Summary
Cibola High is a large comprehensive high school serving grades 9–12 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with 1,517 students in Albuquerque Public Schools, a district ranked 55th of 87 statewide. Cibola's 2025–2026 school rank is 56th of 132 (58th percentile, 3 stars) — above the statewide median and above its own district, but not among the state's elite. Its recent history is volatile: a 74th-percentile, 4-star showing in 2023–2024 followed a weak 44th-percentile year in 2022–2023.
Academically, Cibola beats both district and state averages in English language arts and science for 11th graders: 44.25 in ELA versus APS's 40.67 and the state's 36.78, and 38.46 in science versus 34.16 and 34.02. Math is a different story — 16.03, essentially identical to the district (16.08) and modestly above the state (12.72), meaning only about one in six students is proficient. SAT ELA has slid from 52.47 to 44.37 over three years, though it remains above district and state. Its 78.1% graduation rate tops APS's 75.6% but trails New Mexico's 80.6%, suggesting completion deserves as much attention as test scores.
Against nearby APS peers, Cibola outpaces Valley High in every core subject and in graduation, and holds a mixed edge over Volcano Vista High — higher math, science, and rank, but lower ELA and a lower graduation rate (78.1% vs. 87.2%). Suburban and charter alternatives such as Rio Rancho High, Cottonwood Classical Prep, and The Ask Academy post stronger outcomes but serve far lower-poverty or much smaller populations. Cibola's reported free/reduced lunch rate jumped from 34.34% to 95.85% in two years — too large to be a real demographic shift, and likely a reporting change. Subgroup results are a bright spot for English learners, low-income, multiracial, and military-connected students, who often rank above the school's overall standing.
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