Report puts New Mexico at No. 34 for education spending

Experts found that despite those amounts, the state's proficiency scores and graduation rates are behind New York's by less than 10 percent while Utah's graduation rate passes New Mexico's by 12 percent.

Bruce Baker, a Rutgers University professor and expert in education finance, told The New Mexican that the disparities can be a result of the different economies and demographics in the two states.

Another advantage Utah may have over New Mexico is its large population of college-educated adults, who may consider public education a higher priority, said Michael Hansen, a senior fellow and director of The Brown Center on Education Policy for the Brookings Institution.