Recently several new school reports have been published ranking the best schools in NJ. The results vary from one report to the next partly due to the fact that methodology differs from one to the next and partly because “specialty” schools are not included in all ranking systems. Magnet schools, technical schools, online schools and vocational schools may or may not be included.
New Jersey Monthly Magazine comes out with their results every other year, right around September 1. They look at public high schools and some but not all specialty schools. NJ Monthly’s school ranking articles are available here. Their top 10 high schools are Chatham, Haddonfield Memorial, Northern Highlands Regional, West Morris Mendham, Millburn, New Providence, Pascack Hills, Glen Rock, Marlboro and Rumson-Fair Haven Regional.
NJ Monthly has a separate list for the best vocational schools in NJ.
US News & World Report ranks the best NJ schools here. Their results vary from most other ranking systems, at least for schools in Bergen County. Bergen Tech is on the list but Bergen Academies is not. Bergen Tech comes in at #5 and Tenafly at #18. The top 10 schools are Biotechnology High School, High Technology High School, Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School, Middlesex County Academy, Bergen County Technical High School - Teterboro, Academy of Allied Health and Science, Ridge High School, Union County Magnet High School, Chatham High School and Princeton High School.
These results illustrate how adding the vocational/magnet schools drastically change the top 10.
A new publisher of the best schools in NJ and around the country is Niche.com. They rank NJ’s best public high schools, middle schools, elementary schools, school districts and private high schools. Charter and magnet schools are not included. Niche.com’s top public high schools are High Technology High School, Technical School – Teterboro, High Tech High School, Biotechnology High School, Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School, Mountain Lakes High School, Millburn Senior High School, Tenafly High School, Science High School and Marine Academy of Science & Technology.
SchoolDigger.com takes a different approach and ranks the best NJ schools based purely on 2014 NJASK test results. They also have rankings for best NJ high schools, middle schools, elementary schools and schools districts. Rankings are available for all schools which have published HSPA scores.
SchoolDigger.com’s Best NJ High Schools are Academy Allied Health & Sci, Academy For Allied Hlth Sci, Academy For Info Tech, Bergen Acads Hackensack, Biotechnology H S, Communications High School, High Technology High School, Law & Public Safety, Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Sciences and Marine Academy Sci & Tech.
– Mike Shetler