How equitable is school funding in New Mexico?

The average funding equity score for New Mexico school districts is 50 out of 100, compared to the national average of 49. This score considers per-pupil spending, need-adjusted spending, funding source diversity, and student-teacher ratios.

What does the equity score measure?

The equity score (0-100) measures four dimensions: per-pupil spending level, need-adjusted spending (rewarding districts that spend more where poverty is higher), funding diversity (less reliance on local property taxes), and resource access (lower student-teacher ratios).

New Mexico · NCES F-33 finance data

School Funding Equity in New Mexico

98 districts ranked by how equitably school funding is distributed, scored from NCES F-33 school finance data covering districts in all 50 states.

Compiled by PlainSchools Editorial, Independent education-data publisher · June 10, 2026

The equity picture in one line

Zuni Public Schools ranks first in New Mexico for funding equity at 93/100, in a state whose districts average 50 against a national average of 49.

93/100
top score (Zuni Public Schools): $20,951
per-pupil spending in the top district: 22
districts scoring 70 or higher: 17
districts below 30

#	District	Enrollment	$/Pupil	Free Lunch	Local Rev %	Score
1	Zuni Public Schools	1,095	$20,951	100.0%	2.1%	93
2	Magdalena Municipal Schools	285	$28,154	99.6%	8.8%	93
3	Mora Independent Schools	433	$22,932	100.0%	4.7%	92
4	Santa Rosa Consolidated Schools	603	$19,059	99.7%	8.2%	88
5	Mountainair Public Schools	210	$22,887	100.0%	11.7%	86
6	Central Consolidated Schools	5,037	$17,904	100.0%	8.0%	85
7	Cobre Consolidated Schools	1,023	$17,768	100.0%	9.5%	80
8	Cuba Independent Schools	746	$25,226	100.0%	14.2%	80
9	Jemez Valley Public Schools	359	$19,111	100.0%	15.1%	78
10	Tularosa Municipal Schools	890	$17,163	92.5%	9.4%	77
11	Grants-Cibola County Schools	3,211	$14,955	100.0%	8.9%	76
12	Chama Valley Indep. Schools	363	$17,669	99.5%	12.9%	76
13	Questa Independent Schools	326	$18,027	100.0%	15.3%	76
14	Floyd Municipal Schools	228	$15,125	75.4%	5.6%	75
15	Estancia Municipal Schools	539	$18,214	100.0%	13.0%	74
16	Dulce Independent Schools	521	$23,259	100.0%	38.5%	74
17	Hagerman Municipal Schools	368	$18,390	99.1%	17.5%	74
18	Fort Sumner Municipal Schools	273	$19,512	100.0%	16.4%	74
19	Espanola Public Schools	2,954	$14,886	100.0%	9.0%	73
20	Tierra Adentro	243	$14,986	100.0%	8.0%	72
21	Hatch Valley Public Schools	1,166	$14,653	98.4%	7.8%	70
22	Cimarron Municipal Schools	401	$19,584	53.9%	26.8%	70
23	Gallup-Mckinley Cty Schools	12,224	$16,054	99.4%	3.9%	64
24	Socorro Consolidated Schools	1,438	$16,102	95.1%	10.0%	64
25	Bernalillo Public Schools	2,786	$15,183	99.7%	16.1%	63
26	Penasco Independent Schools	284	$18,897	100.0%	9.5%	62
27	Amy Biehl Charter High School	222	$15,843	40.1%	10.7%	62
28	Silver Consolidated Schools	2,273	$13,911	100.0%	12.4%	61
29	Las Vegas City Public Schools	1,202	$16,490	100.0%	17.5%	61
30	Pecos Independent Schools	511	$16,737	89.9%	9.7%	61
31	Albuquerque Bilingual Academy	379	$12,807	99.2%	8.7%	61
32	Gadsden Independent Schools	12,551	$14,189	100.0%	10.1%	60
33	School of Dreams Academy	606	$12,094	100.0%	4.2%	60
34	Mesa Vista Consolidated Schools	246	$19,210	100.0%	15.9%	60
35	Deming Public Schools	5,366	$13,484	99.9%	8.0%	59
36	Taos Municipal Schools	2,267	$15,079	86.1%	18.1%	59
37	West Las Vegas Public Schools	1,555	$16,317	99.9%	10.3%	59
38	Dexter Consolidated Schools	812	$16,470	100.0%	20.4%	59
39	Clayton Municipal Schools	395	$17,530	58.6%	15.5%	59
40	Tucumcari Public Schools	907	$14,218	100.0%	9.9%	58
41	Mission Achievement and Success	2,105	$12,115	100.0%	8.7%	56
42	North Valley Academy Charter	380	$11,617	50.3%	9.0%	55
43	Taos Academy	274	$12,225	47.4%	7.8%	55
44	Raton Public Schools	844	$13,827	43.6%	9.4%	54
45	Roswell Independent Schools	9,701	$12,961	100.0%	7.0%	53
