Enrollment
1,144
New Mexico · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 350006000063
Highland High — Albuquerque, NM
Federal NCES profile for Highland High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 45/100.
👥 Class size 41
📚 AP courses 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 62
📋 Attendance 0
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)
78.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.8:1
vs 14.4:1 New Mexico avg
+3% 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
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
Highland High reports 1,144 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 78.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.8:1 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 7% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 100.0% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 24% above the New Mexico average and 93% above the national baseline. The school offers 10 Advanced Placement courses, a stronger academic pipeline indicator than enrollment alone. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 191 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 47.4% 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 45/100 (D), calculated from 5 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 Highland High 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 | 14.8:1 | ▲ 3% | 14.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.8% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 1,144 | top 96% | — | — |
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
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
14.8:1
students per teacher
— 3% above state mean
Top 60% in New Mexico — lower ratio than 40% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
47.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
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.
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
Enrollment 1,144 Top 96% in New Mexico — larger than 4% of 873 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 78.0
Students per teacher 14.8:1 +3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 100.0% +24% vs state
NCES ID 350006000063
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.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 10
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 6.0
Students per counselor 191:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 47.4%
In-school suspensions 78
Out-of-school suspensions 117
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Albuquerque Public Schools, which includes Highland High.
$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 high schools in Albuquerque
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Volcano Vista High
Standard public school
2,089 students 17.7:1 students per teacher
Atrisco Heritage Academy Hs
Standard public school
1,930 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
La Cueva High
Standard public school
1,826 students 19.1:1 students per teacher
Sandia High
Standard public school
1,618 students 17.3:1 students per teacher
Albuquerque High
Standard public school
1,568 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
West Mesa High
Standard public school
1,565 students 15.5:1 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 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 14.8:1, which is 3% higher than the New Mexico average of 14.4:1 and 7% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
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%. The school serves a diverse student body in ALBUQUERQUE, NM.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highland High?
Highland High has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (D) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.