Skip to main content

Public middle school · Albuquerque · Albuquerque, New Mexico

Desert Ridge Middle

Desert Ridge Middle rates 8.4, among the strongest middle schools in Albuquerque, where the rated median is 6.0.

Middle schools, 1 to 10This campus against public middle schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
8.4this school

8.4 on a one-to-ten scale; the Albuquerque median is 6.0.

#66 of 874 schools in New Mexico · Albuquerque: 28 middle schools rated, median 6.0

The brief

An Albuquerque middle school where students score 24 points above what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 66 of 874 schools in New Mexico and 11 of 169 in Albuquerque.

Desert Ridge Middle is listed in Albuquerque, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math62%852 students tested · state average not published · 2022 EdFacts
Reading66%852 students tested · state average not published · 2022 EdFacts
Proficiency declined earlier in the 14-year record (2009–2022), then recovered 13 points since 2017, reaching 64% in 2022.2022 EdFacts; 23 test records from NM state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
7.3
40% of the rating
Academics
9.8
35% of the rating
Resources & Environment
8.4
25% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2024

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 60% (multi-year average, 2009-2022) · reading/ELA 66% (multi-year average, 2009-2022).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2022 EdFacts · Low confidence
  • Older source: 2022 EdFacts. Use as historical context.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2022 EdFacts · Low confidence
  • Older source: 2022 EdFacts. Use as historical context.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 87122; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2022; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Desert Ridge Middle and the 20 nearest middle schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$161,299
Median home value
$614,200
Median rent
$1,900/mo
College educated
72.7%
Homeownership
91.4%
Poverty rate
3.4%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 87122; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
32
Car-Dependent
Transit Score
22
Minimal Transit
Bike Score
65
Bikeable
City reported crime
4,982/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Albuquerque. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Albuquerque), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
38.7%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. Desert Ridge Middlethis school
    8.4
  2. 8.4Compare →
  3. 8.2Compare →
  4. Explore Academy2.5 mi · charter
    7.9Compare →
  5. 7.5Compare →
  6. 6.6Compare →
  7. 6.3Compare →
  8. Corrales International1.9 mi · charter
    5.8Compare →
  9. 4.3Compare →
Eight grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and none rates higher than Desert Ridge Middle.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Desert Ridge Middle serve?

Desert Ridge Middle serves students in grades 6th through 8th.

How many students attend Desert Ridge Middle?

Desert Ridge Middle has an enrollment of approximately 788 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Desert Ridge Middle?

The student-teacher ratio at Desert Ridge Middle is 13.4:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Desert Ridge Middle rank in NM?

Desert Ridge Middle ranks #66 of 874 schools in NM.

What is Desert Ridge Middle's MySchoolScout rating?

Desert Ridge Middle has a current MySchoolScout rating of 8.4 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Desert Ridge Middle?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Desert Ridge Middle has 60% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2022) and 66% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2022).

Is Desert Ridge Middle a charter school?

No, Desert Ridge Middle is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Desert Ridge Middle a Title I school?

No, Desert Ridge Middle is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Desert Ridge Middle?

38.7% of students at Desert Ridge Middle qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
6th – 8th
Enrollment
788
Student-teacher ratio
13.4:1
Teachers (FTE)
59
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Large City
County
Bernalillo County
Rank in district
#11 of 169
Schools in district
174
District spending per student
$15,108
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
15.3%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 87122)
18,776
Area average commute
22.4 min
Area median age
45.5

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, New Mexico Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.