Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development
Santa Fe, New Mexico · Public · 97.5% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 18/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) is a federally-chartered tribal college and arts conservatory in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and its ROI score of 18 (Below Benchmark tier) reflects the structural realities of pursuing fine art at any institution - not unique failure of IAIA. Tuition is genuinely affordable at $5,920 thanks to federal and tribal subsidies, with average net price $12,570 (~$50,280 over four years). The challenge is the earnings curve for fine arts graduates: average earnings six years after entry are just $17,800, climbing to a median of only $24,505 by year ten - below typical earnings for high-school-only workers. That weak earnings curve produces a -0.21 earnings premium and a 999-year payback period (a placeholder meaning earnings never recoup investment in standard models). Median debt is not reported, suggesting most students avoid taking on debt, and our debt measure gives it a neutral middle score of 50. Completion is 15%. IAIA's value proposition is cultural preservation, indigenous artistic development, and the unique Santa Fe arts ecosystem - evaluate on those terms, not standard ROI.
How Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score18/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate14.6% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
- Payback period>50 years - In our estimate, the earnings premium over a high school completer is small next to the cost, so the cost may not be recouped within a working career.
Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $5,920/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $5,920/yr |
| Average net price | $12,570/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $50,280 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $24,505 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $17,800 |
| Median debt at graduation | N/A |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | N/A |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 14.6% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 334 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $5,920/year, which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $12,570/year, or roughly $50,280 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $10,974/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay N/A/year.
The Department of Education does not report a median debt figure for this school, usually because too few students borrow federal loans for the figure to be published. Our ROI score gives this measure a neutral middle value rather than treating it as zero debt.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $10,974 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $11,718 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $12,454 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $21,413 |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $10,974 net, the lowest tier. With Pell, BIA tribal aid, and IAIA institutional grants, four-year cost runs about $44,000. Manageable, especially since many students appear to avoid loans entirely (median debt is not reported). However, even at low debt, post-graduation earnings of $24,000-$28,000 do not provide a wage premium versus high school alone in northern New Mexico.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays $11,718 and $48,001-$75,000 pays $12,454. Across the middle range, four-year cost is roughly $47,000-$50,000. The earnings ceiling means this is a financial bet only justified by the unique cultural and artistic value proposition, not by economic ROI. Students from this income tier should think carefully about long-term plans.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The $75,001-$110,000 bracket jumps to $21,413 - a notable bracket inversion where the price nearly doubles between middle-and-upper-middle income. The $110,001-plus bracket has no reported data, likely because few high-income students attend. Higher-income families paying $85,000+ over four years are almost certainly choosing IAIA for the unique mission and Santa Fe experience rather than economic optimization.
Earnings by Major
Top 1 most popular majors at Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Fine and Studio Arts | $31,541 | - |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Fine and Studio Arts
Fine and Studio Arts is essentially the entire institution - 18 graduates per cohort produce a $29,835 first-year and $31,541 four-year median, with debt and ROI grade not reported. The earnings ceiling is structural: fine arts wages are compressed nationwide, and the careers IAIA prepares students for (gallery artists, museum curators, cultural educators, indigenous arts entrepreneurs) often combine multiple income streams that the IRS earnings data may underrepresent. Graduates targeting commercial illustration, design, or media-adjacent paths see materially better income trajectories.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | N/A | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | N/A | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 31.5% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | N/A | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 97.5% |
| Enrollment | 334 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 22.5% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,818 |
IAIA admits 97% of applicants and reports no SAT or ACT mid-ranges, consistent with its open-admission tribal-college mission and portfolio-based arts evaluation. The 15% completion rate is exceptionally low and reflects a mix of part-time enrollment, transfer to other institutions, and students who come for the arts immersion experience without prioritizing the credential. Selectivity is essentially non-applicable; the relevant question is whether a prospective student plans to actually finish a degree.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development (this school) | 18 | $12,570 | $24,505 |
| New Mexico Highlands University | 39 | $14,838 | $45,937 |
| Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus | 34 | $4,904 | $38,550 |
| Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music | 32 | $7,260 | $19,474 |
| Escuela de Artes Plasticas y Diseno de Puerto Rico | 21 | $5,669 | $21,790 |
| Salish Kootenai College | 18 | $7,945 | $32,725 |
Who Thrives Here
With just 334 students and a 23% Pell rate, IAIA is small, intimate, and highly specialized. The fit profile is narrow: Native and Alaska Native artists pursuing cultural and artistic development within an indigenous-centered curriculum, plus a smaller cohort of non-Native arts students drawn to the unique Santa Fe arts ecosystem. Standard ROI metrics will look weak; the value here is cultural preservation, artistic mentorship, and entry into Native arts markets and museum/gallery networks.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development scores 18/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $12,570 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $24,505 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 14.6% graduation rate, a long payback period.
Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development: Common Questions
Is Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development scores 18/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $12,570 a year after aid against $24,505 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $12,570 a year, or roughly $50,280 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $24,505 ten years after enrolling, at or below the $41,800 median for high-school graduates (NCES, 2022). With little earnings gap to cover the cost, the financial return is hard to make.
How long does it take to pay off Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at more than 50 years for Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
What is the graduation rate at Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development?
The six-year graduation rate is 14.6%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.