The top 39 public high schools in N.J., as ranked by U.S. News – NJ.com
New Jersey has 39 public high schools that rank among the top 10% in the country, according to the latest ratings by U.S. News & World Report.
On Tuesday, the news organization released its annual Best High Schools List, a ranking based on how well schools serve students from various social and economic backgrounds.
“Families can use the Best High Schools rankings to see how schools compare at the national, state and local level on factors like graduation rates and college readiness,” said Anita Narayan, managing editor of education at U.S. News. “The rankings also provide insight into academic performance among underserved groups showing how well schools are supporting these students.”
Middlesex County Academy for Science, Mathematics and Engineering Technologies was rated the top public high school in New Jersey and No. 27 in the United States.
The methodology focuses on six factors: college readiness, reading and math proficiency, reading and math performance, underserved student performance, college curriculum breadth and graduation rates. The data used is from the 2018-2019 academic school year, so test scores were not affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
New Jersey’s specialized schools with selective enrollment typically earn the highest ranking, often followed by traditional high schools in wealthier suburban areas (standardized test scores largely correlate to family income).
See the 39 schools below that ranked among the top 10% nationwide — and check the full rankings for more schools.
39. Haddonfield Memorial High School
A rainbow over Haddonfield Memorial High School at its 2019 graduation ceremony. Joe Warner | For NJ Advance Media
Location: Haddonfield
National rank: 874
38. Madison High School
Location: Madison
National rank: 828
37. John P. Stevens High School
Location: Edison
National rank: 817
36. Ridgewood High School
Location: Ridgewood
National rank: 814
35. Technology High School
Location: Newark
National rank: 813
34. Mountain Lakes High School
Location: Mountain Lakes
National rank: 802
33. Central Jersey College Prep Charter School
Location: Somerset
National rank: 797
32. Pascack Hills High School
Location: Montvale
National rank: 748
31. Communications High School
Location: Wall
National rank: 743
30. New Providence High School
Location: New Providence
National rank: 713
29. Northern Highlands Regional High School
Location: Allendale
National rank: 711
28. Princeton High School
Princeton High School’s 2019 graduation ceremony. Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Med
Location: Princeton
National rank: 703
27. Montgomery High School
Location: Skillman
National rank: 664
26. Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan
Location: Old Tappan
National rank: 602
25. Ridge High School
Location: Basking Ridge
National rank: 578
24. West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South
Location: West Windsor
National rank: 565
23. Chatham High School
Location: Chatham
National rank: 524
22. Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest
Location: Demarest
National rank: 522
21. Tenafly High School
Location: Tenafly
National rank: 516
20. Science Park High School
Location: Newark
National rank: 505
19. Academy of Allied Health and Science
Location: Neptune
National rank: 473
18. West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North
West Windsor-Plainsboro North High School holds its 2019 graduation ceremony.
Location: Plainsboro
National rank: 468
17. Summit Senior High School
Location: Summit
National rank: 442
16. Livingston High School
Location: Livingston
National rank: 424
15. Millburn High School
Location: Millburn
National rank: 370
14. Glen Ridge High School
Location: Glen Ridge
National rank: 345
13. Elizabeth High School
Location: Elizabeth
National rank: 204
12. Marine Academy of Science and Technology
Location: Highlands
National rank: 194
11. Infinity Institute
The Infinity Institute in Jersey City. Erika Solorzano | The Jersey Journal
Location: Jersey City
National rank: 182
10. Academy for Allied Health Sciences
Location: Scotch Plains
National rank: 158
9. Academy for Information Technology
Location: Scotch Plains
National rank: 123
8. Bergen County Technical High School – Teterboro
Location: Teterboro
National rank: 92
7. Biotechnology High School
Location: Freehold
National rank: 91
6. Union County Magnet High School
Location: Scotch Plains
National rank: 83
5. Dr. Ronald E McNair High School
Location: Jersey City
National rank: 73
4. Middlesex County Academy for Allied Health
Location: Woodbridge
National rank: 61
3. Bergen County Academies
Location: Hackensack
National rank: 54
2. High Technology High School
Students at High Technology High School in Lincroft.
Location: Lincroft
National rank: 53
1. Middlesex County Academy for Science, Mathematics and Engineering Technologies
Location: Edison
National rank: 27
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Adam Clark may be reached at aclark@njadvancemedia.com. Have a news tip or a story idea about New Jersey schools? Send it here.