46	Hozho Academy	616	$13,175	100.0%	0.9%	53
47	Capitan Municipal Schools	471	$15,375	41.2%	17.0%	53
48	Portales Municipal Schools	2,610	$13,291	54.4%	9.8%	52
49	Sandoval Academy of Bilingual Education	228	$11,425	75.4%	3.8%	51
50	Cloudcroft Municipal Schools	379	$17,862	35.8%	20.6%	49
51	Dora Municipal Schools	219	$16,941	38.0%	37.2%	49
52	T or C Municipal Schools	1,287	$14,645	100.0%	16.9%	48
53	Solare Collegiate Charter School	259	$11,542	100.0%	2.5%	48
54	Melrose Public Schools	295	$15,288	31.7%	9.6%	46
55	Las Cruces Public Schools	23,631	$12,237	100.0%	13.6%	45
56	Belen Consolidated Schools	3,602	$13,063	100.0%	13.3%	45
57	Lordsburg Municipal Schools	425	$17,868	57.2%	22.1%	45
58	Albuquerque Public Schools	79,805	$12,964	74.7%	17.5%	44
59	Explore Academy	1,204	$13,873	17.8%	9.6%	44
60	Taos Integrated School of the Arts	206	$11,321	100.0%	5.2%	44
61	21st Century Public Academy	393	$11,863	40.2%	10.5%	43
62	Tatum Municipal Schools	298	$16,410	38.7%	35.1%	43
63	Bloomfield Schools	2,584	$12,945	100.0%	25.5%	40
64	Lovington Municipal Schools	3,382	$12,999	98.9%	16.1%	39
65	The Ask Academy	625	$8,223	16.8%	3.8%	39
66	Clovis Municipal Schools	7,664	$11,426	100.0%	8.4%	38
67	Logan Municipal Schools	317	$16,451	44.2%	17.0%	38
68	Santa Fe Public Schools	11,769	$12,912	74.1%	30.4%	37
69	Moriarty-Edgewood School District	2,331	$12,676	100.0%	19.8%	37
70	Ruidoso Municipal Schools	1,820	$12,251	100.0%	22.9%	37
71	Loving Municipal Schools	647	$12,966	100.0%	57.3%	37
72	Texico Municipal Schools	551	$13,357	36.5%	16.1%	37
73	Mccurdy Charter School	540	$10,665	62.4%	4.1%	36
74	Aztec Municipal Schools	2,562	$12,518	100.0%	23.5%	35
75	Pojoaque Valley Public Schools	1,630	$11,596	52.8%	10.0%	33
76	Farmington Municipal Schools	11,201	$11,393	75.1%	12.9%	32
77	Estancia Valley Classical Academy	626	$8,130	21.7%	5.7%	32
78	Monte Del Sol Charter	369	$12,531	47.2%	17.2%	32
79	Altura Preparatory School	222	$11,740	13.1%	5.5%	32
80	Rio Rancho Public Schools	17,272	$11,377	41.8%	14.8%	31
81	Los Alamos Public Schools	3,724	$12,646	12.0%	20.6%	30
82	Eunice Municipal Schools	726	$13,500	54.1%	69.4%	29
83	Turquoise Trail Charter School	677	$11,490	30.4%	17.9%	29
84	Alamogordo Public Schools	5,575	$11,242	43.1%	12.4%	28
85	Abq School of Excellence	910	$11,674	45.7%	10.7%	27
86	Los Lunas Public Schools	8,234	$10,978	100.0%	13.5%	25
87	Jal Public Schools	527	$14,624	39.7%	88.5%	25
88	Artesia Public Schools	3,722	$11,580	39.8%	29.7%	24
89	Horizon Academy West	481	$10,413	29.1%	9.8%	24
90	Hobbs Municipal Schools	9,990	$11,533	100.0%	32.2%	23
91	Albuquerque Institute of Math & Science	342	$9,873	8.5%	11.1%	22
92	Tierra Encantada Charter School	289	$12,738	19.7%	17.5%	22
93	Sw Aeronautics Mathematics and Science Academy	278	$10,278	19.1%	9.1%	22
94	New Mexico Connections Academy	1,401	$10,126	43.4%	10.6%	19
95	Nm School for Arts	329	$10,178	17.0%	20.5%	19
96	Montessori Elementary School	439	$9,098	-	14.1%	15
97	The Masters Program	242	$8,436	30.6%	21.2%	11
98	Carlsbad Municipal Schools	7,102	$10,509	29.1%	50.9%	8

How the Equity Score Works

The equity score (0-100) evaluates four dimensions of school funding fairness. According to the National Center for Education Statistics F-33 Finance Survey (FY 2021-22, released in 2024), which covers more than 17,000 districts nationwide, local property wealth drives most of the spending differences the score captures; our methodology documents each weight:

Per-Pupil Spending (0-25)

Higher spending relative to peers

Need-Adjusted Spending (0-25)

Spending weighted by poverty level, rewards districts that spend more where need is greatest

Funding Diversity (0-25)

Less reliance on local property taxes, more state/federal support

Resource Access (0-25)

Lower student-teacher ratios = more individualized attention

National Equity Rankings → ← Back to New Mexico

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