ADMISSION
Academy in Motion
We can’t wait to meet you!
Every day, Albuquerque Academy students are discovering new interests, pursuing their passions, and contributing to our community. And every year, we’re looking for more students who are naturally curious and passionate about learning to join us.
Applications for Fall 2026 will open on September 1. Meanwhile, we invite you to complete the admission interest form so that you receive a reminder when the application opens, as well as a discount on your application fee.
Our regular application cycle has closed for the 2025-26 school year, but you may submit an off-cycle application for limited spaces using the button below.
If you have any questions, please call the admission office at (505) 828-3208 or send us an email.
Early Decision and Regular Decision
Early decision is intended for students who have identified the Academy as their first-choice school. We invite students applying to 6th grade, siblings of current Academy students, and siblings of students applying to 6th grade to apply by November 14 so they receive their decision on December 12. All other applications will follow the regular decision schedule below.
Student Visits and Campus Tours
See Albuquerque Academy this summer when you sign up for a Tuesday Tour. Our admission team will host brief campus tours most Tuesdays in June and July. Sign up here.
Your child can find out what it’s like to be a Charger when you start an application and sign up for a Buddy Day, which begin in September. Our student visit program pairs your child with a student ambassador for a half day. They’ll attend a class or two, tour the campus, have lunch, and more. Buddy Day is optional but strongly encouraged, and attending Buddy Day satisfies our interview requirement.
Affording the Academy
Tuition for the 2025-26 school year is $29,163, which covers the academic experience, lunch, and most extracurricular activities, sports, and clubs. Any family may apply for need-based assistance. Nearly 25 percent of our student body receives tuition assistance in grants ranging from $200 to the full tuition. Learn more about tuition assistance.
Application Checklist
Your ChargerHub admission portal gives you access to everything you need to complete your child’s application. Set up your ChargerHub account, then start with the first three steps on your application checklist: pay the application fee, complete the parent/guardian questionnaire, and upload a photo of your child. Then, continue working through the checklist at your own pace.
- Complete the parent/guardian questionnaire.
- Upload a photo of your child.
- Pay the application fee.
- Schedule a Buddy Day visit (strongly encouraged) or interview.
- Release school transcripts from two years prior plus the current year.
- Request teacher recommendations from current math and English teachers.
- Schedule admission testing (in person or online at home).
Important Dates for the 2026-27 Admission Season
September 2025
- 1 – Admission & tuition assistance applications open
- 8 – Buddy Days visits begin
- 28 – Admission open house
- 30 – Tuition assistance webinars begin
October 2025
- 21 – Admission testing begins
November 2025
- 14 – Early decision admission & tuition assistance applications due
December 2025
- 12 – Early decision admission & tuition assistance decision notification
- 19 – Early decision enrollment contracts due
February 2026
- 5 – Regular decision admission & tuition assistance applications due
March 2026
- 13 – Regular decision admission & tuition assistance decision notification
- 20 – Regular decision enrollment contracts due
NEW for Fall 2025: BUS SERVICE
Starting in the 2025-26 school year, Charger families—both current and new—will have the option of using a convenient bus service.
The red bus will make stops in the downtown area, and the black bus will make stops on the westside.
Spots are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please note that the Academy reserves the right to finalize details based on demand.
Bus Service Details
The Red Bus/downtown will arrive at school at 8 a.m. and depart at 4 p.m.
Stop at Explora, 1701 Mountain Road NW
- Pickup at 7:10 a.m.
- Drop-off at 5:05 p.m.
Stop at Hyder Park at 700 Pershing SE
- Pickup at 7:35 a.m.
- Drop-off at 4:40 p.m.
The Black Bus/westside will arrive at school at 8 a.m. and depart at 4 p.m.
Stop at Dick’s Sporting Goods in the North Valley, 3550 NM-528
- Pickup at 7:15 a.m.
- Drop-off at 5 p.m.
Stop at Hartnett Park, Los Ranchos
- Pickup at 7:40 a.m.
- Drop-off at 4:35 p.m.
For questions about bus service, please call (505) 828-3236 or email us.
Fees
- Roundtrip: $800 per semester ($1,600 per academic year) per student
- Mornings only: $500 per semester ($1,000 per academic year) per student
Fees must be paid in full at the time of registration using VCPay.
For billing questions, please email us.
Registration for the Academy’s new bus service, beginning in August 2025, will be open to parents beginning Monday, March 10. Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Click here to register.
Frequently Asked Questions
Students will be transported in two school-owned and -operated, 14-passenger vehicles.
If demand during the March 10-17 signup window exceeds expectations, the Academy may consider adding an additional bus, stops, or routes.
If reservations for bus service offerings are too low to be financially sensible, bus service options may be reduced or eliminated prior to the start of the school year.
All buses will be driven by Academy faculty/staff who have completed drivers training and have a safe driving record. A commercial driver’s license is not required to drive the buses. Like all Academy employees, drivers have passed a background check.
Each seat has an individual seat belt that students must wear. Oversized belongings can be stored overhead or in the rear of the bus, depending on which vehicle is used for the route. Drivers must have a safe driving record and complete drivers training; they are not required to have a commercial driver’s license to drive these vehicles.
Buses will wait at each stop for approximately 10 minutes, depending on traffic. If your child misses the bus because they are not at the stop by the time the bus must continue on its scheduled route, you are responsible for getting them to campus.
Buses will wait at each stop for approximately 10 minutes, depending on traffic. If you or another designated adult are not at the stop by the time the bus must continue on its scheduled route, your child will be returned to campus, and you will need to pick them up there.
Buses will wait at each stop, mornings and afternoons, for up to ten minutes, depending on traffic. The window may fluctuate to help buses stay on schedule. We recommend parents be at their stop at least five minutes before the close of their designated pickup/drop-off window. Once a student has boarded the bus in the morning, parents may leave. Students will not be permitted to leave the bus in the afternoon until their parent or other designated adult arrives.
Bus drivers will consult school attendance records so they’ll be aware of planned absences. In the case of illness or other unplanned absences, we do ask that parents contact their driver to let them know their child will not be taking the bus. Families will be given drivers’ contact information, and drivers will be provided with contact information for families and any adults approved for pickup.
For now, tuition assistance is not available for bus service fees. The Academy will consider the possibility for future school years.
The bus service fee will be added to your student’s incidental invoice and is due July 30, 2025.
Families have until May 1, 2025, to cancel their bus service contracts without incurring fees. Following this date, bus service fees will be applied to your billing account.