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Vista Middle

Q: Is Vista Middle a good school?

Vista Middle ranks 86 th of 191 New Mexico middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend Vista Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 574 students attended Vista Middle.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Vista Middle?

Students at Vista Middle are 86% Hispanic, 9% White, 2% Two or more races, 1% African American, 1% American Indian.

Q: What high school do graduates of Vista Middle attend?

Students who attend Vista Middle usually go on to attend Arrowhead Park Early College High School

Public Grades 6-8

86^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 191 New Mexico Middle Schools

Better than 55% of New Mexico middle schools

Summary

Vista Middle is a grades 6–8 middle school in Las Cruces, New Mexico, serving 574 students as part of Las Cruces Public Schools. For 2025–2026 it ranks 86th of 191 middle schools statewide — the 55th percentile, with 3 stars — placing it ahead of its district, which ranks 49th of 87 in New Mexico. That is Vista's best statewide showing since 2018–2019 and a clear step up from a low of 148th of 232 (36th percentile) in 2021–2022 and 101st of 192 in 2024–2025.

ELA is the engine of that improvement. Vista's 52.04% proficiency is above the district's 46.49% and the state's 44.66%, and all three grades beat district and state averages: 6th grade 47.06, 7th grade 56.25, and 8th grade 51.78. Among nearby Las Cruces middle schools, only the much smaller Mesilla Valley Leadership Academy and Camino Real Middle score higher in ELA. Math is more mixed at 24.65% proficient, slightly below the district (26.85%) and state (27.85%), while 8th-grade science proficiency is 31.12%, also below both. The school's student-teacher ratio of 10.2 is among the lowest of its nearby peers, which may be one factor behind the recent gains.

The most striking weakness is 8th-grade math, where proficiency drops to 12.69% — well below the district's 18.56% and the state's 20.29% — even though 6th- and 7th-grade math are above district and state. Science, tested only in 8th grade, is a related area to watch. Vista serves a very high-poverty population (100% free/reduced lunch in 2024–2025), and its recent results for low-income, Hispanic, English Language Learner, and special education students have been relatively strong, though small subgroup sizes make year-to-year results volatile. Sierra Middle is a close comparator with higher math and science but lower ELA, while Camino Real Middle, a larger nearby school with the same high-poverty profile, remains the aspirational benchmark.

574

Students ?

10.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,507

Per pupil spending ?

44.4%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

All students receive free meals (Community Eligibility, 2024-25)

All students in New Mexico receive free school meals.

4465 Elks Dr
Las Cruces, NM 88001

(575) 527-9465

District: Las Cruces Public Schools

Students who attend Vista Middle usually attend:

High:	Arrowhead Park Early College High School
	Organ Mountain High School

Feeder schools for Vista Middle:

Elementary:	Columbia Elementary
	Dona Ana Elementary
	Jornada Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

86.2%

White:

9.4%

Two or more races:

1.9%

See top rated New Mexico middle schools

Compare Vista Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 43rd percentile in 2015 → 55th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 12 percentile points since 2015

✓Above the New Mexico median (55th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school37%

District avg37%

New Mexico avg36%

86^th of 191

New Mexico public middle schools ?

Top 45%▲ up 9 pts since 2016

From bottom 46% (2016) to top 45% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of New Mexico Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 8Middle Schools in the Las Cruces Public Schools

49^th of 87Las Cruces Public Schools among New Mexico districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	47.9	86 of 191	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	39.7	101 of 192	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.7	102 of 165	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.5	136 of 239	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.7	148 of 232	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	46.2	92 of 200	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.9	79 of 186	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2017	50.9	72 of 176	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2016	40.0	113 of 208	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2015	37.6	118 of 207	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2014	42.9	125 of 222	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	41.2	109 of 193	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2012	32.3	121 of 178	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2011	26.9	131 of 173	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	36.8	111 of 179	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2009	48.4	83 of 178	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2008	44.7	86 of 172	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2007	44.4	91 of 171	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2006	62.3	47 of 156	69.9%	★★★★☆
2005	60.3	55 of 157	65.0%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2022	34.7	40 of 55	27.3%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2018	39.7	28 of 52	46.2%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	48.9	33 of 108	69.4%	★★★★☆
2023	32.5	36 of 97	62.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	40.1	70 of 136	48.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	26.9	113 of 162	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.1	133 of 213	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	25.4	134 of 220	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.7	78 of 160	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.8	65 of 156	58.3%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	51.4	55 of 143	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	43.1	64 of 148	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	30.3	102 of 154	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.2	118 of 204	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	28.3	127 of 214	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.4	68 of 150	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	52.6	61 of 149	59.1%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2022	41.5	19 of 33	42.4%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	50.5	45 of 133	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	43.4	83 of 173	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	30.6	92 of 144	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.2	109 of 227	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	36.8	113 of 223	49.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	59.8	53 of 175	69.7%	★★★★☆
2018	66.1	38 of 168	77.4%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	49.4	58 of 145	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	31.4	90 of 161	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.2	130 of 221	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.8	119 of 213	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.4	77 of 152	49.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.3	65 of 151	57.0%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2022	57.0	25 of 65	61.5%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	36.3	24 of 78	69.2%	★★★★☆
2023	19.7	80 of 100	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	34.5	26 of 44	40.9%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	45.4	82 of 170	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	37.5	97 of 178	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	24.8	92 of 142	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.8	147 of 229	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.5	107 of 187	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	46.9	58 of 121	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.9	61 of 120	49.2%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

