City: Albuquerque, NM

Category: Relocation

Telephone: (505) 338-3000

Address: 532 Osuna Road NE

Description: Sandia Prep’s college preparatory education for grades 6 to 12 emphasizes a balance of “the Five A’s: academics, arts, athletics, school activities and the atmosphere in which these events occur.” Established in 1966 as a girls’ school, Sandia Prep became coed in 1973. It offers strong college prep programs in English, creative writing, journalism, math, laboratory science, history, Spanish and French, and computer technology. A student population of 625 enjoys an average class size of 16 and a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1. Many of the faculty have taught here for over 20 years, and each student is allocated a faculty member as a special advisor on academic or other issues. The school has a 30-acre campus, and in 2009 a new $5 million, 23,000-square-foot Performing Arts Center was completed, with new classrooms and a new admission center. Participation in sports is encouraged, and the school has a “no cut” approach to athletics: Any student wishing to play on a school team may do so. Twenty-three percent of students benefit from financial aid, with total aid of $1,169,900 awarded in the 2009–10 academic year. The school has an endowment of $3,550,000 and was profiled in Newsweek’s 2005 review of “America’s Best High Schools.”