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.
Campus Visits, Online Info Session, and Fall 2027 Admission
We’d love to show you around and share what makes Albuquerque Academy so special at one of our Tuesday Tours! They begin at 8:15 a.m. on the Path in front of Simms Library. View a campus map.
TUESDAYS June 16 | June 30 | July 7 | July 14 |Â Register now!
Are you interested in learning about the Academy’s admission process, including our tuition assistance program? Join us online for a summer admission information session on Thursday, July 16, at noon. Sign up here.
Our application for the 2027-28 school year opens September 1. Complete our interest form by August 1, and we will send you a code for a $25 discount on the $65 application fee before our application opens.
Fall 2026 Admission
Our regular 2026-27 admission season has ended, and enrollment for the upcoming school year is full at all grade levels. Families may still complete an off-cycle application for their child to be included on our wait list for Fall 2026. If a seat becomes available and your child is admissible, we may be able to offer admission.
Please complete your child’s application as soon as possible in the event a seat becomes available. The admission committee will not render a decision on an incomplete application.
Affording the Academy
Tuition for the 2026-27 school year is $30,118, which covers the academic experience, lunch, and most extracurricular activities, sports, and clubs. 25 percent of our student body receives tuition assistance in grants ranging from $200 to the full tuition. Any family may apply for need-based assistance; however, all tuition assistance has been awarded for the 2026-27 school year at this time. Off-cycle candidates should not expect to receive any tuition assistance. Learn more about tuition assistance.
Off-Cycle Applicant 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: complete the parent/guardian questionnaire, upload a photo of your child, and pay the application fee. 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 an interview for your child.
- Schedule an online admission test.
- Release school transcripts from two years prior, plus the current year.
- Request teacher recommendations from current math and English teachers.
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
July 2026
- 7 – Off-cycle applications due
BUS SERVICE
Charger families—both current and new—have the option of using a convenient bus service with stops in the downtown area and 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
MORNING SERVICE
The Red Bus/downtown arrives at school at 8 a.m.Â
- Explora, 1701 Mountain Road NW, pickup at 7:10 a.m.
- Hyder Park, 700 Pershing SE, pickup at 7:35 a.m.
The Black Bus/westside arrives at school at 8 a.m.
- Dick’s Sporting Goods, 3550 NM-528, pickup at 7:15 a.m.
- Hartnett Park, Los Ranchos, pickup at 7:40 a.m.
The Manzano Bus arrives at school at 7:25 a.m.
- Manzano Day School, 1801 Central NE, pickup at 6:50 a.m.
AFTERNOON SERVICE
The Afternoon Bus leaves school at 3:45 p.m.
- Dick’s Sporting Goods drop-off at 4:10 p.m.
- Harnett Park drop-off at 4:30 p.m.
- Hyder Park drop-off at 4:55 p.m.
- Explora drop-off at 5:20 p.m.
The Manzano Bus leaves school at 4:30 p.m.
- Manzano Day School drop-off at 5 p.m.
For questions about bus service, including inquiries about spaces for the 2025-26 school year, please call (505) 828-3236 or email us.
Fees
- Roundtrip: $800 per semester ($1,600 per academic year) per student
- Mornings or afternoons 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.
Register here for the 2026-27 school year.Â
To inquire about spaces for the 2025-26 school year, please call (505) 828-3236 or email us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Students taking the red bus or black bus are transported in two school-owned and -operated, 14-passenger vehicles. Those riding through the Manzano Day School partnership will take a 72-passenger school bus.
If demand 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.
Red and black buses are driven by Academy faculty/staff who have completed driver 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.
The Manzano bus is driven by a retired city bus driver with a Certified Class B commercial driver’s license and more than 30 years of experience.
Each seat has an individual seat belt that students must wear. Oversized belongings can be stored overhead or in the rear of the red and black buses. A bus monitor provides additional supervision on the Manzano bus.
Drivers must have a safe driving record and complete driver’s training. Red and black bus drivers are not required to have a commercial driver’s license. The Manzano bus driver has a Certified Class B commercial driver’s license.
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.
Red and black buses wait at each stop for approximately 10 minutes, depending on traffic.
Red and black buses 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.
Students waiting for parents at Manzano Day School will be signed in to their aftercare program for an additional cost.
Red and black buses 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 consult school attendance records so they are aware of absences.
When there is no school at Manzano Day School but Albuquerque Academy has classes, the Academy will use alternate school vehicles to pick up/drop off students at the Manzano stop.
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 must be paid at the time of registration.
Families have until April 15, 2026, to cancel their bus service contracts.
