Enrollment
1,144
New Mexico · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Albuquerque, NM
Highland High
Federal NCES profile for Highland High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 350006000063
👥 S:T ratio 41
📚 AP courses 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 62
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highland High 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.
- #15 of 29
- high schools in Albuquerque · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.7:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Highland High has class sizes near the New Mexico median. Computed live against every New Mexico school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highland High ranks #15 of 29 high schools in Albuquerque, NM.
School address
District: Albuquerque Public Schools · New Mexico
NCES ID 350006000063 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
78.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.7:1
vs 14:1 New Mexico avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.8% New Mexico avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highland High compares with New Mexico and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highland High
Highland High is a high-poverty, large high school in Albuquerque, New Mexico, enrolling 1,144 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.7:1 puts it in the larger third of New Mexico schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 100.0% lands close to the New Mexico typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in New Mexico, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,144 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 867 scored New Mexico schools.
Against 41 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #13.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (71%) and American Indian / Alaska Native (8%) (diversity index 48/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 10 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 191 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 47.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Albuquerque Public Schools spends $12,964 per pupil, 22% below the New Mexico average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Albuquerque Public Schools also operates Volcano Vista High (2,089 students) and Atrisco Heritage Academy Hs (1,930 students) alongside Highland High.
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 Highland High compares
Highland High 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 | 14.7:1 | ▲ 5% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,144 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.7:1
Leaner classes than 50% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,144
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% above the New Mexico average of 80.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.7:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 65% in New Mexico - lower ratio than 35% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
47.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,964
per pupil, district-wide
- below New Mexico avg of $16,652
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 191 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
78
in-school suspensions + 117 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.0 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 70.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 8.2%
White 7.4%
African American 6.4%
Two or More 5.1%
Asian 2.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 70.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.2, Highland High is more mixed than the New Mexico school average of 39.8.
Programs
AP courses offered 10
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Albuquerque Public Schools, which includes Highland High.
$12,964
Per student
-22%
vs New Mexico
Avg $16,652
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How Highland High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volcano Vista High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Atrisco Heritage Academy Hs | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| La Cueva High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sandia High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eldorado High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highland High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,089
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,930
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 1,826
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,618
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,579
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar high 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 (~1,144 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highland High's federal record.
- Compare Highland High against another school. Compare schools
- Albuquerque Public Schools'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 Highland High
How many students attend Highland High?
Highland High has 1,144 students enrolled. It is a high school in Albuquerque, NM.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highland High?
The student-teacher ratio at Highland High is 14.7:1, which is 5% higher than the New Mexico average of 14:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Highland High?
100.0% of students at Highland High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Mexico average of 80.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highland High?
The largest demographic group at Highland High is Hispanic or Latino at 70.6% of enrollment, in Albuquerque, NM.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highland High?
Highland High has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Highland High rank among high schools in Albuquerque?
By Resource Investment Index, Highland High ranks #15 of 29 high 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 high schools in Albuquerque on the city page.
Is Highland High a good school?
Highland High 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 Albuquerque Public Schools?
Besides Highland High, Albuquerque Public Schools also operates Volcano Vista High (2,089 students), Atrisco Heritage Academy Hs (1,930 students), and La Cueva High (1,826 students). See the Albuquerque Public Schools district page for the complete list.
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.