About Prep

An independent college prep school in Albuquerque, New Mexico for grades 6 - 12

Who We Are

At Sandia Preparatory School we provide remarkable opportunities for intellectual and personal growth within a challenging and balanced program for students in grades 6-12. Our innovative college prep curriculum readies students for success in college and beyond, and inspires each to find and achieve his or her purpose in the world.

As an independent school, Sandia Prep is free to let passionate teachers create rich educational experiences that meet each student's individual needs and to offer the academic and co-curricular programs that best serve our students.

Our Mission and Vision

On A Mission

The joy of learning and living is at the center of all we do. Sandia Preparatory School provides remarkable opportunities for intellectual and personal growth within a challenging and balanced program. As an extension of our families, Sandia Prep's diverse community inspires students to find their academic focus, talents, and creativity.

Our Vision

At Sandia Prep, we will inspire our students to discover their purposes in the world by:

Developing essential skills and intellectual potential through challenging academics;
Cultivating a socially responsible environment of innovation and creativity; and
Engaging as a vibrant community for the betterment of society.

Our Five A's

To foster growth toward human as well as academic excellence, Sandia Prep seeks to create balance along our Five A's - Academics, Athletics, Arts, Activities, and the school Atmosphere. Our logo represents our balanced philosophy and program: The Five A's converge to form an integrated whole, reflecting the well-rounded education that Sandia Prep students receive.

Fast Facts

Signature Programs

Engineering and Coding Program
Beginning in middle school and continuing through senior year, students build on a foundation of basic engineering concepts and coding, progressing to mechatronics and more complex strings of code.

Outdoor Leadership Program

Through Sandia Prep’s Outdoor Leadership Program (OLP), your student will experience adventures that allow them to know and appreciate the outdoors while learning problem-solving, teamwork, planning, and leadership skills that will last a lifetime.

Odyssey Scholars Program

This two-year capstone program targets students who desire an in-depth study in a particular academic or artistic area, challenging them academically, intellectually, and creatively.

Entrepreneurial Studies

This senior course develops an entrepreneurial mindset and teaches problem-solving skills essential to a student’s success in life. Students work with local entrepreneurs who present real-world business problems. Working in teams, students devise original concepts for a business and pitch their solutions “Shark Tank”-style to real investors.

The Center for Learning Excellence

Our Center for Learning Excellence offers academic services to meet the individual needs and learning styles of all students. Our philosophy is that all attending students should be afforded opportunities to succeed academically.

Making Kindness Cool

Community is one of Sandia Prep’s greatest strengths. We welcome students with diverse learning needs and understand the complexity and mutual benefit of being a truly inclusive school. Our culture of kindness is integral to who we are and what we do, every single day.

Robust Visual and Performing Arts Program

We offer an abundance of performing and visual arts at every grade level, including a comprehensive middle school theater program. From Dance to Jazz Band and Clay to Photography, we encourage students to nourish their creativity and to appreciate their own and others’ creations.

No-Cut Athletics

Under our “no-cut” philosophy, if a student attends practices, that student will play on a team. Our inclusive program is led by a renowned coaching staff that produces state champions - 56 titles and counting!

Advanced Curriculum

At the Upper School level, courses are advanced and considered equally rigorous to AP courses, with many comparable to introductory college classes. We prize our independence too highly to ask our teachers to use a curriculum based on standardized tests. Because of this, we are able to offer a wide variety of advanced classes that allow for intense, in-depth study. How we are preparing students for college and the job market.

Individualized College Counseling

Our College Counseling Department works one-on-one with students and their families beginning in the ninth grade.
We help your student find and be admitted to the best colleges and universities suited to his/her goals.
We help your student secure financial aid and scholarships for college.
After graduation, your graduate can count on Sandia Prep's assistance through college, graduate school, and career.

The Prep Community

"Sandia Prep provided me a community within a school, a place where I have always felt safe. Within this community, there are many teachers who have taught me more than what is in the lesson plan. Teachers at Prep, like Ms. Moses, Ms. Shaw, and Ms. Goessl, went the extra mile to make sure their students were not only prepared for a test, but also equipped for life." - Julia ’19

Not just a campus, but a community: Our mission emphasizes the importance of parental involvement. At Prep, parental involvement is not only welcomed, it is encouraged. We are one SPS "family" - students, parents, and faculty focused on one goal: each student's success.

Accreditation and Membership

National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)
Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS)
Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools (Founding Member)
Council for Advancement and Support of Education
Independent Curriculum Group (Founding Member)
National Association for College Admission Counseling
New Mexico Association of Non-Public Schools

Non-discriminatory Policy: Sandia Preparatory School shall admit students of any race, color, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, financial aid and loan programs, and other school-administered programs.