English Language Learner (2024)69th percentile+31 vs school

Special Education (2024)69th percentile+31 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)66th percentile+11 vs school

Multi-racial (2022)62nd percentile+25 vs school

Hispanic (2026)62nd percentile+7 vs school

Male (2026)60th percentile+5 vs school

White (2026)52nd percentile-3 vs school

Female (2026)49th percentile-6 vs school

Disabled (2018)46th percentile-11 vs school

Homeless (2022)42nd percentile+6 vs school

African American (2022)27th percentile-9 vs school

By subject vs New Mexico (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts52%+7 vs state

Science31%-3 vs state

Mathematics25%-3 vs state

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Schools Near Vista Middle

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				NM-ASR Science (2026)		NM-MSSA English Language Arts (2026)				NM-MSSA Mathematics (2026)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Directly certified (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NM-ASR Science 8th Grade	NM-ASR Science All Grades	NM-MSSA English Language Arts 6th Grade	NM-MSSA English Language Arts 7th Grade	NM-MSSA English Language Arts 8th Grade	NM-MSSA English Language Arts All Grades	NM-MSSA Mathematics 6th Grade	NM-MSSA Mathematics 7th Grade	NM-MSSA Mathematics 8th Grade	NM-MSSA Mathematics All Grades	Total
Vista Middle	Public	6-8	4465 Elks Dr	Las Cruces	88001	Doña Ana County	Las Cruces Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9465	574	56	10.2	44.4%	54 (9.4%)	7 (1.2%)	495 (86.2%)	1 (0.2%)	6 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (1.9%)	47.9	86^th of 191 public middle schools	55.0%		39.7	101^st of 192 public middle schools	47.4%	15	31.1		47.5	56.9	51.6	52.0	33.7	28.2	12.5	24.7	$8,507
Camino Real Middle	Public	6-8	2961 Roadrunner Pkwy	Las Cruces	88001	Doña Ana County	Las Cruces Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-6030	933	84	11.1	30.7%	225 (24.1%)	17 (1.8%)	652 (69.9%)	16 (1.7%)	6 (0.6%)	2 (0.2%)	15 (1.6%)	77.4	32^nd of 191 public middle schools	83.2%		69.5	47^th of 192 public middle schools	75.5%	15	58.1		61.2	68.3	58.1	62.4	48.3	35.3	34.7	38.7	$7,720
Sierra Middle	Public	6-8	1700 E Spruce Ave	Las Cruces	88001	Doña Ana County	Las Cruces Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9640	698	66	10.6	48.0%	96 (13.8%)	15 (2.1%)	574 (82.2%)	4 (0.6%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	5 (0.7%)	40.2	101^st of 191 public middle schools	47.1%		44.6	88^th of 192 public middle schools	54.2%	13	36.0		38.7	42.0	42.7	41.0	30.6	25.8	23.4	26.9	$8,018
Picacho Middle	Public	6-8	1040 North Motel Blvd	Las Cruces	88001	Doña Ana County	Las Cruces Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9455	698	61	11.4	46.4%	102 (14.6%)	9 (1.3%)	577 (82.7%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (0.9%)	20.3	157^th of 191 public middle schools	17.8%		28.1	135^th of 192 public middle schools	29.7%	22	25.3		21.6	31.9	42.8	32.7	18.0	13.2	9.8	13.4	$9,072
Mesa Middle	Public	6-8	7225 Jornada Rd North	Las Cruces	88001	Doña Ana County	Las Cruces Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9510	728	47	15.6	40.0%	90 (12.4%)	13 (1.8%)	595 (81.7%)	7 (1.0%)	7 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	15 (2.1%)	25.1	144^th of 191 public middle schools	24.6%		31.2	124^th of 192 public middle schools	35.4%	20	29.0		32.7	40.9	36.8	37.0	24.1	14.7	8.8	16.2	$8,992
Mesilla Valley Leadership Academy	Public	6-8	950 South Walnut St	Las Cruces	88001	Doña Ana County	Las Cruces Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-6059	94	6	15.6	17.0%	42 (44.7%)	1 (1.1%)	48 (51.1%)	1 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.1%)	91.8	16^th of 191 public middle schools	91.6%		83.7	27^th of 192 public middle schools	85.9%	11	84.4		80.7	80.6	84.4	81.8	50.0	50.0	43.8	48.0	$10,283
Lynn Middle	Public	6-8	950 South Walnut St	Las Cruces	88001	Doña Ana County	Las Cruces Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9445	507	52	9.8	62.9%	75 (14.8%)	12 (2.4%)	399 (78.7%)	5 (1.0%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.4%)	19.4	161^st of 191 public middle schools	15.7%		16.6	167^th of 192 public middle schools	13.0%	6	28.1		30.6	32.8	30.2	31.2	12.5	19.2	7.2	12.7	$8,523
Zia Middle	Public	6-8	1300 West University Ave	Las Cruces	88001	Doña Ana County	Las Cruces Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9475	616	60	10.2	48.9%	98 (15.9%)	12 (1.9%)	494 (80.2%)	2 (0.3%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (0.8%)	23.9	146^th of 191 public middle schools	23.6%		32.3	120^th of 192 public middle schools	37.5%	26	26.2		26.3	35.6	33.0	31.4	24.2	22.2	16.1	20.7	$8,805
La Academia Dolores Huerta	Public, Charter	6-8	400 West Bell Ave	Las Cruces	88005	Doña Ana County	La Academia Dolores Huerta	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-5800	0	6	.0	—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)				41.2		29.5		< 20%		< 10%	$10,699

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