Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development

Public · Moderately Selective · NM

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationNM · West

SettingRural

Undergrads334

Student:faculty9:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate5.6%

6-yr grad rate14.6%

Drop-out rate29.7%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$6k

Out-of-state tuition$6k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity89.8%

Gender diversity65.6%

International0%

Identity—

Overview

The Institute of American Indian Arts is a congressionally chartered college in Santa Fe, New Mexico, dedicated specifically to contemporary Native American and Alaska Native arts — the only institution of its kind in the country. It serves a student body drawn from tribal nations across the United States and beyond, and its mission ties artistic training directly to cultural continuity and contemporary Native identity rather than treating Native art as a historical subject.

Academics

Studio arts — including painting, sculpture, and digital media — along with creative writing and museum studies form the core of the curriculum. The museum studies program benefits from a direct connection to the college's own Museum of Contemporary Native Arts in downtown Santa Fe, giving students hands-on curation and exhibition experience alongside their studio work.

Campus & student life

The Santa Fe campus is small and close to the city's long-established arts and gallery scene, and the community is unusually intergenerational and tribally diverse for its size, with students often connecting through shared Native identity even when their specific tribal backgrounds differ widely.

Worth knowing

IAIA's low cost and its standing as a Native-serving institution with a strong financial aid tradition make it a distinctive option for Native students pursuing an arts degree without leaving a culturally connected environment.

iaia.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate97.5%

Enrolled mid-50%—

Test policyoptional

Rec letters—

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying