NCES CCD 2024-25 81 schools NJ

Best-Resourced Schools in Newark, NJ

81 public K-12 schools in Newark from NCES Common Core of Data: enrollment, grade span, demographics, and Civil Rights Data Collection statistics for every active campus.

81
Schools
63,420
Students
37.2/100
Avg Resource Index
15.6:1
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

National city placement

Large, fragmented school market

According to NCES CCD 2024-25, Newark has more public-school enrollment than 99% of the 4,487 US cities in this directory. Newark is among the largest city school systems in this directory by enrollment, but its campuses are divided among 18 districts. That combination matters: citywide averages blend separate budgets, staffing policies, attendance boundaries, and program rules. For a family comparing schools here, the district column is as important as the city average; two nearby campuses may answer to different boards and draw on different F-33 funding pools.

Combined-grade campuses shape the local portfolio

51 of Newark's 81 listed schools use NCES's combined or “other” grade-level classification. Citywide averages therefore blend campuses serving unusually broad or nonstandard grade spans with conventional elementary, middle, and high schools. Grade configuration is a first-order comparison here, not a minor label.

Campus spread matters more than the city mean

The 66-point gap between Technology High School and Ironbound Academy Elementary School shows the range hidden by Newark's average Resource Investment Index. The city figure is useful for national placement, but families ultimately choose among campuses with different grade spans, enrollment, district affiliations, and reported support fields. Start with schools serving the relevant grade level, then compare the index components rather than assuming the city average describes any one classroom.

City enrollment
Top 1%
School count
Top 2%
Resource Index average
34th percentile
Teacher staffing
47th percentile

Newark school enrollment varies 197× across entities

Newark school enrollment ranges from 34 students (lowest) to 6,714 students (highest), a spread of 6,680 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. Per-school staffing and program breadth can differ sharply at opposite ends of that enrollment range, so the city average should not be treated as a typical campus.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Newark reports 71.3% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share sits between 62.5% and 75%, above a simple majority but below the highest descriptive band used here. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Newark operates 18 school districts — one of the single most fragmented governance structures in the country

Each school district has independent budgeting, hiring, and service delivery authority, and the sheer count here puts it in the extreme tail of fragmentation nationally. The fragmentation reflects historical patterns of inter-municipal boundary lines that pre-date modern city growth, students in different parts of the same city can attend different districts with different per-pupil spending, calendars, and graduation requirements. Per-region variation is largest in fragmented systems because each school district sets its own budget, contracts, and priorities without higher-level coordination above the regulatory floor.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Newark student-teacher ratio is 15.6:1 — near the typical range (US average ~15.7) — citywide staffing is neither unusually lean nor unusually crowded by this measure

student-teacher ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE classroom teachers against total enrollment, push-in specialists, English-language aides, special-education co-teachers, and counselors are not included in most reporting Variation between sub-units within Newark is typically wider than the Newark-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, Public School Universe

16 of Newark's 81 listed schools are charters

20% of the city's listed public-school campuses are reported as charter schools in NCES CCD. Charter status identifies a different governance arrangement; it does not establish admissions availability, academic quality, or the share of city students enrolled in those campuses. Open each school record to compare enrollment and staffing directly.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

# School Score
1. Technology High School 66
2. University High School 66
3. Essex County Newark Tech 64
4. Essex County Donald M. Payne Sr. School of Technology 61
5. Arts High School 60
6. Eagle Academy for Young Men of Newark 58
7. John F. Kennedy School 58
8. Science Park High School 57
9. Malcolm X Shabazz High School 56
10. Bruce Street School 56
11. Weequahic High School 54
12. Newark School of Fashion & Design 54
13. Maria Varisco Rogers Charter School 53
14. Fourteenth Avenue School 53
15. East Side High School 52
16. Central High School 52
17. Sir Isaac Newton Elementary School 50
18. Nj Regional Day School - Newark 50
19. Barringer High School 49
20. West Side High School 49
21. Newark School of Global Studies 49
22. Robert Treat Academy Charter School 48
23. American History High School 48
24. Link Community Charter School 48
25. Michelle Obama Elementary School 48
26. Harriet Tubman Elementary School 47
27. Newark Sch of Data Science and Information Technology 46
28. Newark Educators Community Charter School 46
29. East Ward Elementary School 42
30. Newark Vocational High School 42
31. Bard Early College High School 42
32. Ivy Hill Elementary School 39
33. Dr. E. Alma Flagg School 38
34. Oliver Street School 37
35. Wilson Avenue School 37
36. Franklin Elementary School 37
37. Discovery Charter School 37
38. Salome Urena Elementary School 36
39. Mckinley Elementary School 35
40. Achieve Community Charter School 35
41. Hawthorne Avenue School 35
42. The Gray Charter School 35
43. Peoples Preparatory Charter School 34
44. First Avenue School 33
45. South Street Elementary School 33
46. South 17th Street School 33
47. Ann Street School 32
48. Lafayette Street School 32
49. Ridge Street School 31
50. Abington Avenue School 30

Showing top 50 of 81 schools.

Most racially and ethnically mixed schools in Newark

Ranked by the Simpson student-body diversity index (0-100) from NCES race and ethnicity data, where higher means a more evenly mixed student body. It measures mix, not quality.

  1. 1 Science Park High School 60.2/100
  2. 2 Mt Vernon Place School 58.6/100
  3. 3 Arts High School 56.8/100
  4. 4 Quitman Street School 54.4/100
  5. 5 Newark Vocational High School 53.9/100

What do families ask about schools in Newark?

Which Newark school has the highest Resource Investment Index?

Technology High School has the highest Resource Investment Index among the Newark schools in this federal-data comparison at 66/100. The index summarizes reported staffing, counseling, gifted-program, and attendance inputs; it is not an academic rating.

How many schools are in Newark, NJ?

Newark has 81 public schools with a total enrollment of 63,420 students. 16 are charter schools. Average student-teacher ratio: 15.6:1.

Other Cities in New Jersey

Side-by-side: Compare any two schools or districts in New Jersey →

Data from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 and Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22. The Resource Investment Index uses reported student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance; it is not an academic rating. Cities must include at least five schools to be listed. This public-data comparison is for informational purposes: verify current enrollment, attendance boundaries, and programs with the school district before acting. See the guide to understanding NCES data.