Public schools in New Mexico

The NCES directory lists 879 public schools operating in New Mexico in 2024-25; 859 of them reported 302,621 students, averaging 12.7 students per teacher, the 38th highest of the 50 jurisdictions (states and D.C.) that reported 2024-25 teacher counts (the mean of its schools' ratios); Tennessee did not. Its largest district is Albuquerque Public Schools, with 73,993 students in 2024-25.

NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23 · method

Schools859443 elementary, 158 middle, 211 high, 47 other
Students302,6210.6% of U.S. public-school students
Students per teacher12.7U.S. 15.3

New Mexico has fewer students per teacher than the U.S. average

New Mexico ranks 38th of the 50 jurisdictions (states and D.C.) that reported 2024-25 teacher counts, counting from the most students per teacher; below, it is shown with the states ranked just above and below it. The full ranking of all 51 is on the states page.

  1. Rhode Island13.2
  2. Nebraska13.1
  3. Kansas12.9
  4. New Mexico12.7
  5. Missouri12.3
  6. Connecticut12.2
  7. Massachusetts12.0

Eight in ten larger New Mexico districts spent between $13,294 and $19,085 per student

Among the 40 New Mexico districts with at least 1,000 students, one in ten spent less than $13,294 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 and one in ten spent more than $19,085; the median was $15,080. Each tick below is one district: the spread shows how far apart the state's districts are, which a statewide average hides.

Current spending per student, New Mexico districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-2340 values from $9,919 to $24,091; ; state median $15,080.$13,294$19,085the middle eight in ten$5k$10k$15k$20k$25kcurrent spending per studentstate median $15,080
Current spending per student, New Mexico districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-2340 values from $9,919 to $24,091; ; state median $15,080.$13,294$19,085the middle eight in ten$5k$10k$15k$20k$25kcurrent spending per studentstate median $15,080
Current spending per student, New Mexico districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-2340 values from $9,919 to $24,091; ; state median $15,080.$13,294$19,085the middle eight in ten$5k$10k$15k$20k$25kcurrent spending per studentstate median $15,080
Current spending per student, New Mexico districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-2340 values from $9,919 to $24,091; ; state median $15,080.$13,294$19,085the middle eight in ten$5k$10k$15k$20k$25kcurrent spending per studentstate median $15,080

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: mean of school ratios from 3 to 99, schools open that year; NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures over fall membership, districts with at least 1,000 students.

State test results, 2022-23

In 2022-23, 38.2% of the New Mexico students tested met the state's reading standard and 24.4% its math standard. New Mexico writes its own tests and sets its own standard, so these compare New Mexico's districts and schools with each other, not with other states; each district and school page gives its own results beside these. Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 76.5% of 25,411 students.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2022-23 and four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students.

In the New Mexico almanac

  1. 01Every school district

    Directory, 2024-25

  2. 02Largest schools

    Largest: Cleveland High School, 2,596 students (By 2024-25 enrollment)

  3. 03Fewest students per teacher

    Fewest: Nm School for the Deaf, 3.6 students per teacher (Schools, 2024-25)

  4. 04Highest-spending districts

    Highest: Dulce Independent Schools, $28,599 per student (F-33 fiscal year 2022-23)

  5. 05Teacher salary spending by district

    Highest: Pecos Independent School District, $96,768 of salary spending per teacher (F-33 fiscal year 2022-23)

  6. 06Chronic absenteeism

    Lowest: Albuquerque Institute of Math & Science, 0.6% chronically absent (EDFacts 2022-23)

  7. 07Schools by resource index

    Highest index: Taos Academy, 71 of 100 (CCD and CRDC)

  8. 08Districts by resource index

    Highest index: Estancia Municipal Schools, 57.3 of 100 on average (CCD and CRDC)

Largest districts in New Mexico

  1. Albuquerque Public Schools73,993
  2. Las Cruces Public Schools22,121
  3. Rio Rancho Public Schools16,461
  4. Gallup-McKinley County Schools12,175
  5. Gadsden ISD11,739
  6. Santa Fe Public Schools11,182
  7. Farmington Municipal Schools10,745
  8. Hobbs Municipal Schools10,097

Every New Mexico school district, with a find box →

Source: Largest districts: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25, students in the district's schools open that year.

Cities with the most public schools

  1. Albuquerque81,436 students192 schools
  2. Las Cruces23,492 students45 schools
  3. Santa Fe16,328 students41 schools
  4. Roswell9,184 students22 schools
  5. Rio Rancho17,241 students22 schools
  6. Farmington10,745 students20 schools
  7. Hobbs10,104 students19 schools
  8. Los Lunas8,686 students18 schools
  9. Gallup8,932 students18 schools
  10. Clovis7,387 students16 schools
  11. Carlsbad7,217 students13 schools
  12. Las Vegas2,583 students12 schools

All cities →

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: a school counts under the city in its mailing address, so a large city's count takes in suburbs that share its postal name.

Questions about New Mexico's public schools

  1. How many public schools are in New Mexico?
    The NCES directory lists 879 operating in 2024-25; 859 of them reported students: 443 elementary, 158 middle, 211 high and 47 other, enrolling 302,621 students (NCES Common Core of Data).
  2. What is the average student-teacher ratio in New Mexico?
    12.7 students per full-time teacher in 2024-25, against 15.3 for the U.S.; the mean of school ratios for schools open that year.
  3. What is the largest school district in New Mexico?
    Albuquerque Public Schools, with 73,993 students in its schools in 2024-25 (NCES Common Core of Data).
  4. How much does New Mexico spend per public-school student?
    $15,578 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, summed over its districts (NCES F-33).

Sources

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership and staff files · 2024-25

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District membership and spending · FY 2022-23

Compiled from official source data by .