Tribal colleges provide accessible higher education options to the members of American Indian tribes in their region. Native American colleges are often located on, or in close proximity to, the American Indian Reservation they serve. Tribal colleges and universities come in many different forms. Many are community colleges, but some are universities that offer bachelor’s or master’s level programs.
A tribal college might focus on preserving the intellectual traditions of a specific tribe. They are often open to students of all tribal and ethnic backgrounds. Most tribal colleges have an open admissions policy, and are incredibly affordable. And a great number of the schools included in this ranking of the top tribal colleges also have an very low student/faculty ratio. This increases the individual attention students can receive.
Tribal colleges and universities are a great choice for anyone who wants to root their higher education in the values, history, and culture of a specific tribe. For this ranking we evaluated tribal colleges against each other using the factors of:
- tuition
- graduation rate
- student/faculty ratio
Points were assigned based on these factors, and then curved so that the top scoring college had a score of 100 on a 100 point scale.
Author’s Note 1: It’s important to understand that tribal colleges and universities are not a monolith. American Indian culture is a rich and varied spectrum, and each tribal college and university is rooted in the history, intellectual tradition, and values of the tribe it serves.
Author’s Note 2: The author of this ranking article is not a member of any group indigenous to North America. While he made every attempt to respect the names, identity, and preferred terminology of each tribe, it is entirely possible mistakes were made.
#1. Haskell Indian Nations University
Score: 100
Website
Haskell Indian Nations University was founded 114 years ago. It started offering college-level courses in 1970. Haskell offers associate-level programs designed to be easily transferable to a 4-year school. Students will find associate degree programs in:
- liberal arts
- communication studies
- media communication
- social work
- community health
- natural sciences
Students can also earn bachelor’s level degrees in:
- indigenous and American Indian studies
- elementary education
- business administration
- environmental science.
- Tuition: $1,600
- Graduation Rate: 74%
- Student to Faculty Ratio: 21 to 1
#2. Tohono O’odham Community College
Score: 87.30
Website
Tohono O’odham’s primary purpose is to serve the residents of the Tohono O’odham nation. However, the school welcomes anybody of any background who wishes to pursue higher education. Tohono O’odham features associate degrees in:
- life science
- physical science
- studies in indigenous borderlands
- liberal arts
- social work
- Tohono O’odham studies
- early childhood education
- elementary education.
- Tuition: $932
- Graduation Rate: 17%
- Student to Faculty Ratio: 9 to 1
#3. Leech Lake Tribal College
Score: 86.32
Website
Leech Lake Tribal College strives to provide students with quality degree programs that are grounded in Anishinaabe values. Anyone with a high school diploma or GED can enroll in courses thanks to Leech Lake’s open admissions policy. Leech Lake offers associate degrees in:
- Indigenous American Leadership
- liberal arts
- business management
- early childhood education
- integrated residential building
- forest ecology
- earth systems science
- a diploma in residential carpentry.
- Tuition: $4,198
- Graduation Rate: 65%
- Student to Faculty Ratio: 9 to 1
#4. Chief Dull Knife College
Score: 84.73
Website
Chief Dull Knife College is located in Lame Deer, Montana, on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. The college welcomes students of all:
- gender identities
- race
- national or ethnic origins
CDKC offers associate degree programs in the areas of:
- addiction studies
- allied health
- agricultural/animal science
- biology
- business
- chemistry
- Cheyenne studies
- elementary education
- environmental sciences, and more.
- Tuition: $2,260
- Graduation Rate: 44%
- Student to Faculty Ratio: 12 to 1
#5. Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute
Score: 84.11
Website
The Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Students can earn associate-level degrees in:
- culinary arts
- environmental science
- geospatial information technology
- natural resources management
- pre-engineering (designed for transfer into a full 4-year engineering program)
- vision care technology
- accounting
- early childhood education
- business administration
- liberal arts.
- Tuition: $1,095
- Graduation Rate: 35%
- Student to Faculty Ratio: 18 to 1
#6. Turtle Mountain Community College
Score: 83.25
Website
Turtle Mountain Community College has two campuses in Belcourt, North Dakota. TMCC offers associate degrees in:
- Anishinaabe Language
- Ogimaawi Leadership
- natural resource management
Students can also earn a bachelor of science in teacher education (elementary or secondary science), and a bachelor of arts in leadership and management. The elementary education degree licenses students to teach grades 1-8. The secondary science track will allow students to become licensed to teach 5th-12th grades.
