Niche.com has published New Jersey’s the best school districts.
According to this recent list, the Princeton school district ranks number one in the state and while ranking 14th in the entire country.
In calculating these results, Niche examined data from the U.S. Department of Education as well as test scores, college data and ratings collected from Niche users.
The methodology for each category of ranking varied.
Niche assigns a standardized score for each factor, which is then weighted before an overall score is calculated for each school district. The overall scores are again standardized and some districts are disqualified from receiving a final letter grade if there isn’t enough data. School districts are then ranked numerically and assigned grades.
According to Niche, these are the 146 best school districts in New Jersey (national rankings in parenthesis):
- Princeton Public Schools (14th in nation)
- Millburn Township Schools (36th in nation)
- West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District (55th in nation)
- Livingston Public Schools (97th in nation)
- Summit Public Schools
- The School District of the Chathams
- Bernards Township School District
- Montgomery Township School District
- Tenafly Public Schools
- West Essex Regional School District, North Caldwell
- East Brunswick Public Schools
- Pascack Valley Regional High School District, Montvale
- Moorestown Township Public School District
- Montclair Public Schools
- Ridgewood Public Schools
- South Brunswick Public Schools
- West Morris Regional High School District
- Hopewell Valley Regional School District
- Glen Ridge Public Schools
- Haddonfield Public Schools
Sample Facts on School Costs
New Jersey school districts last year spent on average $20,385 per student to educate their students. Statewide, per-pupil costs ranged from a high of $60,129 in one small district, to $10,181 for a Jersey City charter school with 310 students.
1: Avalon | $60,129 [This is the state’s most expensive district]
Grades: K-8
County: Cape May
Average daily enrollment: 75
Revenue Sources: State: 12% | Local Taxes: 65.6% | Federal: 0.7% | Tuition: 9.7% | Other: 12%
4: Asbury Park | $35,636
Grades: K-12
County: Monmouth
Average daily enrollment: 2,380
Revenue Sources: State: 86.3% | Local Taxes: 8.6% | Federal: 4.4%
5: Bergen County Vocational | $35,568
Grades: County Vocational
County: Bergen
Average daily enrollment: 2,159
Revenue Sources: State: 17.5% | Local Taxes: 46.5% | Federal: 2.2% | Tuition: 33.7% | Other: 0.1%