RRPS is No. 1 on Niche

RIO RANCHO — The Rio Rancho Public Schools District has just been named the best district in the Albuquerque area, according to Niche.com, an online educational institution review site.

According to Niche, the site is “the market leader in connecting colleges and schools with students and families. With in-depth profiles on every school and college in America, over 140 million reviews and ratings, and powerful search and data tools, Niche helps millions of students and families find and enroll in the right school for them.”

The site gave RRPS a number-one ranking in four of the five Albuquerque-related categories. They got first in “Best Places to Teach in Albuquerque Area,” “Best School Districts for Athletes in Albuquerque Area,” “Most Diverse School Districts in Albuquerque Area,” and the main category, “Best School Districts in Albuquerque Area.”

RRPS also got No. 2 in “Districts with the Best Teachers in Albuquerque Area,”,behind Mission Achievements & Success, an Albuquerque charter school.

According to the site, Niche bases its “Best School District” lists on factors like state test scores, college readiness, graduation rates, teacher quality, public school district ratings and reviews from students and parents (through the U.S. Department of Education.) SAT/ACT scores were removed from this year's rankings “to reflect a general de-emphasis on test scores in the college admissions process.”

"Rio Rancho Public Schools is honored to be named the #1 school district in the Albuquerque area by Niche.com," said RRPS communications director Wyndham Kemsley in an email. "We are aware that the team at Niche does not take these rankings lightly, as the ranking process is based upon extensive research and specific data metrics. This designation is a testament to the district's commitment to providing our students the absolute best educational experience possible. We are very proud of our staff for their unending dedication to our students and we look forward to continually improving and evolving."

Here is a full listing of the Niche rankings for RRPS:

Albuquerque Area

Best Places to Teach in Albuquerque Area - 1 of 8

Best School Districts for Athletes in Albuquerque Area - 1 of 8

Best School Districts in Albuquerque Area - 1 of 8

Most Diverse School Districts in Albuquerque Area - 1 of 8

Districts with the Best Teachers in Albuquerque Area - 2 of 8

New Mexico

Most Diverse School Districts in New Mexico - 3 of 87

Best School Districts for Athletes in New Mexico - 3 of 84

Best School Districts in New Mexico - 5 of 90

Districts with the Best Teachers in New Mexico - 21 of 87

Best Places to Teach in New Mexico - 30 of 90

National

Best School Districts for Athletes in America - 622 of 9,961

Best School Districts in America - 943 of 10,561