- Tuition: $2,250
- Graduation Rate: 33%
- Student to Faculty Ratio: 10 to 1
#7. Diné College
Score: 83.02
Website
Diné College serves a primarily Navajo student population from the 27,000 square miles of the Navajo Nation that spans the states of:
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Utah
Students can earn both bachelor’s and associate’s degrees at the school in areas like:
- fine arts
- Diné studies
- early childhood education
- elementary education
- secondary education mathematics
- secondary education science
- biology
- environmental science
- health occupation
- mathematics
- physics
- public health.
- Tuition: $1,410
- Graduation Rate: 29%
- Student to Faculty Ratio: 14 to 1
#8. Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College
Score: 81.11
Website
Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College is located in Mount Pleasant Missouri. SCTC offers associate degree programs in:
- Native American studies
- business
- science
- liberal arts
These degrees are designed specifically to transfer seamlessly into 4-year programs. They also offer an online GED program for students who wish to complete their GED.
- Tuition: $2,210
- Graduation Rate: 20%
- Student to Faculty Ratio: 6 to 1
#9. Aaniiih Nakoda College
Score: 79.08
Website
Aaniiih Nakoda College is located on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation of the White Clay in Montana. The school provides education to both tribal and non-tribal members. Students can earn associate degrees in:
- American Indian Studies
- business
- early childhood education
- computer information systems
- environmental science
- industrial trades
In addition to the associate degrees students can also earn certificates in:
- tribal management
- welding
- health science.
- Tuition: $2,410
- Graduation Rate: 29%
- Student to Faculty Ratio: 10 to 1
#10. Cankdeska Cikana Community College
Score: 71.87
Website
Cankdeska Cikana Community College is located on Spirit Lake Dakota Reservation. Students can earn associate degrees in:
- social work
- business administration
- Dakota studies
- early childhood education
- natural resource management
- pre-engineering
- pre-nursing
Certificates are available in:
- carpentry
- office technology
- professional driver training
- early childhood education.
- Tuition: $3,300
- Graduation Rate: 20%
- Student to Faculty Ratio: 5 to 1
#11. Fort Peck Community College
Score: 71.58
Website
Fort Peck Community College is tribally controlled and was chartered by the Sioux and Fort Peck Assiniboine Tribes. The associate of arts degree at Fort Peck Community College is designed to transfer into 4-year programs in the areas of:
- business administration
- education
- Native American studies
- psychology
- social work
The associate of science programs offered include:
- biomedical science
- environmental science
- pre-health/nursing.
- Tuition: $2,250
- Graduation Rate: 15%
- Student to Faculty Ratio: 10 to 1
#12. Iḷisaġvik College
Score: 63.46
Website
Iḷisaġvik College is located in Barrow, the northernmost point of Alaska, and is Alaska’s only tribal college. The college offers associate degree programs in:
- accounting
- business management
- education
- emergency services
- information technology
- liberal arts
- Inupiaq studies
Non-degree programs are also offered in the areas of:
- industrial safety
- heavy equipment
- construction technology.
- Tuition: $4,300
- Graduation Rate: 29%
- Student to Faculty Ratio: 8 to 1
#13. Bay Mills Community College
Score: 70.73
Website
Bay Mills Community College is located on the southeastern shoreline of Lake Superior, in the Bay Mills Indian Community. Bay Mills was the first tribally controlled college to achieve accreditation in the state of Michigan. Bay Mills offers associate and bachelor level degrees.
At the bachelor level, students can take programs in early childhood education, the courses for which are delivered entirely online.
- Tuition: $3,320
- Graduation Rate: 39%
- Student to Faculty Ratio: 14 to 1
#14. United Tribes Technical College
Score: 68.95
Website
United Tribes Technical College offers a mix of associate and bachelor’s degrees. Bachelor’s degrees include programs in:
- business administration
- elementary education
- environmental science and research
Associate’s degrees include programs in:
- criminal justice
- computer information technology
- culinary arts and nutrition
- graphic design
- pre-engineering
- automotive technology.
- Tuition: $4,252
- Graduation Rate: 39%
- Student to Faculty Ratio: 9 to 1
#15. Nebraska Indian Community College
Score: 67.47
Website
Nebraska Indian Community College has been serving the Omaha and Santee Dakota tribal communities, along with anyone else who wants to pursue higher education, for 40 years. The college offers associate degrees in:
- carpentry
- business
- early childhood education
- liberal arts
- human services
- Native American studies
- general science studies
- paraeducator and pre-teacher education.
