie, North Carolina · Fringe rural · 55 mi to Norfolk
- Students
- 309
- Tuition
- $3k
- Transfer
- 21%
- Earnings
- $29k
Navajo Technical University
Crownpoint, New Mexico · Remote rural · 94 mi to Albuquerque
- Students
- 1,124
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $26k
Colleges near Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute
Urban Academy of Beauty
Rio Rancho, NM · Private for-profit · Certificate · 0 students
Carrington College-Albuquerque
Albuquerque, NM · Private for-profit · Certificate · 357 students
Aveda Institute-New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM · Private for-profit · Certificate · 161 students
Brookline College-Albuquerque
Albuquerque, NM · Private for-profit · Bachelor's · 542 students
Pima Medical Institute-Albuquerque
Albuquerque, NM · Private for-profit · Certificate · 562 students
A Better U Beauty Barber Academy
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University of New Mexico-Main Campus
Albuquerque, NM · Public · Bachelor's · 17,244 students
Central New Mexico Community College
Albuquerque, NM · Public · Certificate · 15,203 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.












