Summary:
Carlsbad, New Mexico is served by 12 schools within Carlsbad Municipal Schools — six elementary schools, two middle schools, two high schools, and two alternative schools — enrolling roughly 6,901 students in grades PK through 12. The district overall ranks 53rd of 87 New Mexico districts (about the 39th percentile) with a 2-star rating, but that average conceals large differences between individual campuses.
At the top, Carlsbad Early College High is the clearest standout: just 200 students, 10% free/reduced lunch, and 11th-grade proficiency far above state averages in ELA (74.42% vs 36.78%), math (27.91% vs 12.72%), and science (72.73% vs 34.02%). Among elementaries, Cottonwood Elementary, Monterrey Elementary, and Desert Willow Elementary all beat state averages in all-grade ELA and math, with notable grade-level peaks like Monterrey's 5th-grade math (60.71% vs 33.97%). Carlsbad Intermediate School – Pr Leyva Campus is the stronger middle school, above state in ELA and math, though it has slipped from the 76th to the 55th percentile.
Other schools face bigger challenges. Carlsbad Sixth Grade Academy – Alta Vista Campus sits at the 7th percentile with 0 stars, and Sunset Elementary has fallen sharply to the 14th percentile, with 5th-grade ELA at 17.78% and math at 11.11%. Carlsbad High shows a split profile: a 90.5% graduation rate, above district and state, but low proficiency and a 1-star, 17th-percentile rank. Jefferson Montessori and Carlsbad Enrichment Center serve alternative populations with many suppressed values; a dash means the state did not publish the figure and should not be read as zero.
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