Enrollment
759
New Mexico · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 350006001031 Charter school
Cottonwood Classical Prep — Albuquerque, NM
Federal NCES profile for Cottonwood Classical Prep, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 41/100.
👥 Class size 40
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 53
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Albuquerque Public Schools · New Mexico
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
51.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.9:1
vs 14.4:1 New Mexico avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
6.5%
vs 80.8% New Mexico avg
-92% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cottonwood Classical Prep compares with New Mexico and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Cottonwood Classical Prep reports 759 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 51.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.9:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 3% above the New Mexico state mean of 14.4:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 6% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 6.5% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 92% below the New Mexico average and 87% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 19.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Albuquerque Public Schools spends $15,508 per pupil district-wide, below the New Mexico average of $19,045 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 17.5% from local sources (property taxes), 68.0% from the state, and 14.5% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (D), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Cottonwood Classical Prep compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against New Mexico state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs New Mexico | New Mexico avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.9:1 | ▲ 3% | 14.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 6.5% | ▼ 92% | 80.8% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 759 | top 92% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
6.5%
free-lunch eligible
— 92% below the New Mexico average of 80.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold — federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.9:1
students per teacher
— 3% above state mean
Top 62% in New Mexico — lower ratio than 38% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
19.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$15,508
per pupil, district-wide
— below New Mexico avg of $19,045
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Overview
Enrollment 759 Top 92% in New Mexico — larger than 8% of 873 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 51.0
Students per teacher 14.9:1 +3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 6.5% -92% vs state
NCES ID 350006001031
Programs & staff
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 19.0%
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Albuquerque Public Schools, which includes Cottonwood Classical Prep.
$15,508
Per student
-19%
vs New Mexico
Avg $19,045
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 17.5%
State 68.0%
Federal 14.5%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,089
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Enrollment
- 1,930
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Enrollment
- 1,826
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Enrollment
- 1,618
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Enrollment
- 1,579
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
Similar other schools in Albuquerque
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Eldorado High
Standard public school
1,579 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Explore Academy
Standard public school
1,413 students 12.9:1 students per teacher
Mission Achievement and Success 1.0
Standard public school
1,193 students 11.6:1 students per teacher
Manzano High
Standard public school
1,157 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Mission Achievement and Success 2.0
Standard public school
1,040 students 12.2:1 students per teacher
Abq School of Excellence
Standard public school
1,005 students 18.2:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Cottonwood Classical Prep
How many students attend Cottonwood Classical Prep?
Cottonwood Classical Prep has 759 students enrolled. It is a other school in ALBUQUERQUE, NM.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood Classical Prep?
The student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood Classical Prep is 14.9:1, which is 3% higher than the New Mexico average of 14.4:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cottonwood Classical Prep?
6.5% of students at Cottonwood Classical Prep are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Mexico average of 80.8%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cottonwood Classical Prep?
Cottonwood Classical Prep has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (D) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.