Nogales Unified District had the highest enrollment among Santa Cruz County districts, welcoming 5,690 students during the 2024-25 academic year, according to the Arizona Department of Education.
Of all the students welcomed in the 2024-25 school year, 51.8% were boys, and 48.2% were girls.
Data also showed that the majority of students in Nogales Unified District were Latino, representing 99.3% of the total enrollment.
Among the six districts in Santa Cruz County, Santa Cruz Valley Unified District ranked second in enrollment numbers with 3,606 students, while Mexicayotl Academy, Inc. welcomed 209 students and ranked third in the 2024-25 school year.
Nogales Unified District roughly covers schools within Santa Cruz County and has a main office in Nogales.
In the previous school year, Nogales Unified District also had the highest number of students among Santa Cruz County districts.
Arizona ranks dead last in educational success among U.S. states, according to World Population Review, which graded states based on K–12 performance, funding, higher education, and safety.
Arizona’s K-12 enrollment is shifting amid a declining school-aged population, projected to drop by 40,000 by 2028, according to the Common Sense Institute.
| District | City (Main Office) | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|
| Nogales Unified District | Nogales | 5,690 |
| Santa Cruz Valley Unified District | Rio Rico | 3,606 |
| Mexicayotl Academy, Inc. | Nogales | 209 |
| Santa Cruz Elementary District | Nogales | 131 |
| Patagonia Elementary District | Patagonia | 124 |
| Sonoita Elementary District | Elgin | 118 |
| Santa Cruz Valley Opportunities in Education, Inc. | Amado | 81 |
| Patagonia Union High School District | Patagonia | 71 |
| Patagonia Montessori Elementary School | Patagonia | 33 |
| Pinnacle Education-Kino, Inc. | Nogales | — |
