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Highland Elementary

Q: Is Highland Elementary a good school?

Highland Elementary ranks 108 th of 345 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

108^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 345 New Mexico Elementary Schools

Better than 69% of New Mexico elementary schools

Summary

Highland Elementary is a public elementary school located in Las Cruces, New Mexico, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 724 students. The school is part of the Las Cruces school district, which is ranked 45 out of 82 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Highland Elementary consistently ranks in the top 25% of New Mexico elementary schools, with a current ranking of 108 out of 345 schools. The school's performance on state assessments is significantly higher than the district and state averages, with 55.29% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 46.12% in the Las Cruces district and 44.19% statewide. In mathematics, 32.35% of Highland Elementary students were proficient or better, compared to 25.43% in the district and 26.81% statewide.

Despite having a very high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 99.86% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, Highland Elementary outperforms most of the nearby schools in the Las Cruces district, including Booker T. Washington, Dona Ana Elementary, and Sunrise Elementary. The only nearby school that appears to outperform Highland Elementary is Desert Hills Elementary, which ranks in the top 10% of New Mexico elementary schools.

704

Students ?

14.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,078

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4201 Emerald St
Las Cruces, NM 88012

(575) 527-9636

District: Las Cruces

Students who attend Highland Elementary usually attend:

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

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

74.1%

White:

18.0%

Two or more races:

3.6%

See top rated New Mexico elementary schools

Compare Highland Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 79th percentile in 2014 → 69th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the New Mexico average (42% vs 35% meeting standards)

✓Above the New Mexico median (69th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 10 percentile points since 2014

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school42%

District avg36%

New Mexico avg35%

108^th of 345

New Mexico public elementary schools ?

Top 31%▲ up 10 pts since 2015

From top 41% (2015) to top 31% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of New Mexico Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

9^th of 24Elementary Schools in the Las Cruces

45^th of 82Las Cruces 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
2025	58.4	108 of 345	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.2	115 of 413	72.2%	★★★★☆
2023	72.0	112 of 435	74.3%	★★★★☆
2022	64.0	110 of 420	73.8%	★★★★☆
2019	59.1	134 of 396	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.1	97 of 383	74.7%	★★★★☆
2017	72.1	76 of 374	79.7%	★★★★☆
2016	66.5	102 of 410	75.1%	★★★★☆
2015	50.0	172 of 421	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2014	72.4	94 of 442	78.7%	★★★★☆
2013	76.2	83 of 412	79.9%	★★★★☆
2012	75.1	77 of 398	80.7%	★★★★☆
2011	56.5	152 of 402	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2010	70.8	98 of 419	76.6%	★★★★☆
2009	72.6	89 of 411	78.3%	★★★★☆
2008	68.4	99 of 405	75.6%	★★★★☆
2007	75.9	67 of 398	83.2%	★★★★☆
2006	77.7	67 of 390	82.8%	★★★★☆
2005	73.9	80 of 389	79.4%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	51.6	101 of 223	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	72.4	51 of 191	73.3%	★★★★☆
2022	50.9	87 of 203	57.1%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	62.4	109 of 398	72.6%	★★★★☆
2023	69.9	107 of 390	72.6%	★★★★☆
2022	49.7	136 of 395	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.2	126 of 343	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.5	82 of 339	75.8%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2025	53.2	100 of 255	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.0	106 of 384	72.4%	★★★★☆
2023	69.7	101 of 395	74.4%	★★★★☆
2022	60.9	92 of 389	76.3%	★★★★☆
2019	52.2	135 of 320	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.7	87 of 329	73.6%	★★★★☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2022	57.8	13 of 36	63.9%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2025	61.0	90 of 325	72.3%	★★★★☆
2024	63.9	105 of 356	70.5%	★★★★☆
2023	82.9	65 of 426	84.7%	★★★★☆
2022	74.7	42 of 410	89.8%	★★★★☆
2019	49.3	169 of 361	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.0	139 of 356	61.0%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	55.0	143 of 397	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.8	125 of 414	69.8%	★★★★☆
2022	66.4	78 of 392	80.1%	★★★★☆
2019	51.8	142 of 337	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.8	104 of 333	68.8%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2023	37.2	121 of 165	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	15.7	47 of 47	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2025	54.6	117 of 304	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.8	115 of 339	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	69.9	109 of 413	73.6%	★★★★☆
2022	57.9	116 of 325	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	50.6	101 of 199	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	58.2	76 of 187	59.4%	★★★☆☆

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)

Female (2024)73rd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)72nd percentile+4 vs school

Male (2024)64th percentile-8 vs school

Homeless (2022)64th percentile-10 vs school

White (2025)62nd percentile-7 vs school

Hispanic (2025)61st percentile-8 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)55th percentile-17 vs school

Special Education (2023)27th percentile-48 vs school

By subject vs New Mexico (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts55%+11 vs state

