New Mexico · NCES CCD 2024-25

Best Public Schools in New Mexico

Top 50 schools ranked by resource quality score, based on student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance.

74/100
Top score
B
Top grade
61/100
Avg score (top 50)
50
Schools ranked

The ranking in one line

Abq Sign Language Academy in ALBUQUERQUE is New Mexico's top-resourced public school, scoring 74/100 on the NCES resource index.

74/100
top score (grade B)
2
schools at the top grade (B)
61/100
average across the top 50
# School GradeScore
1 Abq Sign Language Academy ALBUQUERQUE B 74
2 Lower Elementary ESTANCIA B 70
3 Taos Academy TAOS B- 69
4 Taos Integrated School of Arts TAOS B- 68
5 Explore Academy Las Cruces LAS CRUCES B- 66
6 J Paul Taylor Academy LAS CRUCES C+ 64
7 Sidney Gutierrez Middle ROSWELL C+ 64
8 Mora Elementary MORA C+ 64
9 Southwest Secondary Learning Center ALBUQUERQUE C+ 64
10 Ocotillo Elementary CARLSBAD C+ 63
11 Sunset Elementary CARLSBAD C+ 63
12 Hatch Valley Middle HATCH C+ 63
13 Lovington 6th Grade Academy LOVINGTON C+ 63
14 Alta Vista Early College High School ANTHONY C+ 63
15 Dexter Middle DEXTER C+ 63
16 Alta Vista Elementary QUESTA C+ 62
17 Desert Willow Elementary CARLSBAD C+ 61
18 College and Career High School ALBUQUERQUE C+ 61
19 Altura Preparatory School ALBUQUERQUE C+ 61
20 Anansi Charter School EL PRADO C+ 61
21 Aces Technical High School ALBUQUERQUE C+ 61
22 Dulce Middle DULCE C+ 61
23 Hurley Elementary HURLEY C+ 61
24 Lovington High LOVINGTON C+ 60
25 Cien Aguas International ALBUQUERQUE C+ 60
26 Monterrey Elementary CARLSBAD C+ 60
27 Upper Elementary ESTANCIA C+ 60
28 Cottonwood Valley Charter SOCORRO C+ 60
29 Tony Serna Jr. Elementary LAS VEGAS C+ 60
30 Academy for Technology & Classics SANTA FE C 59
31 Corrales International ALBUQUERQUE C 59
32 Don Cecilio Martinez Elementary LAS VEGAS C 59
33 Middle College High School Charter - Gallup GALLUP C 59
34 Capitan High CAPITAN C 59
35 Atrisco Heritage Academy Hs ALBUQUERQUE C 58
36 Montessori Elementary School ALBUQUERQUE C 58
37 Lea Elementary LOVINGTON C 58
38 Montessori of the Rio Grande ALBUQUERQUE C 58
39 Nex Gen Academy ALBUQUERQUE C 58
40 Carlsbad Early College High CARLSBAD C 57
41 Cloudcroft High CLOUDCROFT C 57
42 Rio Rancho Elementary RIO RANCHO C 56
43 Laguna-Acoma High CASA BLANCA C 56
44 Holloman Middle HOLLOMAN AFB C 56
45 Memorial Middle LAS VEGAS C 56
46 El Dorado Community School SANTA FE C 55
47 Atalaya Elementary SANTA FE C 55
48 Tierra Encantada Charter School SANTA FE C 55
49 Luis E. Armijo Elementary LAS VEGAS C 55
50 Central Elementary ARTESIA C 55

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best public schools in New Mexico? ▼

The top-rated school in New Mexico is Abq Sign Language Academy in ALBUQUERQUE with a quality score of 74/100 (grade B). Rankings are based on student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, gifted programs, and attendance rates from NCES data.

How are school quality scores calculated? ▼

Quality scores (0-100) are computed from NCES data across 4 metrics: student-teacher ratio (lower is better, national avg ~16:1), counselor availability (ASCA recommends 250:1), gifted program availability, and chronic absenteeism rate (lower is better). This measures school resources, not test scores.

Explore More for New Mexico

All Schools → Largest Schools → Absenteeism Data → Highest Spending → National Ranking →

Methodology

Quality scores (0-100) are computed from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 metrics: student-teacher ratio, school counselor availability, gifted program access, and chronic absenteeism rates. Schools must have at least 50 students and data for one or more metrics. This measures resource quality, not test scores. Higher scores indicate smaller class sizes, better counselor access, and lower absenteeism.

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.