New Jersey’s Best Public High Schools
Finding the right high school for your child includes balancing factors like graduation rate, Advanced Placement course options, and student-teacher ratio. These factors are key in setting them up for a successful high school career. To help ease your search, we pulled data from the U.S. News and World Reports and ranked New Jersey’s Best Public High Schools.
1. High Technology High School
Lincroft, New Jersey
This high school is ranked #16 in the National Rankings and is the #1 best public high school in the state. With a curriculum centered on engineering, students will take courses in civil engineering, architecture, computer integrated manufacturing and digital electronics. This high school is on the smaller side, with a total enrollment of around 300 students and a student-teacher ratio of 14:1. The graduation rate here is 98%.
2. Dr. Ronald E McNair High School
Jersey City, New Jersey
Dr. Ronald E McNair High School is ranked 2nd within New Jersey and #49 nationwide. One of the key factors about this school is that the students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement course work and exams, with the participation in this program being 100% among its students. The total enrollment comes in around 700, bringing the student-teacher ratio to 14:1. The graduation rate here is 100%.
3. Bergen County Technical High School
Teterboro, New Jersey
This Teterboro high school is ranked #3 within New Jersey and #63 nationwide. Just like with the previous high school, students are able to take advantage of the Advanced Placement course work and exams, with the participation rate in this program at 94%. The total enrollment here is around 650 students, brining the student teach ration to 10:1. The graduation rate here is 100%.
4. Union County Magnet High School
Scotch Plains, New Jersey
Union County Magnet High School is ranked 4th within New Jersey and #105 nationwide with a graduation rate of 100%. The total enrollment here is just under 300 students, brining the student-teacher ratio to 13:1. Just like with the previous high schools mentioned, students are able to take advantage of Advanced Placement course work and exams.
5. Elizabeth High School
Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth High School is ranked 5th within New Jersey and #154 nationwide. The Advanced Placement rate here is 100% within its students, and the school’s total enrollment is 840 students. This brings the student-teacher ration to 16:1 with a graduation rate of 98%.
6. Princeton High School
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton High School is ranked 6th within New Jersey and #155 nationwide. The Advanced Placement rate is 79% at this public school. The enrollment here is reflective of the city’s size with around 1,500 students, brining the student-teacher ration to 12:1. The graduation rate is 99%.
7. Chatham High School
Chatham, New Jersey
Chatham High School is ranked 7th within New Jersey and 189th nationwide. This is the only high school within the school district of Chathams, so the total enrollment is a bit higher, with almost 1,200 students. The student-teacher ration is 12:1 and the Advanced Placement rate is 77%. In terms of graduation rate, this central high school comes in at 98%.
8. Academy for Allied Health Sciences
Scotch Plains, New Jersey
Academy for Allied Health Sciences is ranked 8th within New Jersey and 200th nationwide. This vocational school has a low total enrollment of 267 students with a 14:1 student-teacher ratio. The Advanced Placement participation rate is 76% and they have a 100% graduation rate.
9. Marine Academy of Science and Technology
Highlands, New Jersey
Marine Academy of Science and Technology is ranked 9th within New Jersey and 206th nationwide. All students at the Marine Academy participate in the Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC). The total enrollment here is just under 300 students with a 10:1 ratio. Students also have the opportunity to participate in the Advanced Placement program as well. The school’s graduation rate is 97%.
10. West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North
Plainsboro, New Jersey
This public high school is ranked 10th within New Jersey and 267th nationwide. The total enrollment here is just under 1,500 students with a 12:1 student-teacher ration. It is 1 of 2 high schools in the West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District with a 99% graduation rate.