Science34%+4 vs state

Mathematics32%+6 vs state

★

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Schools Near Highland Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				NM-ASR Science (2025)	NM-MSSA English Language Arts (2025)				NM-MSSA Mathematics (2025)				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	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NM-ASR Science 5th Grade	NM-MSSA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	NM-MSSA English Language Arts 4th Grade	NM-MSSA English Language Arts 5th Grade	NM-MSSA English Language Arts All Grades	NM-MSSA Mathematics 3rd Grade	NM-MSSA Mathematics 4th Grade	NM-MSSA Mathematics 5th Grade	NM-MSSA Mathematics All Grades	Total
Highland Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4201 Emerald St	Las Cruces	88012	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9636	704	49	14.3	100.0%	127 (18.0%)	11 (1.6%)	522 (74.1%)	14 (2.0%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (3.6%)	58.4	108^th of 345 public elementary schools	68.7%		65.2	115^th of 413 public elementary schools	72.2%	7	33.7	44.6	66.1	53.9	55.3	17.9	32.3	48.1	32.4	$8,078
Sonoma Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4201 Northrise Dr	Las Cruces	88011	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 541-7320	660	55	12.0	99.8%	115 (17.4%)	10 (1.5%)	503 (76.2%)	8 (1.2%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (3.0%)	75.8	54^th of 345 public elementary schools	84.3%		68.8	101^st of 413 public elementary schools	75.5%	47	44.9	55.9	67.8	53.1	59.3	35.1	44.9	45.9	41.9	$8,200
Monte Vista Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4675 Peachtree Hills	Las Cruces	88012	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9490	706	56	12.6	100.0%	105 (14.9%)	15 (2.1%)	555 (78.6%)	10 (1.4%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (2.7%)	48.3	151^st of 345 public elementary schools	56.2%		49.2	175^th of 413 public elementary schools	57.6%	24	29.1	44.7	53.3	52.4	50.0	18.4	34.6	31.1	27.8	$9,083
Jornada Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3400 Elks Dr	Las Cruces	88005	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9536	429	38	11.4	100.0%	45 (10.5%)	3 (0.7%)	368 (85.8%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.1%)	48.9	142^nd of 345 public elementary schools	58.8%		51.2	168^th of 413 public elementary schools	59.3%	26	42.6	34.7	57.7	46.3	46.4	16.0	29.5	44.4	28.5	$8,912
Columbia Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4555 Elks Dr	Las Cruces	88005	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-1561	182	26	7.0	100.0%	12 (6.6%)	6 (3.3%)	163 (89.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	26.1	250^th of 345 public elementary schools	27.5%		30.7	271^st of 413 public elementary schools	34.4%	21	22.6	37.9	36.4	29.0	34.4			25.8	15.1	$10,474
Desert Hills Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	280 North Roadrunner Pkwy	Las Cruces	88011	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9619	502	42	12.0	100.0%	103 (20.5%)	13 (2.6%)	340 (67.7%)	26 (5.2%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.2%)	85.6	35^th of 345 public elementary schools	89.9%		85.6	44^th of 413 public elementary schools	89.3%	9	67.9	45.1	68.1	79.0	63.8	41.5	47.2	67.9	52.3	$8,467
Loma Heights Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1600 East Madrid	Las Cruces	88001	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9546	450	38	11.8	100.0%	39 (8.7%)	10 (2.2%)	398 (88.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	19.3	301^st of 345 public elementary schools	12.8%		25	307^th of 413 public elementary schools	25.7%	6	19.0	23.3	38.8	36.2	33.3	11.7	16.3	22.4	16.7	$10,870
Booker T. Washington	Public	PK, KG-5	755 East Chestnut Ave	Las Cruces	88001	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9595	361	33	11.1	100.0%	24 (6.6%)	1 (0.3%)	335 (92.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	22.3	277^th of 345 public elementary schools	19.7%		13.2	371^st of 413 public elementary schools	10.2%	94	17.8	40.0		28.9	31.8			17.8	13.6	$13,990
Dona Ana Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5551 Camino De Flores	Las Cruces	88001	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9506	372	31	12.1	100.0%	28 (7.5%)	0 (0.0%)	342 (91.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46.1	162^nd of 345 public elementary schools	53.0%		46.2	192^nd of 413 public elementary schools	53.5%	30	32.8	34.6	55.8	49.1	45.8	21.8	30.2	35.1	29.0	$11,823
Cesar Chavez Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	5250 N Holman Rd	Las Cruces	88012	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-6022	492	48	10.3	100.0%	38 (7.7%)	3 (0.6%)	443 (90.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	4 (0.8%)								(n/a)										$12,728

Frequently Asked Questions about Highland Elementary

How many students attend Highland Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 704 students attended Highland Elementary.

What district is Highland Elementary in?

Las Cruces

What is the racial makeup of Highland Elementary?

Students at Highland Elementary are 74% Hispanic, 18% White, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian, 2% African American.

Is Highland Elementary a good school?

Highland Elementary ranks 108^th of 345 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Highland Elementary attend?

Students who attend Highland Elementary usually go on to attend:

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

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Schools in Las Cruces, NM

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the New Mexico Public Education Department.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.