Albuquerque School of Excellence

What Albuquerque School of Excellence does

Albuquerque School of Excellence (ASE) is a nonprofit public charter school operating under a charter granted by the New Mexico Public Education Department. Founded in 2010, ASE delivers tuition-free K-12 college-preparatory education with a curriculum anchored in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics), supplemented by AP courses, a Dual Credit program that enables students to graduate with college credits (and in some cases an associate degree), and a R.I.S.E. character education program (Respect, Integrity, Service, Empathy). The school serves families in the Albuquerque metro via a lottery-based year-round enrollment process and reports measurable academic outperformance — 2.2x state-average math proficiency and 1.6x state-average reading and science proficiency in 2024-2025.

ASE's operating footprint currently consists of an East Campus serving K-12 students, with a new West Campus for K-8 students opening in Fall 2026. Its technology stack is built on commodity K-12 infrastructure rather than proprietary systems: PowerSchool is the student information system and enrollment platform, and Clever provides single sign-on access to integrated educational applications. Student-facing and family-facing content is produced through The Phoenix Times (a student-run newspaper, broadcasting program, and annual magazine) and the Friday Phoenix weekly family newsletter.

The school's revenue model is a per-pupil public funding stream from the New Mexico Public Education Department, typical of U.S. charter schools. There are no tuition or fees charged to families. ASE supplements this base with grants, donations, and community fundraising (e.g., Raising Cane's PTO fundraiser, yearbook sales). The school has received federal recognition as a 2022 National Blue Ribbon School and a 2023 National ESEA Distinguished School, and is governed by a seven-member volunteer Governing Council. There is no indication of venture capital, private equity, or parent-company ownership; ASE operates as an independent nonprofit educational institution.

Name

Albuquerque School of Excellence

Legal name

Albuquerque School of Excellence

Website

https://abqse.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Albuquerque School of Excellence is a nonprofit, tuition-free public charter school serving K-12 students in Albuquerque, NM, with a STEAM-focused college-preparatory curriculum and per-pupil funding from the New Mexico Public Education Department.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Charter School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public K–12 Combined Schools (EDAJAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Accelerated Learning & Grade Advancement Programs (EDAJAGAE), Arts Education Instruction (Visual/Performing) (EDAJAFAK)

Keywords

• K-12 charter school
• STEAM education
• College preparatory
• Tuition-free public school
• Dual credit program

Headquarters

HQ city

Albuquerque

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public Education Funding: As a public charter school authorized by the New Mexico Public Education Department, ASE receives per-pupil state funding based on enrollment. This is a per-student allocation model typical of charter schools.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Albuquerque School of Excellence is a tuition-free, public charter school serving grades K-12, providing college-preparatory education with a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) focus. The school operates an East Campus (K-12) and is expanding with a West Campus (K-8) opening Fall 2026, supplementing its core curriculum with AP courses, Dual Credit programs, and a character education program (R.I.S.E.).

Product overview

Albuquerque School of Excellence is a tuition-free college-preparatory charter school offering a comprehensive K-12 educational program with a strong focus on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics). The school operates two campuses (East Campus K-12 and West Campus K-8 opening Fall 2026). Its core educational program is supplemented by specialized offerings including AP courses and Dual Credit programs for college preparation, the R.I.S.E. Character Education Program for values development, and STEAM-focused curricula. The school also supports student media through The Phoenix Times (newspaper and broadcasting program) and maintains family communication via the Friday Phoenix weekly newsletter. Students can access school systems through Clever SSO and PowerSchool SIS integrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• K-12 College-Preparatory Educational Program Tuition-free K-12 college-preparatory education with a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics) focus, operated through an East Campus (K-12) and a forthcoming West Campus (K-8) for families in the Albuquerque area.
• Advanced Placement (AP) Courses College-level courses offered to high school students at ASE as part of the college preparation program, enabling students to earn college credit while completing high school.
• Dual Credit Program Partnership with higher education institutions enabling ASE students to earn both high school and college credits simultaneously, with some students graduating with an associate degree.
• R.I.S.E. Character Education Program Character education program at ASE built on values of Respect, Integrity, Service, and Empathy, designed to foster a safer and kinder campus environment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students performed 2.2X higher than state average proficiency in math
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• STARBASE NMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTARBASE at AFRL partners with ASE to offer summer camp programs for students. Rising 5th-9th graders can participate in STARBASE Camp and STARBASE Advanced Camp, providing hands-on STEM education opportunities. ASE students receive priority registration for these programs.
• ExploracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExplora partners with ASE to host annual Family Science Nights including Sandia Family Science Night and Explora Family Science Night. Explora provides hands-on STEAM activities and student engagement for these community science events.
• PowerSchoolcoreTechnology or IntegrationPowerSchool provides the student information system and enrollment platform used by ASE. Students and parents access grades, attendance, and enrollment through abqse.powerschool.com.
• ClevercoreTechnology or IntegrationClever provides single sign-on integration for educational applications at ASE, allowing students to access various digital learning tools through a unified authentication platform.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• BASIS Charter Schools: BASIS is a national network of STEM-focused, college-preparatory charter schools. It is the closest analog to ASE in combining rigorous academics with STEM emphasis in a tuition-free public charter setting.
• Albuquerque Institute for Mathematics & Science (AIMS): AIMS is a STEM-focused public charter high school located in Albuquerque. It competes directly with ASE for the same college-prep-oriented student families in the same local market.

Broad incumbents

• KIPP Schools: KIPP is one of the largest U.S. charter school networks with a college-preparatory mission. While broader in scope than ASE, it is comparable as a tuition-free public charter serving K-12 with a focus on academic outcomes for underserved students.
• National Heritage Academies: NHA is a charter management organization operating tuition-free public charter schools nationwide. Comparable to ASE in operating model (public charter, per-pupil funded) and K-12 service, though much larger in scale.
• Success Academy Charter Schools: Success Academy is a high-performing NYC-based charter school network known for exceptional standardized-test outcomes. It is comparable to ASE in mission (college prep, outcomes-driven) and public-charter funding model.
• IDEA Public Schools: IDEA is a large Texas-based public charter network focused on college preparation for underserved students. Comparable in mission, funding structure, and emphasis on academic rigor, though it operates at significantly greater scale.
• Uncommon Schools: Uncommon Schools is a multi-state charter management organization operating college-preparatory public charter schools. Comparable in tuition-free public charter model and college-readiness mission, though with a stronger Northeast geographic footprint.
• Charter Schools USA: Charter Schools USA is one of the largest charter management organizations in the U.S. It is comparable to ASE as a tuition-free public charter operator with academic-performance accountability, though serving many more students across multiple states.

Regional players

• Cottonwood Classical Preparatory School: Cottonwood Classical is a college-prep public charter school based in Albuquerque. It is a direct regional competitor to ASE for the same K-12 college-prep-oriented families in the Albuquerque market.

Emerging players

• RePublic Schools: RePublic Schools is a charter management organization operating public charter schools across the U.S. Southeast. Comparable in operating model and college-prep mission but at a smaller scale than national incumbents like KIPP or IDEA.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ABQ_SE
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCFrXMYSJaLfPA0LWy-0HrDA
• Facebookfacebook.com/AlbuquerqueSchoolofexcellenceeast
• Instagraminstagram.com/abqschoolofexcellence

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Albuquerque School of Excellence