Educational Rankings :
** CIBOLA CITIZEN – SANTA FE, N.M. – For the ninth year in a row, New Mexico has ranked 50th out of 50 in education.
** KOAT – According to Annie E. Casey Kids Count Data, New Mexico has ranked 50th in education nationwide.
** GOOGLE Search –States Often Ranked Poorly:
New Mexico consistently ranks low in public education, plagued by issues such as high dropout rates and low test scores.
**NM Educational Ranking for 2025 by Wallet Hub: LAST PLACE
https://wallethub.com/edu/e/states-with-the-best-schools/5335
**New Mexico’s education ranking has been at the bottom for the ninth year in a row, according to the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nation’s Report Card.
**Educational expenditures per student: $15,950. NM is the 5th highest in instructional staff, the 6th highest in teacher salaries, and the 6th highest in state expenditures.
**Sixteen states spend less money per student and are ranked much higher.
https://www.nea.org/sites/default/files/2025-
**School Rankings- How far behind is New Mexico in Education?
The National educational Average Score is double our State’s score— The number one ranking is triple our State’s score-
https://www.datapandas.org/ranking/public-school-rankings-by-state
** How much does New Mexico spend on education?—
New Mexico’s approved budget for FY25 allocated approximately $4.7 billion to K-12 public education, which constitutes about 47% of the state’s total budget.
** New Mexico’s Economic & Social Health:
Existing Policies Are Failing
Damon Hill, Fatima Portugal, and Greg Mello, October 20, 2005
Historical 2005 Statistics:
Education: “F” – and Getting Worse
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New Mexico’s rural schools ranked second in the country as “most urgently in need of help” according to The Rural School and Community Trust (2005).[9] New Mexico was 16th in terms of urgency in 2003 – a drop of 14 places in national rank in just two years.
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New Mexico has the highest rate of rural families with school-age children living below the federal poverty line of any state (23.3%; The Rural School and Community Trust).[10]
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New Mexico’s high school graduation rate (65%) ranks near the bottom in the nation (39th) according to a Center for American Progress study.[11]
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New Mexico’s fourth-grade students ranked 49th in reading and 49th in math on the nation’s report card (NAEP). Eight graders ranked 50th in reading and 49th in math.[12]
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New Mexico was the “dumbest” state for three years in a row (2002-2004) in a Morgan Quitno Press national ranking.[13]
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New Mexico’s national rank in five key indicators of educational performance fell significantly from 1992 to 2002 (see table on separate page below).
**For years, New Mexico has consistently ranked second to last in education, just behind Mississippi. In fact, for decades, our motto was: “Thank God for Mississippi.” Now they are far ahead of us.
Mississippi’s Quality Counts ranking for K-12 achievement has risen from 50th in 2013 to 35th in 2021.
And in 2025, the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT Data Book ranked Mississippi 16th in the nation for education – the state’s highest ranking ever.
***** January 29, 2025 MEMORANDUM TO: Superintendents, Charter School Administrators, District Test Coordinators
FROM: Mariana D. Padilla, Secretary Designate of Public Education RE: 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) State-Level Results Released
NCES reports the following results for the 2024 state NAEP administration:
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23% of 4th graders scored proficient or above in math; this 4% improvement from the state’s 2022 NAEP results is a statistically significant increase.
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14% of 8th graders scored proficient or above in math; this is not significantly different from the state’s NAEP 2022 results.
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20% of 4th graders scored proficient or above in reading; this is not significantly different from the state’s 2022 NAEP results.
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19% of 8th graders scored proficient or above in reading; this is not significantly different from the state’s 2022 NAEP results.
Crime and Safety:
** US NEWS Magazine – New Mexico is ranked #1 for Violent Crimes.
**US News Magazine reports that New Mexico is the most dangerous state in America. https://www.usnews.com/10-most-dangerous-states-in-america?
** Newsweek Magazine – New Mexico topped the list of states by reported crime rate, more than double the rate of the bottom 11 states on the list.
** Safe Home. Org: https://www.safehome.org/safest-cities/#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20latest%20FBI,4th%20highest%20aggravated%20assault%20rate.
“New Mexico leads the nation with the highest home burglary rate”
*As the nation’s most violent state, New Mexico’s violent crime rate (749 incidents per 100k) was more than seven times that of Maine, the least violent state in the union.
*New Mexico has 2nd Highest Murder rate–
*New Mexico has the Highest property Crime rate –
*New Mexico has the highest Larceny rate–
*New Mexico’s burglary rate is more than twice the National average.
