Enrollment
156
New Mexico · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Rio Rancho, NM
Independence High School
Federal NCES profile for Independence High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 350001000805
👥 S:T ratio 61
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 69
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Independence High School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% of New Mexico schools.
- #1 of 3
- high schools in Rio Rancho · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 9.8:1
- small classes for New Mexico
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Independence High School has class sizes smaller than 84% of New Mexico schools. Computed live against every New Mexico school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Independence High School ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Rio Rancho, NM.
School address
District: Rio Rancho Public Schools · New Mexico
NCES ID 350001000805 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.8:1
vs 14:1 New Mexico avg
-30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.8% New Mexico avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Independence High School compares with New Mexico and U.S. medians
What stands out at Independence High School
Independence High School is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, enrolling 156 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 9.8:1 puts it in the smaller 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.
Enrollment of 156 puts it in the smaller third of New Mexico schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 96% of the 867 New Mexico schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 127 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Mexico schools statewide, it ranks #8, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (71%) and White (14%) (diversity index 47/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 156 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
The surrounding Rio Rancho Public Schools spends $11,377 per pupil, 32% below the New Mexico average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Rio Rancho Public Schools also operates Cleveland High School (2,596 students) and Rio Rancho High (2,568 students) alongside Independence High School.
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 Independence High School compares
Independence High School 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 | 9.8:1 | ▼ 30% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 156 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.8:1
Leaner classes than 90% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
156
Bigger than 15% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
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
9.8:1
students per teacher
- 30% below state mean
Top 16% in New Mexico - lower ratio than 84% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$11,377
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 156 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.6 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 70.5%
White 13.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 8.3%
Two or More 7.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 70.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.2, Independence High School is more mixed than the New Mexico school average of 39.8.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rio Rancho Public Schools, which includes Independence High School.
$11,377
Per student
-32%
vs New Mexico
Avg $16,652
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 14.8%
State 74.5%
Federal 10.7%
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 Independence High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rio Rancho High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rio Rancho Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mountain View Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Independence High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,596
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,568
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,024
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 931
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 805
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
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 (~156 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~9.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Independence High School's federal record.
- Compare Independence High School against another school. Compare schools
- Rio Rancho 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 Independence High School
How many students attend Independence High School?
Independence High School has 156 students enrolled. It is a high school in Rio Rancho, NM.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Independence High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Independence High School is 9.8:1, which is 30% lower than the New Mexico average of 14:1 and 38% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Independence High School?
100.0% of students at Independence High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Mexico average of 80.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Independence High School?
The largest demographic group at Independence High School is Hispanic or Latino at 70.5% of enrollment, in Rio Rancho, NM.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Independence High School?
Independence High School has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Independence High School rank among high schools in Rio Rancho?
By Resource Investment Index, Independence High School ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Rio Rancho, 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 Rio Rancho on the city page.
Is Independence High School a good school?
Independence High School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% of New Mexico schools. 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 Rio Rancho Public Schools?
Besides Independence High School, Rio Rancho Public Schools also operates Cleveland High School (2,596 students), Rio Rancho High (2,568 students), and Rio Rancho Middle School (1,024 students). See the Rio Rancho 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.