Mandela International Magnet (Mims)

Mandela International Magnet (Mims) is a small public magnet school in Santa Fe, New Mexico, serving 290 students in grades 7 through 12 as part of Santa Fe Public Schools. Even though that district ranks 56th of 87 in New Mexico, Mandela itself is a statewide standout: in 2025–2026 it ranked 6th of 132 high schools in the state, placing in the 95th percentile with 5 stars. This is not a one-year spike — the school has ranked in the top 5–7 statewide in every year shown since 2018–2019.

Proficiency is roughly double district and state averages. In 2025–2026, Mandela's all-grade rates were 84.35% in Language Arts, 57.14% in Mathematics, and 80.65% in Science — about 41, 32, and 47 points above state averages. Nearby competitors don't come close: Nm School For The Arts (75.86% in ELA, 25.29% in math) is the closest, while Academy For Technology & Classics trails by roughly 26–33 points, and large comprehensive high schools such as Santa Fe High and Capital High sit far below on every reported measure. Mandela's latest available graduation rate is 97.1% in 2023–2024, compared with a district rate of 83.1% and a state rate of 78.0% that year.

Effectiveness for specific student groups is another major strength: Mandela ranked 3rd of 115 statewide for low-income students in 2024–2025 (97th percentile) and ranks highly for several other groups as well. Its 11:1 student–teacher ratio and 290-student enrollment are similar to other small magnets and much lower than the large high schools, which may allow for more personalized instruction. One watch point is 11th-grade math at 46.88% — lower than the school's 7th-grade math (64.81%), though still nearly four times district and state rates. Keep in mind that some figures are missing or suppressed, so bounded numbers should not be read as exact.