Photo: Salvador Vitanza · CC BY-SA 2.5Nogales’s public schools outscore 56% of Arizona districts
The grade covers the public school district serving Nogales, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests and graduation. 33% of students in Nogales’s public schools are proficient in reading, below the Arizona average (40%). Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within Arizona, not nationally.
From Arizona state tests taken in spring 2022, when 98% of students in the tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s four-year graduation rate, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education.
Nogales’s schools, in brief
Better than its incomes would predict
Among the 105 Arizona towns with household incomes within a quarter of Nogales’s, its schools beat 76%, higher than their 56% against all the state’s districts. The grade ↓
Results trail the state
In spring 2022, 33% of tested students were proficient in reading and 29% in math, against 40% and 35% statewide; 98% of students in the tested grades sat the tests. The grade ↓
Graduation
82% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 78% across Arizona. Districts ↓
Spending and class size
The district spends $10,071 per student, against $12,318 across Arizona (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓
Five elementary schools, then one middle and one high school
Which elementary school depends on the address; from grade 6 the district’s path is Wade Carpenter Middle School, then Nogales High School. See the path ↓
Choice beyond the district
Mexicayotl Charter School, Pinnacle Charter High School, EdOptions Preparatory Academy, Colegio Petite Arizona, Lourdes Catholic School (private), Sacred Heart Catholic School (private) and Sonshine Christian School (private) are in town. NUSD Online, an online school, is based here too; it isn’t counted as a local school. Every school ↓
Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.
What’s behind Nogales’s grade
B: better than 56% of Arizona school districts, #71 of 139 Arizona towns. Graduation is above the Arizona average; test scores are below it.
Where will my kid go?
Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Nogales, with each school’s own grade.
6th grade in Nogales
Wade Carpenter Middle School
Grades 6–8 · 547 students · 22:1 students per teacher
7th grade in Nogales
Wade Carpenter Middle School
Grades 6–8 · 547 students · 22:1 students per teacher
8th grade in Nogales
Wade Carpenter Middle School
Grades 6–8 · 547 students · 22:1 students per teacher
9th grade in Nogales
Nogales High School
Grades 9–12 · 1,774 students · 24:1 students per teacher
10th grade in Nogales
Nogales High School
Grades 9–12 · 1,774 students · 24:1 students per teacher
11th grade in Nogales
Nogales High School
Grades 9–12 · 1,774 students · 24:1 students per teacher
12th grade in Nogales
Nogales High School
Grades 9–12 · 1,774 students · 24:1 students per teacher
Nogales’s public schools are run by Nogales Unified District. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.
The district
Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.
Well below the state in reading
Nogales vs. its neighbors
Schools grades for the Arizona towns that share Nogales’s borders.
| Town | Schools | Main districts |
|---|---|---|
| Nogales | B | Nogales Unified District |
Every school in Nogales
16 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Arizona’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).
Left off: 2 public programs with fewer than 25 students (PCJTED - Pierson High School and PCJTED - Nogales high School).
Questions about Nogales’s schools
Are Nogales’s schools good?
They sit near the middle of Arizona: the public schools Nogales children attend outscore 56% of Arizona’s school districts on tests and graduation, a B Schools grade, #71 of 139 Arizona towns. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 76%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.
What school district is Nogales in?
Nogales Unified District, which runs grades PK–12 and enrolls 5,696 students in 11 schools (2024–25).
Where do Nogales kids go to high school?
Nogales High School, with 1,774 students; its own test results earn a C.
What is Nogales’s graduation rate?
82% of the class of 2023 in Nogales Unified District graduated in four years, against 78% across Arizona.
How much does Nogales spend per student?
$10,071 in Nogales Unified District (FY2024), against $12,318 across Arizona. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.
Are there private schools in Nogales?
Yes: Lourdes Catholic School (Catholic, grades PK–12, 306 students), Sacred Heart Catholic School (Catholic, grades PK–8, 230 students) and Sonshine Christian School (religious, grades PK–5, 90 students). Nogales also has 4 charter schools, free and open by application.
Parents talk
What Nogales families are saying about school.
Looking for colleges? Colleges near Nogales → They have their own page.
School data: state test results (2021–22, with participation) and four-year graduation rates (class of 2023) reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express); each school’s own letter uses its 2020–21 results (EDFacts via the Urban Institute); schools and enrollment from NCES (2024–25; private schools 2023–24); spending from the Census Bureau’s school finance survey (FY2024). The School Grade is our own summary, graded within Arizona. Stars are from neighbors.