- Tuition: $4,080
- Graduation Rate: 25%
- Student to Faculty Ratio: 5 to 1
#16. Blackfeet Community College
Score: 65.94
Website
Blackfeet Community College has provided higher educational services to the residents of the Blackfeet Nation and local communities since 1974. Students can earn associate’s degrees in:
- nursing
- environmental science
- health science
- pre-engineering
- geographical information systems
- psychology
- addiction studies
- early childhood education
- Piikani studies and language
- accounting
- business management.
- Tuition: $3,370
- Graduation Rate: 21%
- Student to Faculty Ratio: 9 to 1
#17. Oglala Lakota College
Score: 65.38
Website
Oglala Lakota College provides a number of associate through master’s level degree programs to the people who live in and around the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The college offers masters degrees in Lakota Leadership and Management, with an optional education administration emphasis. Bachelor’s degrees offered include:
- business
- education
- natural science
- Lakota studies
- social work
- social science
Associate’s degrees are available in:
- electrical technology
- general construction
- automotive technology
- information technology
- plumbing.
- Tuition: $2,684
- Graduation Rate: 12%
- Student to Faculty Ratio: 10 to 1
#18. College of Menominee Nation
Score: 65.26
Website
The College of Menominee Nation was created to serve the educational needs of dozens of tribes, including these:
- Menominee
- Oneida
- Chippewa
- Ho-Chunk
- Navajo
- Potawatomi
- Mohegan
The college offers bachelor degrees in areas like:
- public administration
- education
- business administration
- early childhood education
Associate degrees include:
- biological and physical sciences
- digital media
- business administration
- natural resources
- public administration.
- Tuition: $6,200
- Graduation Rate: 56%
- Student to Faculty Ratio: 6 to 1
#19. White Earth Tribal and Community College
Score: 63.31
Website
White Earth Tribal and Community College is an Anishinaabe controlled liberal arts community college. The college offers associate degrees in:
- education
- environmental science
- human services.
The education degree offers a general education track, and early childhood education track. The human services degree offers a social work track and a chemical dependency track.
- Tuition: $4,232
- Graduation Rate: 30%
- Student to Faculty Ratio: 9 to 1
#20. Salish Kootenai College
Score: 57.76
Website
Salish Kootenai College is located in Pablo, Montana, and provides both bachelor and associate level degree programs for the people of the Flathead Nation. Bachelor’s degrees include:
- business administration
- early childhood education
- elementary education
- forestry (forest management and wildland fire management options)
- information technology
- nursing
- social work, and more
Most of these, and many more programs, are also offered at the associate level.
- Tuition: $6,399
- Graduation Rate: 52%
- Student to Faculty Ratio: 8 to 1
#21. Sitting Bull College
Score: 57.42
Website
Sitting Bull College’s main campus is in Fort Yates, North Dakota. The school offers degrees at the associate through master’s level. Students can take a master of science degree in either education or environmental science. Bachelor’s degree programs are offered in areas like:
- Native American Studies
- social work
- education
- business administration
Associate degree programs include:
- nursing (for transfer)
- pre-engineering
- criminal justice
- information technology
- teacher education.
- Tuition: $4,010
- Graduation Rate: 13%
- Student to Faculty Ratio: 7 to 1
#22. Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College
Score: 57.03
Website
Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College is located in New Town, North Dakota and offers both bachelor and associate level degrees. Students can choose from among degrees in:
- business administration
- computer science
- early childhood education
- elementary education
- environmental science
- equine studies
- human services social work
- mathematics
- Native studies
- pre-engineering.
- Tuition: $3,870
- Graduation Rate: 8%
- Student to Faculty Ratio: 6 to 1
#23. Sinte Gleska University
Score: 54.57
Website
Sinte Gleska University was founded in 1971. It’s a private American Indian tribal college on the Rosebud Indian Reservation located in Mission, South Dakota. The university offers:
- 25 associate degrees
- 23 bachelor’s degrees
- two master’s degrees
These include undergraduate and master’s degrees in human services, and education.
- Tuition: $3,154
- Graduation Rate: 7%
- Student to Faculty Ratio: 12 to 1
#24. Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College
Score: 54.37
Website
This dual public and tribal community college was founded by the Fond du Lac Chippewa tribe in Cloquet, Minnesota. The school offers associate degrees in:
- American Indian studies
- business
- environmental science
- fitness and health
- geographic information
- human services
- liberal arts and sciences
- nursing
- corrections and art.
