Although Santa Fe is a wonderful place to retire to, it's also an interesting place to work in. Thanks to the presence of the Santa Fe Institute and the proximity of Los Alamos National Labs, the area has a very high percentage of PhD's. If you're not at the PhD level yet, though, we also have a number of excellent educational institutions.

Santa Fe has a well-educated workforce, 41% of adult residents have a college degree or higher. There are three primary colleges in Santa Fe, each with its own strength.

The Santa Fe Community College

The Santa Fe Community College (SFCC) provides the region with affordable high quality education and training. Presented through a variety of delivery methods and time formats, this includes basic skill programs; certificates and technical degrees; associate degrees with four year transfer potential, and personal enrichment courses both for credit and not for credit. These offerings are designed to add value to the lives of our community members by broadening opportunities; enhancing personal income; improving working and living conditions; and fostering richer, healthier lives.

Each semester SFCC has around 5,400 students enrolled in the various associate degree programs or certificate or professional credential programs. This includes an Environmental Technology Program which includes both an associates degree and a certificate program. The curriculum is both theoretical and practical. Students get project-based learning and assessment in simulated work environments. The program helps develop critical thinking and problem solving skills by emphasizing teamwork on group projects. Students get a strong foundation that allows them to adapt to a wide range of employment opportunities in this diverse emerging industry.

President Sheila Ortego and Santa Fe Community College (SFCC) are eager to work with companies to develop any specialized workforce training and education programs they require. SFCC is home to the state-wide New Mexico Small Business Development Centers network.

SFCC is also home to the Center for Community Sustainability, which delivers education in sustainability, renewable energies technologies, environmental technologies, and certifications for energy raters. The college is developing curriculum to add sustainability across all our educational programs including science, math, English, and history. The college is also developing the Sustainable Technologies Center, which is part of the national Advanced Technology Center network to develop and deliver curriculum in smart grid technology and green building construction.

SFCC is working with Governor Richardson's Science and Technology Advisor to install a gateway to New Mexico's supercomputer. A partnership between the college, the City of Santa Fe and Santa Fe County is working to make sure the infrastructure required for the supercomputer and other ultra-high-speed broadband needs will be in place for education, telehealth, emergency services, and economic development.

The College of Santa Fe

The College of Santa Fe is diligent in offering flexible programs so that all are welcome and able to study. Thoughtful academic advising is emphasized and specific attention is paid to ethical values, both in and out of class. The school is committed to educating the "whole student." It has a core curriculum which includes interdisciplinary team-taught courses that explore complex subjects in the humanities, creative expression, social and natural sciences. It has a total of about 1,900 students; approximately 750 in the traditional program and 1,200 evening and weekend students in Santa Fe and Albuquerque. 20 undergraduate programs, 2 masters programs and several certificate programs are offered.

St. John's College

The College of Santa Fe is diligent in offering flexible programs so that all are welcome and able to study. Thoughtful academic advising is emphasized and specific attention is paid to ethical values, both in and out of class. The school is committed to educating the "whole student." It has a core curriculum which includes interdisciplinary team-taught courses that explore complex subjects in the humanities, creative expression, social and natural sciences. It has a total of about 1,900 students; approximately 750 in the traditional program and 1,200 evening and weekend students in Santa Fe and Albuquerque. 20 undergraduate programs, 2 masters programs and several certificate programs are offered.