New Jersey · NCES CCD 2024-25

Best-Resourced Public Schools in New Jersey

Top 50 schools ranked by resource quality score, based on student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance.

Compiled from official source data by .
81/100
Top score
A-
Top grade
73/100
Avg score (top 50)
50
Schools ranked

The ranking in one line

Somerset County Vocational Technical High School in Bridgewater is New Jersey's top-resourced public school, scoring 81/100 on the NCES resource index.

81/100
top score (grade A-)
1
schools graded A- or better
73/100
average across the top 50
#SchoolGradeScore
1Somerset County Vocational Technical High SchoolBridgewaterA-81
2Avon Elementary SchoolAVONB+77
3Montville Township High SchoolMONTVILLEB+76
4Berkeley ElementaryWESTWOODB+76
5W.C.K. Walls ElementaryPitmanB+76
6Bergen County Technical High School - TeterboroTeterboroB+75
7Walter Hill SchoolSWEDESBOROB+75
8Eleanor G. HewittRINGWOODB+75
9Academy for Mathematics Science and EngineeringROCKAWAYB+75
10Hope Township SchoolHOPEB+75
11New Providence High SchoolNEW PROVIDENCEB74
12Lincoln Elementary SchoolHARRISONB74
13Lafayette Township SchoolLAFAYETTEB74
14Cape May City Elementary SchoolCAPE MAYB74
15Bergen County AcademiesHackensackB73
16Glen Rock High SchoolGLEN ROCKB73
17Valleyview Middle SchoolDENVILLEB73
18Forrestdale SchoolRUMSONB73
19Biotechnology High SchoolFREEHOLDB73
20Spring Lake Heights Elementary SchoolSPRING LAKE HEIGHTSB73
21South Mountain SchoolMILLBURNB73
22River Plaza Elementary SchoolRED BANKB73
23Franklin Township SchoolWASHINGTONB73
24New Milford High SchoolNEW MILFORDB72
25Readington Middle SchoolWHITEHOUSE STATIONB72
26Rockaway Valley SchoolBOONTON TOWNSHIPB72
27Franklin Avenue Middle SchoolFranklin LakesB72
28Bayview Elementary SchoolBELFORDB72
29Black River Middle SchoolChesterB72
30Central Elementary SchoolEAST BRUNSWICKB72
31John Y Dater Elementary SchoolRAMSEYB72
32Monmouth County Academy of Allied Health and ScienceNEPTUNEB72
33Clayton Middle SchoolCLAYTONB72
34Communications High SchoolWALLB72
35High Technology High SchoolLINCROFTB72
36Marine Academy of Science and TechnologyHighlandsB72
37Mountain View SchoolMENDHAMB72
38School #16CLIFTONB72
39Ventnor Middle SchoolVENTNORB72
40West Amwell Township SchoolLambertvilleB72
41Academy for Performing ArtsRockawayB72
42Franklin D Roosevelt Elementary SchoolNorth ArlingtonB72
43Livingston High SchoolLIVINGSTONB71
44Robert R Lazar Middle SchoolMONTVILLEB71
45Glen Rock Middle SchoolGLEN ROCKB71
46Jefferson Township Middle SchoolOAK RIDGEB71
47Thomas Jefferson Middle SchoolTEANECKB71
48Bordentown Regional Middle SchoolBORDENTOWNB71
49Union SchoolRUTHERFORDB71
50Leonardo Elementary SchoolLEONARDOB71

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best public schools in New Jersey? ▼

The highest-ranked school in New Jersey is Somerset County Vocational Technical High School in Bridgewater with a quality score of 81/100 (grade A-). Rankings are based on student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, gifted programs, and attendance rates from NCES data.

How are school quality scores calculated? ▼

Quality scores (0-100) are computed from NCES data across 4 metrics: student-teacher ratio (lower is better, national avg ~16:1), counselor availability (ASCA recommends 250:1), gifted program availability, and chronic absenteeism rate (lower is better). This measures school resources, not test scores.

Explore More for New Jersey

All Schools → Largest Schools → Absenteeism Data → Highest Spending → National Ranking →

Methodology

Quality scores (0-100) are computed from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 metrics: student-teacher ratio, school counselor availability, gifted program access, and chronic absenteeism rates. Schools must have at least 50 students and data for one or more metrics. This measures resource quality, not test scores. Higher scores indicate smaller class sizes, better counselor access, and lower absenteeism.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.