- Tuition: $5,461
- Graduation Rate: 53%
- Student to Faculty Ratio: 17 to 1
#25. Little Big Horn College
Score: 53.60
Website
Little Big Horn College can be found in the town of Crow Agency, Montana. It is a tribally controlled Crow college dedicated to passing down the cultural and linguistic tradition of the Crow people. Associate degree programs include:
- business administration
- Crow studies
- education
- human services
- liberal arts
- information systems
- mathematics
- science
There is also a directed individualized studies program that allows students to create their own degree.
- Tuition: $3,200
- Graduation Rate: 13%
- Student to Faculty Ratio: 15 to 1
#26. Navajo Technical University
Score: 51.41
Website
Navajo Technical University offers associate degree programs in:
- culinary arts
- energy systems
- engineering technology
- environmental science and natural resources
- information technology
- geographic information technology
- public administration and more
Bachelor’s degrees are available in hotel and restaurant administration, and advanced manufacturing technology. Students can earn a master of arts degree in:
- Dine culture
- language
- leadership.
- Tuition: $4,070
- Graduation Rate: 16%
- Student to Faculty Ratio: 12 to 1
#27. Northwest Indian College
Score: 50.21
Website
Northwest Indian College is located on the land of the Lummi Nation. Surrounded by Washington State, the college is about 20 miles south of the U.S.-Canadian border. Bachelor’s programs at the college include:
- native studies leadership
- tribal governance and business management
- native environmental science
- community advocates and responsive education in human service
Associate’s degrees programs include:
- early childhood education
- business and entrepreneurship
- chemical dependency studies
- public and tribal administration.
- Tuition: $4,840
- Graduation Rate: 19%
- Student to Faculty Ratio: 9 to 1
#28. Sisseton Wahpeton College
Score: 46.79
Website
Sisseton Wahpeton College is a tribal community college serving primarily the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate of the Lake Traverse Reservation. 80% of students are tribal members. Students can earn associate degrees in subjects like:
- Dakota studies
- business administration
- early childhood development
- addiction and diversity counseling
- sustainable environmental studies.
- Tuition: $4,510
- Graduation Rate: 11%
- Student to Faculty Ratio: 10 to 1
#29. Stone Child College
Score: 40.09
Website
Stone Child College is a tribally controlled college that serves the Chippewa Cree Tribe. It’s dedicated to preserving and passing on the tribe’s:
- language
- culture
- history
The school offers a bachelor degree in elementary education. Associate degrees are available in:
- allied health
- general science
- general business
- hospitality
- information systems
- math
- Native American studies
- studio art
- rural behavioral health.
- Tuition: $2,645
- Graduation Rate: 12%
- Student to Faculty Ratio: 22 to 1
#30. College of the Muscogee Nation
Score: 38.71
Website
The College of the Muscogee Nation serves the Muscogee tribe and community. The college is tribally controlled and strives to reflect, uphold, and pass on the core values of Muscogee culture to future generations. Students can earn associate level degrees in:
- Native American studies
- tribal services
- criminal justice
- natural resources
- gaming.
- Tuition: $6,600
- Graduation Rate: 37%
- Student to Faculty Ratio: 13 to 1
Frequently Asked Questions
What are tribal colleges?
Tribal colleges and universities serve the higher education needs of members of the various American Indian peoples of North America. Each tribal college or university may serve on multiple tribes. The colleges are tribally established and controlled. Classes tend to be informed by a given tribe’s identity and values. In many cases they focus on issues close to the tribe’s heart.
How many tribal colleges are there in the United States?
There are currently 32 tribal colleges and universities in the United States. It’s important to note that there are many more tribes than this. There are currently 574 American Indian tribes federally recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. And there are many more unrecognized tribes. Many tribal colleges and universities serve many tribes, as there is not a 1:1 college to tribe ratio.
Who funds tribal colleges?
Tribal colleges and universities are funded in the same ways most other colleges and universities are funded. The bulk of funds comes from the U.S. federal government. Many tribes supplement this funding with their own money. And of course the schools are also partially funded through tuition, and therefore through scholarships. There are many scholarships available to those of American Indian heritage. Many of those scholarships are accessible through the American Indian College Fund.
Can I attend a tribal college or university if I am not a member of the tribes it serves?
None of the tribal colleges or universities in this ranking, as far as we can tell, discriminates based on:
- race
- ethnicity
- tribal affiliation
- sex
Most of them have open admissions policies. Everyone who applies with a high school diploma or GED is accepted. It may be difficult to attend some of them if you do not live close to the school, however. Some, especially those that function as community colleges, do not provide on-campus housing.
But if you want to attend, and you’re local, then you shouldn’t have any problems doing so, whether or not you are an official member of the tribe that manages the college.
GCD staff
Additional Resources:
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