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.

PublicSmall · 215 undergradsLarge suburbCold winters

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
To the ocean
462 miles
Nearest airport
10 miles to Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) · major hub

How Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute compares

Graduation rate14%

Higher than 2% · #27 of 29 in New Mexico

First-year retention59%

Higher than 21%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$27,660

Higher than 25% · #23 of 24 in New Mexico

Average net price$5,181

Cheaper than 90% · #9 cheapest of 30 in New Mexico

Student–faculty ratio8 : 1

Lower than 89%

Undergraduate enrollment215

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

215undergrads
  • 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.

< $30k
$4,302
$30–48k
$5,900
$48–75k
$7,418
$75–110k
$2,850
$110k+

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.

100%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$1,018
average award, among those who get one

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%
Weigh it value

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.

Women
$25,162
Men
$31,061

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

HighLow
10°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.00.81.6JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Rio Grande Nature Ctr, NM US station (3.3 mi from campus).

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 →

Colleges near Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute

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.