Enrollment
1,413
New Mexico · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Albuquerque, NM
Explore Academy
Federal NCES profile for Explore Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 350016701103Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 71
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Explore Academy earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Mexico median. It is also one of the largest schools in New Mexico.
- #32 of 102
- schools in Albuquerque · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.2:1
- students per teacher
- 17.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Explore Academy has class sizes near the New Mexico median. Computed live against every New Mexico school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Explore Academy ranks #32 of 102 schools in Albuquerque, NM.
School address
District: Explore Academy · New Mexico
NCES ID 350016701103 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
93.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.2:1
vs 14:1 New Mexico avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
17.8%
vs 80.8% New Mexico avg
-78% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Explore Academy compares with New Mexico and U.S. medians
What stands out at Explore Academy
Explore Academy is a lower-poverty, large charter combined-grade school in Albuquerque, New Mexico, enrolling 1,413 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.2:1 puts it in the larger third of New Mexico schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 17.8% free-meal eligibility runs 78% below the New Mexico average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in New Mexico, bigger than 97% of state schools at 1,413 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 867 scored New Mexico schools.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (48%) and White (33%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 707 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
11.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 17.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Explore Academy is a single-school charter district, so Explore Academy operates independently rather than alongside district-mates. At 1,413 students, it is also among the largest single-school districts in New Mexico, well beyond the enrollment of a typical standalone charter.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Explore Academy compares
Explore Academy on the metrics families compare, against New Mexico and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs New Mexico | New Mexico avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.2:1 | ▲ 9% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 17.8% | ▼ 78% | 80.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,413 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.2:1
Leaner classes than 45% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,413
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
17.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 78% below the New Mexico average of 80.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.2:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 69% in New Mexico - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
11.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$13,873
per pupil, district-wide
- below New Mexico avg of $16,652
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 707 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 47.7%
White 32.6%
Two or More 15.9%
African American 2.3%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 47.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.0, Explore Academy is more mixed than the New Mexico school average of 39.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Explore Academy, which includes Explore Academy.
$13,873
Per student
-17%
vs New Mexico
Avg $16,652
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 9.6%
State 73.0%
Federal 17.4%
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.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of New Mexico, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,413 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Explore Academy's federal record.
- Compare Explore Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Explore Academy's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Explore Academy
How many students attend Explore Academy?
Explore Academy has 1,413 students enrolled. It is a public school in Albuquerque, NM.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Explore Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Explore Academy is 15.2:1, which is 9% higher than the New Mexico average of 14:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Explore Academy?
17.8% of students at Explore Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Mexico average of 80.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Explore Academy?
The largest demographic group at Explore Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 47.7% of enrollment, in Albuquerque, NM. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Explore Academy?
Explore Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Explore Academy rank among schools in Albuquerque?
By Resource Investment Index, Explore Academy ranks #32 of 102 schools in Albuquerque, NM. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Albuquerque on the city page.
Is Explore Academy a good school?
Explore Academy earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Mexico median. It is also one of the largest schools in New Mexico. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Explore Academy?
None; Explore Academy is a single-school charter district, and Explore Academy is its only campus.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.