For nearly 70 years, Albuquerque Academy has been the highest-regarded secondary educational institution in the state of New Mexico and in the Southwest, providing exceptional learning experiences for its students and serving as a lodestar for educational opportunity in our region. Albuquerque Academy’s investments in a challenging curriculum, highly qualified faculty and staff, state-of-the-art facilities, and comprehensive student support allow it to provide an unparalleled learning environment that fosters curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, and love for lifelong learning and development – skills and attributes needed to thrive in our ever-increasingly changing world. The Academy’s commitment to both academic excellence and the welfare of its students are reflected in its remarkable outcomes, measured not only by the attendance of Academy alumni at the world’s top universities but also by graduates’ significant contributions in their respective fields and communities.
Why Giving to Albuquerque Academy is Necessary for Our Broader Community
Supporting Albuquerque Academy means investing in the education of our future leaders, scholars, and changemakers. By making a financial contribution to the Academy Fund, you are not only helping individual students but also contributing to the overall strength and vibrancy of our independent school, city, and state. Our school serves as a hub for intellectual and cultural engagement as well as community service that benefits the wider Albuquerque community. Since our founding in 1955, the Academy has been a launchpad of fundamental importance to New Mexico. We prepare our students to enter their next phase of life to become community-minded, lead, and give back. Additionally, the Academy drives economic development by not only serving as one of the city’s larger employers but also by attracting new businesses whose employees seek exceptional educational opportunities for their children. By investing in Albuquerque Academy, you are investing in the educational, cultural, and economic infrastructure of our region, helping to build a brighter future for all. We invite you to join us on this journey as your gift will allow for all students to have access to Albuquerque Academy’s excellence.
The Real Cost of Education at Albuquerque Academy
The annual cost to provide an Academy education for a single student in the 2024-25 school year is roughly $35,000, far more than the $28,000 published tuition. Thus, given the Academy’s strong financial model, every student receives an educational subsidy of at least $7,000 from Albuquerque Academy’s endowment and other philanthropic efforts. Additionally, about 25% of our students receive additional need-based tuition assistance, increasing access to a life-changing education for motivated New Mexico students with demonstrated talent and character.
Albuquerque Academy’s ability to serve as the region’s premier educational institution while still providing affordable access to New Mexico families is predicated on its strong endowment and a tradition of generous philanthropy. Quite simply, each and every Academy student, regardless of when they attended, has received a tremendous gift of financial resources provided by others, enabling our alumni to enter adulthood with the privilege of an exceptional education. This is true even for our students whose families have paid the full amount of tuition charged. In order to perpetuate access to an Academy education, we actively call on alumni, family members, and other supporters of our school’s mission to give as generously as possible so the Academy’s tuition remains at an affordable level.
The Impact of Albuquerque Academy's Endowment
Albuquerque Academy’s solid financial position started with a large and transformative gift from the Simms family in the early 1960s. This was the foundation of the Academy’s endowment, which now stands at about $92.5 million. The Board of Trustees annually sets an endowment distribution rate, which historically has been 5% per year, allowing the remaining amount to be invested responsibly and supply needed funds to Albuquerque Academy students and community in perpetuity. Recently, endowment distributions have provided approximately $5 million toward the school’s about $36 million annual operating expenses.
Like other independent schools, additional and recurring philanthropic giving is required to meet the annual operating needs of the school. This fiscal year, a minimum of $1.5 million is needed from unrestricted fundraising dollars to satisfy the school’s budgetary demands. This means if additional dollars are gifted to the school, less money needs to be distributed from the endowment, leaving valuable funds for future generations. On the other hand, if less money is raised this upcoming year, more will need to be drawn from the endowment, causing future funding shortfalls that would likely need to be made up by higher tuition. Your contribution will help reach our unrestricted fund goals, which drive mission-critical, budget-relieving support.
Fundraising Goal
In the 2024-25 academic year, Albuquerque Academy’s advancement team will be required to raise $1.5 million to meet the school's revenue budget and our goal is to raise a total of $2 million in unrestricted funding, which will allow funds to be reinvested in the school’s endowment. We welcome a conversation to discuss how you can positively impact both the present and the future of Albuquerque Academy.
Questions about supporting Albuquerque Academy? Contact Director of Advancement Joe Weiss at (505) 828-3203 or advancement@aa.edu.