Ranking New Jersey’s High Schools

Newsweek has ranked the 27,468 public high schools in the United States according to a ratio devised by Jay Mathews: the number of Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate tests taken by all students at a school in 2004 divided by the number of graduating seniors.

Here are the high schools in New Jersey that made the list of 1036. New Jersey spends an average of $12,202 per student.

Rank | School | Location | State | Index | Index | Subsidized Lunches
15 | McNair Academic | Jersey City | N.J. | 4.342 | 40
90 | High Technology | Lincroft | N.J. | 2.855 | 2.3
91 | Ridge | Basking Ridge | N.J. | 2.855 | 1
93 | Cresskill | Cresskill | N.J. | 2.850 | 2
119 | Bernards | Bernardsville | N.J. | 2.611 | 3
147 | Millburn | Millburn | N.J. | 2.502 | 0
148 | Summit | Summit | N.J. | 2.500 | 19
210 | Princeton | Princeton | N.J. | 2.233 | 4
308 | Mainland Regional | Linwood | N.J. | 1.940 | 10
321 | Ridgewood | Ridgewood | N.J. | 1.891 | 1.4
333 | Glen Rock | Glen Rock | N.J. | 1.868 | 1.2
356 | North Hunterdon | Annandale | N.J. | 1.827 | 1
420 | Holmdel | Holmdel | N.J. | 1.713 | 1
439 | Montgomery | Skillman | N.J. | 1.677 | 1
459 | Glen Ridge | Glen Ridge | N.J. | 1.629 | 1
486 | West Windsor-Plainsboro South | Princeton Junction | N.J. | 1.586 | 3
565 | Voorhees | Glen Gardner | N.J. | 1.489 | 1
583 | Watchung Hills | Warren | N.J. | 1.458 | 0
599 | Tenafly | Tenafly | N.J. | 1.439 | 0.3
691 | Westfield | Westfield | N.J. | 1.339 | 5.8
750 | Montville | Montville | N.J. | 1.287 | 1
754 | North Brunswick | North Brunswick | N.J. | 1.279 | 20
766 | River Dell | Oradell | N.J. | 1.267 | 1
773 | Rumson-Fair Haven | Rumson | N.J. | 1.261 | 3
778 | Ft. Lee | Ft. Lee | N.J. | 1.255 | 5
799 | Governor Livingston |Berkeley Heights| N.J. |1.235 | 9
813 | Livingston | Livingston | N.J. | 1.221 | 1
839 | East Brunswick | East Brunswick | N.J. | 1.203 | 5.2
841 | Mountain Lakes | Mountain Lakes | N.J. | 1.201 | 0
871 | Scotch Plains-Fanwood|Scotch Plains|N.J. | 1.172 | 1.6
925 | Fair Lawn | Fair Lawn | N.J. | 1.116 | 1
962 | West Morris Central | Chester | N.J. | 1.085 | 1
977 | Ramsey | Franklin Lakes | N.J. | 1.067 | 1

Here are the top 10 public high schools in the country according to the Newsweek report. It looks like Florida must be doing something right, posting 5 of the top 10 schools. Florida spends an average of $6,450 per student.

Rank | School | Location | State | Index | Index | Subsidized Lunches
1 | Jefferson County | Irondale | Ala. | 10.755 | 2
2 | International Academy|Bloomfield Hills|Mich.|8.422 |0
3 | Stanton College Prep | Jacksonville | Fla. | 7.385 | 7.8
4 | Eastside | Gainesville | Fla. | 6.682 | 39
5 | H-B Woodlawn | Arlington | Va. | 5.747 | 14
6 | Science/Engineering Magnet |Dallas|Texas|5.545|37.8
7 | Paxon | Jacksonville | Fla. | 5.373 | 13
8 | Pensacola | Pensacola | Fla. | 5.362 | 63
9 | Raleigh Charter | Raleigh | N.C. | 5.089 | 0
10 | Hillsborough | Tampa | Fla. | 5.085 | 50

Here’s an interactive map showing the percent of students taking and passing at least one Advanced Placement test by state. Florida out paces New Jersey in terms of the percent of students passing the AP, as well as, the percent of students taking the tests.

New Jersey Monthly also provides a ranking of New Jersey High Schools with AP tests and additional factors taken into consideration including: SAT scores, percent passing the HSPA, graduates going on to college, instructional time and several other factors.