New Mexico Schools & Education
Public school metrics and education data for all 33 counties.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataAvg Graduation Rate
79.0%
Avg Per-Pupil Spending
$7,957
Avg School Score
33/100
Total Schools
888
150 districts
State Overview
About Schools in New Mexico
This summary is generated from the NCES metrics shown on this page and reviewed against the source data by the Data Editor. It is not school advice.
New Mexico Struggles Below National Education Benchmarks
New Mexico's 79% average graduation rate trails the national average of 87% by a significant margin. The state spends an average of $7,957 per pupil, which is roughly 38% less than the national benchmark of $13,000 per student.
Massive Performance Gaps Across 33 Counties
Educational outcomes vary wildly across the state's 33 counties, ranging from a high graduation rate of 93% in Los Alamos to a low of 67.6% in Rio Arriba. While the state average score sits near the national median at 49.8, individual county scores fluctuate between 60.2 and 41.9.
Low Spending Correlates With Lagging Outcomes
With a statewide average investment of $7,957 per student, New Mexico struggles to match national graduation benchmarks. Resource distribution remains uneven, as Catron County invests $13,747 per student while Valencia County operates on just $5,895.
State Score Context
How New Mexico Counties Are Distributed
33 of 33 counties have enough NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data to receive a county school score. Use this distribution to understand whether the state has a concentrated cluster of high, midrange, or lower measured signals.
Scored county coverage
Counties with complete enough data for the composite score
100%
Higher measured signal
Score range 70-100
0
Midrange measured signal
Score range 40-69
10
Lower measured signal
Score range 0-39
23
Scores are comparative signals from available federal data, not ratings of individual schools.
Best school counties
Best Counties for Public School Research in New Mexico
For a first-pass answer to parent searches about where the best schools are in New Mexico, start with county-level evidence, then open individual school and district records. SchoolsByCounty ranks counties by public education signals, not by private opinions or paid school ratings.
Short answer for New Mexico
De Baca County is the strongest county-level starting point in New Mexico by the current SchoolsByCounty score, with a measured school signal of 69/100. This is a county comparison signal, not a promise that every school in the county is the best fit for every family.
Ranking methodology
33 of 33 counties have enough federal education data for a county school score. The ranking favors counties with stronger available graduation-rate and school-finance signals, then asks parents to verify individual school fit locally. The table below should help parents choose what to compare next; it should not replace attendance-boundary checks, program eligibility, commute, services, or direct district confirmation.
State average per-pupil spending in this dataset: $7,957.
Top measured county school signals
Ranked by the county school score where enough federal data is available.
Los Alamos County
93.0%
Los Alamos County has the strongest reported county graduation-rate signal in New Mexico. Use this as a broad county context, then review individual high-school records.
Catron County
$13,747
Catron County reports the highest per-pupil spending among counties with available data. Higher spending is context, not a guarantee of student fit.
Curry County
10/100
Curry County has one of the lowest measured county school signals in New Mexico. Review missing data, district context, and individual school records before drawing conclusions.
District research
Compare New Mexico public school districts before narrowing by address
New Mexico has 150 public school district records and 888 school records in the NCES file. Use the district hub to sort large district systems by enrollment, school count, county context, and generated district-guide coverage.
All New Mexico Counties
| County | School Score |
|---|---|
De Baca County
| 69/100 |
Los Alamos County
| 67/100 |
Mora County
| 65/100 |
Guadalupe County
| 54/100 |
Catron County
| 51/100 |
Harding County
| 51/100 |
Sierra County
| 48/100 |
Hidalgo County
| 47/100 |
Colfax County
| 45/100 |
Union County
| 43/100 |
Roosevelt County
| 37/100 |
Quay County
| 36/100 |
Lincoln County
| 36/100 |
McKinley County
| 33/100 |
Grant County
| 33/100 |
Taos County
| 30/100 |
Cibola County
| 29/100 |
Lea County
| 28/100 |
Sandoval County
| 28/100 |
Socorro County
| 27/100 |
Rio Arriba County
| 24/100 |
Doña Ana County
| 24/100 |
San Juan County
| 24/100 |
Luna County
| 23/100 |
Bernalillo County
| 23/100 |
Torrance County
| 22/100 |
San Miguel County
| 21/100 |
Chaves County
| 20/100 |
Otero County
| 19/100 |
Santa Fe County
| 16/100 |
Eddy County
| 13/100 |
Curry County
| 10/100 |
Valencia County
| 10/100 |
— = data not available for this county.
Compare county school profiles in New Mexico
Use the comparison tool to review school scores, graduation rates, and spending side by side.
Frequently Asked Questions About New Mexico Schools
Which New Mexico counties have the highest graduation rates?
What is per-pupil spending like in New Mexico?
What are the best school counties in New Mexico?
Which New Mexico county has the strongest measured school score?
What is the average graduation rate in New Mexico?
Which county in New Mexico has the lowest school score?
Data Sources
Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.
Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.