APS Graduation Rate Continues to Improve

The graduation rate for the Class of 2018 is just under 70%, an increase of nearly 2 percentage points in one year and 8 percentage points since 2015.

For the third straight year, the graduation rate for Albuquerque Public Schools has improved, jumping 1.7 percentage points to 69.6% for the Class of 2018, according to data released by the New Mexico Public Education Department on Tuesday, March 19.  

In three years, the district’s graduation rate has increased by 8 percentage points, from 61.7% in 2015 to 69.6%.   

“I am happy to see our graduation rate continue to climb steadily because that means we are seeing more and more students earn their high school diploma,” said APS Superintendent Raquel Reedy. “Our goal, of course, is to see all of our students graduate with the skills and characteristics they need for post-secondary education, careers and life in an ever-changing world." 

Graduation Rates by Student Groups

Results for the various democratic groups were mixed, with improvements seen on average by Asians, Hispanics, Caucasians, Economically Disadvantaged and Students with Disabilities. 

• Native Americans: 54.2% (down 0.4 percentage points)
• Asians: 84.6% (up 1.3 points)
• African Americans: 63.4% (down 1.8 points)
• Hispanics: 67.9% (up 2.1 points)
• Caucasians: 77.2% (up 1.7 points)
• English Learners: 67.8% (down 1.6 points)
• Economically Disadvantaged: 62.3% (up 0.7 points)
• Students with Disabilities: 65.2% (up 2.6 points)

Graduation Rates by High School

Six of the district’s comprehensive high schools and two of its magnet high schools saw improved graduation rates. The greatest gains were made at Highland, Cibola, West Mesa and Nex-Gen, which saw an impressive increase of more than 11 percentage points to 95.5%.  

School on Wheels, a magnet school that has undergone restructuring in recent years, saw a significant increase of nearly 30 percentage points, making up a decrease of about the same amount the previous year. 

The graduation rate at Atrisco Heritage Academy and Rio Grande remained the same as last year. 

Three others saw decreases of less than one percentage point: Del Norte, Early College Academy, and College and Career, which has the district's highest graduation rate at 97.4%.

Freedom, Manzano, New Futures, Sandia, Valley and Volcano Vista saw dips in their graduation rate.

The 69.6% graduation rate includes APS authorized charter schools. At this time, data isn’t available to extract charters from the district graduation rate. APS has limited academic control over charter schools, and its graduation rate typically is several percentage points higher when they are extracted. Last year, the APS graduation rate without charters was 72.6%. APS officials expect this year’s graduation rate to be on par with the state average of 73.9% when charter schools are extracted.