Best public high schools in New Mexico

(STACKER) – As filmmaker and writer Nora Ephron said during a ’96 commencement address at Wellesley College, “Your education is a dress rehearsal for a life that is yours to lead.” If that’s the case, high school may be one of the greatest dress rehearsals of all.

It’s a place where students explore their interests, dive into extracurricular activities, finally get the freedom to choose their own classes, and prepare for college or the workplace. For many of these students and their families, public education is key: 49.5 million students enrolled in public PreK-12 schools in 2021, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Of those, about a third were in high school, enrolled across about 23,500 public secondary schools nationwide.

For many anxious parents, getting their kids into the best of these public high schools is of the utmost importance. Some families even move homes to get into better school districts. However, among all of these thousands of schools, a few stand out for their academic excellence, incredible track records, and the future success of their young students.

Stacker compiled a list of the 30 best public high schools in New Mexico using 2023 rankings from Niche . Niche uses eight weighted factors for its rankings. A majority of the score is based on academics and grades, but other factors include culture and diversity, health and safety, clubs and activities, resources, and surveys of parents, teachers and students. School districts are provided when available; otherwise, the city is listed instead.

#30. Fort Sumner High School

– District: Fort Sumner Municipal Schools
– Enrollment: 77 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: B+

#29. Clovis High School Freshman Academy

– District: Clovis Municipal Schools
– Enrollment: 613 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A-

#28. Volcano Vista High School

– District: Albuquerque Public Schools
– Enrollment: 2,175 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A-

#27. Estancia Valley Classical Academy

– District: Moriarty
– Enrollment: 597 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A-

#26. Amy Biehl Charter High School

– City: Albuquerque
– Enrollment: 277 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A-

#25. Public Academy for Performing Arts

– District: Albuquerque Public Schools
– Enrollment: 449 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A-

#24. Early College High School

– District: Roswell Independent Schools
– Enrollment: 191 (27:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: B

#23. Rio Rancho Cyber Academy

– District: Rio Rancho Public Schools
– Enrollment: 150 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A-

#22. Texico High School

– District: Texico Municipal Schools
– Enrollment: 163 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A-

#21. Sandia High School

– District: Albuquerque Public Schools
– Enrollment: 1,786 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A-

#20. Cleveland High School

– District: Rio Rancho Public Schools
– Enrollment: 2,585 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A-

#19. Taos Academy

– District: Taos
– Enrollment: 218 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A-

#18. Carlsbad Early College High School

– District: Carlsbad Municipal Schools
– Enrollment: 208 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A-

#17. Eldorado High School

– District: Albuquerque Public Schools
– Enrollment: 1,694 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A-

#16. College & Career High School

– District: Albuquerque Public Schools
– Enrollment: 273 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A-

#15. New Mexico School for the Arts

– City: Santa Fe
– Enrollment: 292 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A

#14. The Ask Academy

– District: Rio Rancho
– Enrollment: 567 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A

#13. The MASTERS Program

– City: Santa Fe
– Enrollment: 270 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A

#12. Albuquerque School of Excellence

– City: Albuquerque
– Enrollment: 905 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A

#11. Early College Academy

– District: Albuquerque Public Schools
– Enrollment: 202 (202:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A

#10. San Juan College High School

– District: Farmington Municipal Schools
– Enrollment: 286 (26:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A

#9. Academy for Technology & the Classics

– District: Santa Fe Public Schools
– Enrollment: 379 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A

#8. Cottonwood Classical Preparatory School

– District: Albuquerque Public Schools
– Enrollment: 782 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A

#7. Mandela International Magnet School

– District: Santa Fe Public Schools
– Enrollment: 282 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A

#6. East Mountain High School

– District: Albuquerque Public Schools
– Enrollment: 372 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A

#5. Nex+Gen Academy

– District: Albuquerque Public Schools
– Enrollment: 267 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A

#4. Albuquerque Institute of Math & Science

– City: Albuquerque
– Enrollment: 382 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A

#3. Arrowhead Park Early College High School

– District: Las Cruces Public Schools
– Enrollment: 311 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A

#2. Los Alamos High School

– District: Los Alamos Public Schools
– Enrollment: 891 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A+

#1. La Cueva High School

– District: Albuquerque Public Schools
– Enrollment: 1,784 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A+

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