Best Public Schools in Capitan, NM

Summary:

The city of Capitan, New Mexico is home to 3 schools serving students from elementary through high school: Capitan Elementary, Capitan High, and Capitan Middle. These schools demonstrate a mix of strong and improving academic performance, with Capitan Elementary and Capitan High standing out as top performers in the region.

Capitan High School is the standout, ranking 21st out of 190 New Mexico high schools and earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school excels in science proficiency, with 71% of students proficient or better, far exceeding the state average of 36%. Additionally, 54% of students achieved proficiency in SAT English Language Arts, significantly higher than the state average of 34%. Capitan Elementary is also a strong performer, consistently ranking among the top 25% of New Mexico elementary schools and outperforming the state averages in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science.

In contrast, Capitan Middle School has shown more mixed results, with some subject areas exceeding the state average and others falling below. The school's higher student-teacher ratio of 14.5:1, compared to the lower ratios at the elementary and high school levels, may be an area for improvement. Overall, the Capitan school district demonstrates a range of academic performance, with standout schools at the elementary and high school levels and opportunities for growth at the middle school level.

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				SAT School Day English Language Arts (2024)	SAT School Day Mathematics (2024)	NM-ASR Science (2024)	NM-MSSA English Language Arts (2024)	NM-MSSA Mathematics (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SAT School Day English Language Arts 11th Grade	SAT School Day Mathematics 11th Grade	NM-ASR Science All Grades	NM-MSSA English Language Arts All Grades	NM-MSSA Mathematics All Grades	Total
Capitan Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	150 South Forest Ave	Capitan	88316	Lincoln County	Capitan	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 354-2239	202	17	12.0	58.4%	128 (63.4%)	1 (0.5%)	68 (33.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.5%)	83.7	64^th of 433 public elementary schools	85.2%		72.5	107^th of 435 public elementary schools	75.4%	43			53.0	59.0	36.0	$11,595
Capitan High	Public	9-12	519 Smokey Bear Blvd	Capitan	88316	Lincoln County	Capitan	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 354-2239	142	14	10.4	50.0%	87 (61.3%)	1 (0.7%)	46 (32.4%)	1 (0.7%)	1 (0.7%)	1 (0.7%)	5 (3.5%)	86.6	21^st of 190 public high schools	88.9%		58.3	56^th of 170 public high schools	67.1%	35	54.0	36.0	71.0			$12,874
Capitan Middle	Public	6-8	519 Smokey Bear Blvd	Capitan	88316	Lincoln County	Capitan	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 354-2239	127	9	14.5	54.3%	83 (65.4%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (31.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	1 (0.8%)	2 (1.6%)	68.3	56^th of 235 public middle schools	76.2%		56	83^rd of 239 public middle schools	65.3%	27			47.0	51.0	27.0	$11,085

Cities Near Capitan

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Fort Stanton	4.66 mi	1
Ruidoso	13.73 mi	4	63^rd
Carrizozo	18.64 mi	3	16^th
Hondo	21.79 mi	2	103^rd
Mescalero	24.07 mi	1

See the top NM New Mexico cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the New Mexico Public Education Department.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.