2024 New Mexico SAT® Data: What Can Educators Learn?

Educators play a crucial role in shaping students’ futures, and standardized testing data provides a powerful tool for evaluating strengths and uncovering opportunities for growth. The 2024 SAT^® data for New Mexico paints a comprehensive picture of student performance on the exam, and helps us to identify actionable steps to bridge performance gaps.

General Takeaways from the College Board Data

New Mexico’s SAT^® performance data offers a snapshot of college and career readiness across the state. When comparing 2024 data across all 50 states, New Mexico ranks last, as the only state with an average score below 900. The average SAT^® score statewide is 885, with averages of 453 in Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (ERW) and 431 in Math, which are also the lowest section averages in all 50 states.

So why does New Mexico lag so far behind other states, even compared to other states that require students to take the SAT^®? Let’s get a big picture of how students perform on the test, show where students are excelling, look at some potential indicators of low performance, and identify ways that schools can help students improve these scores to open up new opportunities for students in New Mexico.

Trends About College Majors

Students with clear academic and career goals, particularly in rigorous fields, tend to perform higher on the SAT^®:

• Mathematics and Statistics: Average score 1081
• Physical Sciences: Average score 1053
• Liberal Arts and Humanities: Average score 1031

In contrast, students pursuing vocational fields generally score lower:

• Personal and Culinary Services: Average score 891
• Mechanic and Repair Technologies: Average score 868
• Construction Trades: Average score 863

Many students intending to pursue STEM fields, as well as liberal arts and humanities students that may be thinking about law school or further graduate degrees are performing the best on the SAT^®, which makes sense. Students performing the worst on the exam are intending to pursue careers like trades or personal services. 

These intended majors also correlate with students that tend to be from more rural areas of the state, which tend to perform worse than urban areas. By targeting students in rural areas with school wide prep programs like Horizon’s SAT^® prep program, districts may be able to increase scores and open doors for these students, giving them more options beyond vocational careers.

Performance by Where Students Live

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Students in urban areas outperform their rural counterparts, with urban students scoring an average of 913 compared to 866 in rural areas. This disparity reflects systemic inequities in access to advanced coursework, test preparation resources, and college readiness programs.Horizon Education addresses these challenges with scalable, virtual tools designed to close opportunity gaps and ensure equitable support for all students. Students that may not be close to urban tutoring centers can receive practice and instruction in school with a program like Horizon’s.

Score Trends Based on Plans After High School

A student’s post-high school plans strongly influence SAT^® outcomes:

• Students planning to attend college: Average score 907
• Undecided students: Average score 860‍
• Students planning to enter the workforce or vocational training: Average score 770

Highest Performers Across the State

Top SAT^® Subsections for New Mexico Students

• ERW Strength: Words in Context – Demonstrates strong vocabulary and comprehension skills.
• Math Strength: Heart of Algebra – Indicates proficiency in foundational algebra concepts crucial for college-level success.

Highest-Performing Groups

• Students pursuing Mathematics and Statistics: Average score 1081 (+196 points above the state average).
• Students interested in Physical Sciences: Average score 1053 (+168 points above the state average).
• Students with parents holding a graduate degree: Average score 1032 (+147 points above the state average).

Areas for New Mexico Schools to Improve

While students show strengths, challenges remain:

Weakest SAT^® Subsections for New Mexico Students

• ERW Weakness: Command of Evidence - Difficulty drawing evidence-based conclusions.
• Math Weakness: Passport to Advanced Math - Struggles with complex algebra and problem-solving.

Lowest-Performing Groups

• Students not planning on college: Average score 770 (115 points below the state average).
• Students with parents who did not complete high school: Average score 806.
• Multilingual students: Average score 855, highlighting challenges related to language barriers.

Supporting Underperforming Students

Students who take the SAT^® during school hours often score lower than those who take it on weekends, likely due to a lack of access to outside test prep resources. Schools can bridge this gap by incorporating structured test prep into the school day. Horizon Education simplifies this transition with pre-built assessments, robust reporting, and curriculum that brings SAT^® prep to the classroom.

Turning Insights into Action

The New Mexico SAT^® data serves as a call to action for educators, administrators, and policymakers. Horizon Education offers the tools to close gaps, improve outcomes, and prepare students for their future—whether in college, vocational training, or the workforce. By translating data into impact, we can unlock every student’s potential.With Horizon Education, schools can ensure that all students - regardless of background, geography, or aspirations are equipped with the skills and confidence to succeed. Together, we can turn insights into impact and unlock every student’s potential. Get in touch today to see how Horizon Education can help improve your students’ scores.