An equity score of 71/100 ranks Jersey City Public Schools #77 of 586 districts in New Jersey (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $27,184 per pupil, Jersey City Public Schools ranks #202 of 648 New Jersey districts by per-pupil spending (New Jersey districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
26,647
Total Enrollment
39
Schools
$27,184
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Jersey City Public Schools operates 39 public schools serving 26,647 students, placing it in the mid-size range in New Jersey. The school portfolio breaks down into 28 combined, 7 high, 4 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Hudson County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $27,184 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 648 New Jersey districts by per-pupil spending. See how New Jersey compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 38.5% local, 53.5% state, and 8.0% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 71/100, ranked #77 of 586 in New Jersey against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 8 of 39 schools offering Advanced Placement (83 AP courses district-wide), a 415:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 31.2% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 36.5% Hispanic or Latino, 26.8% African American, 17.7% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Dr. Paul Rafalides School, with a diversity index of 76.8/100.
Its largest campus is William L Dickinson High School, enrolling 1,786 students (7% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Regional Day School, at 67 students, a 27x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Jersey City Public Schools school enrollment varies 27× across entities
Jersey City Public Schools school enrollment ranges from 67 students (lowest) to 1,786 students (highest), a spread of 1,719 students. That spread is wider than typical and predicts noticeable gaps in service quality between the highest and lowest areas. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Jersey City Public Schools reports 51.0% free-lunch eligibility
The reported share clears the 50% majority mark. 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.
Jersey City Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 415:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Jersey City Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 31.2% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
How many schools are in Jersey City Public Schools?
Jersey City Public Schools has 39 schools, including 7 high, 28 combined, 4 middle. Total enrollment is 26,647 students.
How much does Jersey City Public Schools spend per student?
Jersey City Public Schools spends $27,184 per student. The district has an equity score of 71/100, ranking #77 in New Jersey.
What is the demographic composition of Jersey City Public Schools?
Jersey City Public Schools students are 36.5% Hispanic or Latino, 26.8% African American, 17.7% Asian, 16.0% White, averaged across 39 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Jersey City Public Schools?
Jersey City Public Schools has an equity score of 71/100, ranking #77 out of 586 districts in New Jersey.