The tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) are a category of higher education, minority-serving institutions defined in the Higher Education Act of 1965.

As of 2025, there are 35 TCUs operating in the United States, including 30 public and 5 private institutions.

Compare and explore detailed statistics for 35 TCUs to find the perfect college match for your academic goals, budget, and career aspirations. Our comprehensive comparison tool provides key data including tuition costs, acceptance rates, financial aid, graduation rates, and enrollment statistics to help you make informed decisions about your higher education:

  • Average Tuition & Fees: TCUs charge $3,882 for in-state students and $4,145 for out-of-state students on average for undergraduate programs.
  • Graduate Program Costs: Average graduate tuition & fees for TCUs is $6,087 for in-state graduate students and $6,286 for out-of-state graduate students.
  • Admission Statistics: TCUs offer accessible admission opportunities with an average acceptance rate of 93.92% and an average SAT score of 0 for enrolled students.
  • Student Population: TCUs enroll an average of 541 students across all programs.
  • Graduation Success Rate: Students at TCUs complete their degrees at an average rate of 23.82%, with institutions working to improve retention and graduation outcomes.

Use our detailed college comparison tables below to evaluate TCUs side-by-side. Compare tuition and fees, financial aid packages, admission requirements, student-to-faculty ratios, and graduation outcomes to identify the best college that matches your educational needs and budget. Start comparing colleges now to make the right choice for your future.

Key Statistics & Highlights

Here are the highest and lowest statistics among Tribal Colleges and Universities:

Statistic Average Highest Lowest
Tuition & Fees$4,145Salish Kootenai College
$11,583		Haskell Indian Nations University
$600
Graduate Tuition & Fees$6,286Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development
$12,745		Sinte Gleska University
$2,108
Enrollment541 studentsFond du Lac Tribal and Community College
1,789 students		White Earth Tribal and Community College
119 students
Acceptance Rate93.92%Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development
97.47%		Haskell Indian Nations University
90.36%

Comparison between all Tribal Colleges and Universities

The following table compares 35 Tribal Colleges and Universities with tuition and important admission statistics. You can sort the table to find top-ranked schools in the indicator (column) by clicking/touching a column that you want to sort. Note again, "*" symbol next to certain institutions in below table indicates that the school is newly classified in 2025.

Tuition Comparison Table between Tribal Colleges and Universities
School NameStateDegree OfferedTuition & FeesAverage Financial AidAcceptance RatePopulationGraduation RateStudent to Faculty Ratio
Aaniiih Nakoda College four-year, public MTBachelor's
Associate		$3,080 ($3,080) $6,318 - 120 34% 10 to 1
Bay Mills Community College four-year, public MIBachelor's
Associate		$3,480 ($3,480) $5,252 - 698 30% 10 to 1
Blackfeet Community College four-year, private MTBachelor's
Associate		$3,610 $6,588 - 318 62% 7 to 1
Cankdeska Cikana Community College 2-4 year, public NDAssociate$3,950 ($3,950) $4,073 - 239 28% 11 to 1
Chief Dull Knife College 2-4 year, public MTAssociate$2,260 ($2,260) $2,344 - 185 - 13 to 1
College of Menominee Nation four-year, private WIBachelor's
Associate		$6,200 $5,195 - 300 32% 6 to 1
College of the Muscogee Nation 2-4 year, public OKAssociate$6,600 ($6,600) $6,637 - 241 23% 8 to 1
Dine College four-year, public AZMaster's
Bachelor's
Associate		$1,410 ($1,410) $6,953 - 1,434 13% 16 to 1
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College four-year, public MNBachelor's
Associate		$6,006 ($6,006) $6,650 - 1,789 26% 16 to 1
Fort Peck Community College 2-4 year, public MTAssociate$2,250 ($2,250) $3,161 - 362 17% 18 to 1
Haskell Indian Nations University four-year, public KSBachelor's
Associate		$600 ($480) $8,009 290% 978 18% 22 to 1
Ilisagvik College four-year, public AKBachelor's
Associate		$5,260 ($5,260) $2,559 - 256 46% 7 to 1
Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development four-year, public NMMaster's
Bachelor's
Associate		$5,920 ($5,920) $13,705 297% 947 15% 9 to 1
Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College 2-4 year, public MIAssociate$5,000 ($5,000) $7,305 - 243 11% 7 to 1
Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University four-year, public WIMaster's
Bachelor's
Associate		$6,030 ($6,030) $7,635 - 204 23% 6 to 1
Leech Lake Tribal College 2-4 year, public MNAssociate$4,163 ($4,163) $7,763 - 209 19% 7 to 1
Little Big Horn College 2-4 year, public MTAssociate$3,200 ($3,200) $3,113 - 262 11% 12 to 1
Little Priest Tribal College 2-4 year, public NEAssociate$5,400 ($5,400) $3,446 - 218 13% 7 to 1
Navajo Technical University four-year, public NMDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$2,498 ($2,498) $8,332 - 1,704 12% 10 to 1
Nebraska Indian Community College four-year, public NEBachelor's
Associate		$4,080 ($4,080) $4,948 - 620 22% 7 to 1
Northwest Indian College four-year, public WABachelor's
Associate		$4,365 ($4,365) $9,613 - 636 18% 14 to 1
Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College four-year, public NDBachelor's
Associate		$3,870 ($3,870) $14,609 - 233 7% 6 to 1
Oglala Lakota College four-year, public SDMaster's
Bachelor's
Associate		$2,684 ($2,684) $9,568 - 1,188 9% 10 to 1
Red Lake Nation College 2-4 year, public MNAssociate$6,640 ($6,640) $6,498 - 338 46% 11 to 1
Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College 2-4 year, public MIAssociate$2,730 ($2,730) $4,566 - 196 33% 7 to 1
Salish Kootenai College four-year, public MTMaster's
Bachelor's
Associate		$11,583 ($6,399) $8,426 - 671 28% 6 to 1
Sinte Gleska University four-year, public SDMaster's
Bachelor's
Associate		$4,714 ($4,714) $8,207 - 592 15% 16 to 1
Sisseton Wahpeton College four-year, public SDBachelor's
Associate		$4,330 ($4,330) $7,813 - 206 21% 8 to 1
Sitting Bull College four-year, public NDMaster's
Bachelor's
Associate		$4,010 ($4,010) $5,414 - 309 22% 8 to 1
Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute 2-4 year, public NMAssociate$1,095 ($1,095) $6,786 - 215 14% 8 to 1
Stone Child College four-year, public MTBachelor's
Associate		$3,610 ($3,610) $10,047 - 292 34% 11 to 1
Tohono O'odham Community College 2-4 year, public AZAssociate$932 ($932) $3,453 - 1,165 34% 18 to 1
Turtle Mountain College four-year, private NDMaster's
Bachelor's
Associate		$2,794 $10,679 - 872 43% 14 to 1
United Tribes Technical College four-year, private NDBachelor's
Associate		$5,232 $13,674 - 576 21% 12 to 1
White Earth Tribal and Community College 2-4 year, private MNAssociate$5,490 $15,705 - 119 10% 9 to 1