SANTA FE, New Mexico — A ranking that placed New Mexico near the bottom among states in US education is facing renewed scrutiny with recent state data showing improvement in student performance.
The state ranks 50th in K–12 education in national assessments, such as the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Kids Count Data Book. The rankings are centered on indicators such as reading and math proficiency, school engagement, and graduation rates. For years, it has sustained the narrative that New Mexico is “last in education.”
Those rankings remain unchanged over the years. But education officials and some analysts argue these rankings fail to capture recent improvements, especially in early literacy.
Reading proficiency among students in grades 3 to 8, according to the New Mexico Public Education Department (PED), rose by about 10 percentage points over the past three years. About 44 percent or four in every 10 students are now reading at grade level, an improvement from one-third in the previous assessment.
Education officials have noted improvement across major student groups, including Hispanic, Native American, and English learner students. These populations historically posted the lowest proficiency rates.
“These results confirm that the state’s investments in early literacy and the science of reading are working,” said Public Education Secretary Mariana D. Padilla.
New Mexico literacy gains are encouraging. Education advocates, however, cautioned that they are not yet large or sustained enough to alter the state’s standing in national comparisons.
The state presents a more mixed picture beyond K-12 education.
For instance, New Mexico performs comparatively well in higher education. It ranks 20th in national assessments based on measures including college affordability, access, and graduate return on investment.
That contrast highlights a broader debate about how educational performance is measured. Questions persist whether widely cited national rankings offer a complete picture of a state’s education system.
New Mexico Voices for Children, an advocacy group, said the data in the report do not reflect the positive outcomes from policy changes in recent years. These include enhanced child care assistance and pre-k funding.
However, the group argued for further action.
“These efforts matter, and in time, they will move the needle,” wrote Gabrielle Uballez, executive director of NM Voices for Children.