The academy was the fortunate recipient of a transformational donation of land in the early sixties and chose to use this gift to ensure economic accessibility to students living throughout the city of albuquerque and the region. Today the academy offers students an education that is without equal in the southwest. Students from AREA schools are served by teachers who deliver their subject matter in creative and engaging ways. Students in the 6/7 division follow a NON-traditional schedule that allows adaptability in an ever-changing world. Students in the 8/9 division are given their own campus space and their own accountability to help them grow into confident young adults. For the 10/12 division, coursework involves increasingly philosophical and analytical thought. Academy students serve the community to which they belong, compete in a variety of competitive sports and participate in a variety of academic clubs and student organizations. Most academy students attend four-year colleges and universities UPON graduation, many of them enrolling at some of the BEST universities in the country. Admission to the academy is competitive; approximately 73% of those who applied for enrollment for the 2022/23 school year were offered admission. For the 2022/23 school year, the student BODY consisted of 48% BOYS and 52% girls, 56% are students of color, and approximately 24% received approximately $4.6 million in financial assistance. Financial assistance is based on demonstrated financial need; only after students are admitted and their needs are assessed might financial assistance be offered.