Public schools in Las Cruces, NM

46 open public schools with an address in Las Cruces, operated by 10 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.

Public schools

NCES preliminary directory 2025–26

Reported students

23,975

45 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25

Median student–teacher ratio

11.4:1

New Mexico median 12.4:1

Charter schools

3 magnet · 0 virtual

An overview of Las Cruces public schools

The federal directory lists 46 public schools in Las Cruces, NM: 28 elementary, 8 middle, 10 high. The 45 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 23,975 students, an average of 533 per school. The largest campus is Organ Mountain High School (2,128 students), and the largest elementary school is Monte Vista Elementary (706).

Las Cruces Public Schools operates the most schools here (37), plus 9 charter, service, or other agencies. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.

Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 11.4:1, lower than the statewide school median of 12.4:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.

School choice options include 7 charter schools, 3 magnet schools. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.

Among 8 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 6 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 5 of 9 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.

Independent charter agency

1 school in Las Cruces

Elementary schools in Las Cruces

School	Grades	Students	Ratio
Alameda Elementary Las Cruces Public Schools	PK–05	331	12.5:1
Booker T. Washington Las Cruces Public Schools	PK–05	361	11.1:1
Central Elementary Las Cruces Public Schools	PK–05	182	11:1
Cesar Chavez Elementary Las Cruces Public Schools	PK–02	492	10.4:1
Columbia Elementary Las Cruces Public Schools	PK–05	182	7:1
Conlee Elementary Las Cruces Public Schools	PK–05	417	12:1
Desert Hills Elementary Las Cruces Public Schools	PK–05	502	12.1:1
Dona Ana Elementary Las Cruces Public Schools	PK–05	372	12.2:1
East Picacho Elementary Las Cruces Public Schools	PK–05	460	12.3:1
Explore Academy Las Cruces Explore Academy Las Cruces · Charter	KG–08	599	11.6:1
Fairacres Elementary Las Cruces Public Schools	PK–05	405	13:1
Hermosa Heights Elementary Las Cruces Public Schools	PK–05	408	11.3:1
Highland Elementary Las Cruces Public Schools	PK–05	704	14.4:1
Hillrise Elementary Las Cruces Public Schools	PK–05	421	12.8:1
J Paul Taylor Academy J Paul Taylor Academy · Charter	KG–08	200	12.6:1
Jornada Elementary Las Cruces Public Schools	PK–05	429	11.4:1
Loma Heights Elementary Las Cruces Public Schools	PK–05	450	11.9:1
Mac Arthur Elementary Las Cruces Public Schools	PK–05	335	11.6:1
Mesilla Elementary Las Cruces Public Schools	PK–05	324	11.4:1
Mesilla Park Elementary Las Cruces Public Schools	PK–05	311	9.6:1
Monte Vista Elementary Las Cruces Public Schools	PK–05	706	12.7:1
Raices del Saber Xinachtli Community Raices del Saber Xinachtli Community · Charter	KG–05	122	9.9:1
Sonoma Elementary Las Cruces Public Schools	PK–05	660	12:1
Sunrise Elementary Las Cruces Public Schools	03–05	363	12.5:1
Tombaugh Elementary Las Cruces Public Schools	PK–05	565	12.2:1
University Hills Elementary Las Cruces Public Schools	PK–05	363	11.3:1
Valley View Elementary Las Cruces Public Schools	PK–05	343	10.1:1
White Sands Elementary Las Cruces Public Schools	PK–08	270	10.6:1

Middle schools in Las Cruces

School	Grades	Students	Ratio
Camino Real Middle Las Cruces Public Schools	06–08	933	11.1:1
La Academia Dolores Huerta La Academia Dolores Huerta · Charter	06–08	—	—
Lynn Middle Las Cruces Public Schools · Magnet	06–08	507	9.8:1
Mesa Middle Las Cruces Public Schools · Magnet	06–08	728	15.7:1
Picacho Middle Las Cruces Public Schools	06–08	698	11.4:1
Sierra Middle Las Cruces Public Schools · Magnet	06–08	698	10.7:1
Vista Middle Las Cruces Public Schools	06–08	574	10.3:1
Zia Middle Las Cruces Public Schools	06–08	616	10.3:1

High schools in Las Cruces

School	Grades	Students	Ratio
Alma D'Arte Charter Alma D'Arte Charter · Charter	09–12	63	9.5:1
Arrowhead Park Early College High School Las Cruces Public Schools	09–12	549	8.7:1
Aztec Youth Academy Juvenile Justice · Alternative School	09–12	33	3.9:1
Centennial High School Las Cruces Public Schools	09–12	1,713	13.2:1
Las Cruces High Las Cruces Public Schools	09–12	1,703	—
Mayfield High Las Cruces Public Schools	09–12	1,327	—
New America School - Las Cruces New America School - Las Cruces · Charter	09–12	225	20.3:1
Organ Mountain High School Las Cruces Public Schools	09–12	2,128	—
Sendero School of Academics and Career Preparation Sendero School of Academics and Career Preparation · Charter	09–12	201	12.6:1
Southern Nm Corrections Nm Corrections · Alternative School	08–12	2	2:1

Student demographics

Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment

White14.9%
Hispanic79.9%
Black1.9%
Asian0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.2%
Multiracial1.6%

Enrollment-weighted across 45 Las Cruces schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (23,975 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.

Questions about public schools in Las Cruces

How many public schools are in Las Cruces, NM?

The current NCES directory lists 46 open public schools with a location address in Las Cruces: 28 elementary, 8 middle, 10 high. Together they reported 23,975 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.

Which school districts serve Las Cruces?

Schools with an address in Las Cruces belong to 10 education agencies, led by Las Cruces Public Schools (37 schools), Alma D'Arte Charter (1 school), Explore Academy Las Cruces (1 school). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.

What is the largest public high school in Las Cruces?

Organ Mountain High School reported the largest high-school enrollment in Las Cruces, with 2,128 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.

Are there charter schools in Las Cruces?

Yes. 7 of the 46 public schools in Las Cruces are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including Alma D'Arte Charter, Explore Academy Las Cruces, J Paul Taylor Academy. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.

What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Las Cruces schools?

The median reported student–teacher ratio across Las Cruces public schools is 11.4:1, lower than the New Mexico school median of 12.4:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.

Does living in Las Cruces guarantee a seat at a specific school?

No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.

Nearby New Mexico cities

Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All New Mexico cities