**NEWSWEEK AUG 14-2025
https://www.newsweek.com/map-least-safe-most-dangerous-us-states-2112870
*New Mexico was found to have the highest assault rate of any state, with 162.10 assaults per 100,000 people.
*The homicide rate in New Mexico was reported to be at 1.22 per 100,000 people per month, 2.1 times higher than the national average.
*The state also has the greatest number of cyclist and pedestrian deaths with 4.83 per 100,000 every year.
**Not including Washington, D.C., New Mexico has the highest crime rate.
https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/crime-rate-by-state
Drug Use and Health:
** New Mexico’s INM-IBIS— is New Mexico’s primary source for data and information on our state’s public health issues:
It states that New Mexico has the highest drug-induced death rate in the nation,
** The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ranked New Mexico as the state with the highest rate of congenital syphilis
And 2nd highest rate of primary/secondary syphilis, based on 2022 data. https://www.nmhealth.org/news/alert/2024/10/?view=2142
**October 11, 2022, Summary: New Mexico’s (NM) children and youth experience the highest rates of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), which are potentially traumatic events of abuse, neglect, or household dysfunction that occur before age 18. https://www.nmhealth.org/publication/view/general/7848/
**New Mexico pediatric health care ranks nationally as 51st – Last Place https://www.consumeraffairs.com/movers/best-states-to-raise-a-family.html
**Children’s State Rank State Value U.S. Social & Economic Factors : New Mexico Ranks 50th
**Social Support and Engagement Adverse Childhood Experiences *New Mexico Ranks 50th
*Economic Resources Concentrated Disadvantage * New Mexico Ranks 50th
By: https://assets.americashealthrankings.org/app/uploads/newmexico-hwc2023.pdf
Other National Rankings:
GOOGLE AI Search results for: The most dangerous state in America:
AI Overview
Yes, New Mexico is widely considered one of the most dangerous states in the U.S., consistently ranking at or near the top for violent crime rates, including assaults and homicides, and also having high rates of property crime and firearm fatalities. These statistics are influenced by various factors, such as high poverty rates, substance abuse issues, and lower population stability, all of which contribute to criminal activity.
*NM TV KRQE Albuquerque: Study ranks New Mexico as the Worst State to Live In.
Isaac Cruz — Mon, August 11, 2025 at 7:20 AM MDT
**Child Drug Exposure:
Esteban Candelaria
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Jul 5, 2025
**The state faces one of the highest rates of child drug exposure in the nation, including prenatal exposure, according to the state Department of Health. Its rate of 13 cases of neonatal abstinence syndrome per 1,000 births in 2021 is more than double the national average of 6.2 that year, the most recent comparable data available.
**New Mexico is the most dependent state upon federal government support – https:visualcapitalist.com
NM TV KOAT 7 Albuquerque – Updated: 12:30 PM MDT Mar 31, 2025
* New Mexico is the most stressed state in the U.S., according to WalletHub’s latest study. The study looked at four major stress factors: work, money, family, and health and safety.
One of the primary reasons New Mexico ranks so high in stress is its high crime rates. The state has the highest violent and property crime rates per capita, which creates constant safety concerns for residents, WalletHub said.
Another leading factor contributing to New Mexico’s stress is its high divorce rate. The state has the highest divorce rate in the country and the third-highest number of single-parent households.
Financial stress is also a significant concern, with New Mexico having the third-highest poverty rate in the country.
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USA FACTS.ORG States:
https://usafacts.org/answers/what-is-the-crime-rate-in-the-us/state/new-mexico/
The property crime rate in New Mexico was 2,751 per 100,000 people, the highest of any state.
New Mexico ranked highest among states for high property crime rates (2,751 offenses per 100,000 people)
** GOOGLE SEARCH ENGINE Results: AI Overview:
There is no single “least desirable” state, as preferences vary, but various studies in 2024 and 2025 consistently rank New Mexico, Louisiana, and Mississippi among the lowest overall for livability, citing issues like poverty, poor education, high crime rates, and unhealthy populations.
***Key Findings: By Queonda Magazine – Houston, Tx. https://queondamagazine.com/new-mexico-tops-list-as-riskiest-state-for-families/
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New Mexico: Highest violent crime rate, second in homicides (12 per 100,000 residents), and third in property crimes (2,998 per 100,000 people).
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Top Five Most Dangerous: New Mexico, Washington, Colorado, Louisiana, and Oregon.