These Are the Best Public High Schools in NJ, According to Niche

A new ranking of public high schools is out, and many of New Jersey’s best high schools are part of vocational-technical districts, according to Niche.

Niche looked at 390 New Jersey school districts as part of its overall ranking of 12,192 school districts in the country. The top public high school in NJ is The Academy for Mathematics, Science & Engineering in Rockaway, which is part of the Morris County Vocational School District. It’s a top-rated magnet school, with state test scores showing at least 90 percent proficiency in both math and reading. The school received an A+ ranking in academics, teachers and college prep; an A- in administration; and a B- in diversity and clubs and activities. The overall rating is A+.

No. 2 on the list is High Technology High in Lincroft. The curriculum at this Monmouth County Vocational School District Career Academy is mostly focused on engineering. Students who are enrolled can earn college credit at Rochester Institute of Technology, Georgian Court University and Brookdale Community College. With an overall A+ rating, High Tech High received an A+ in academics, teachers and college prep; an A in administration; a B+ in diversity; and a C for clubs and activities.

Bergen County Academies in Hackensack is No. 3, also receiving an A+ overall. Part of the Bergen County Vocational School District, the ratings are A+ in academics, teachers and college prep; A- in clubs and activities and diversity; and B- in administration.

The 2024 Best Public Schools in New Jersey, according to Niche:

The Academy for Mathematics, Science & Engineering, Rockaway, part of the Morris County Vocational School District
High Technology High School, Lincroft, part of the Monmouth County Vocational School District
Bergen County Academies, Hackensack, part of the Bergen County Vocational School District
Marine Academy of Technology & Environmental Science, Stafford Twp., part of the Ocean County Vocational School District
Biotechnology High School, Freehold, part of the Monmouth County Vocational School District
Union County Magnet High School, Scotch Plains, part of the Union County Vocational-Technical School District
Dr. Ronald E. McNair High School, Jersey City
Academy for Information Technology, Scotch Plains, part of the Union County Vocational-Technical School District
Bergen County Technical High School, Teterboro, part of the Bergen County Vocational-Technical School District
Academy for Allied Health Science, Scotch Plains, part of the Union County Vocational-Technical School
West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South, West Windsor
Union County Vocational-Technical High School, Scotch Plains, part of the Union County Vocational-Technical School District
West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North, Plainsboro
Millburn High School, Millburn
Princeton High School, Princeton
Tenafly High School, Tenafly
Monmouth County Academy of Allied Health and Science, Neptune, part of the Monmouth County Vocational School District
Marine Academy of Science & Technology, Highlands, part of the Monmouth County Vocational School District
Middlesex County Academy for Science, Mathematics and Technologies, Edison, part of the Middlesex County Vocational & Technical School District
Northern Highlands Regional High School, Allendale
Ridgewood High School, Ridgewood
Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest, Demarest
Summit Senior High School, Summit
Livingston High School, Livingston
Northern Valley Regional High School, Old Tappan
High Tech High School, North Bergen
Communications High School, Wall Twp., part of the Monmouth County Vocational School District
Moorestown High School, Moorestown
Montgomery High School, Montgomery
Haddonfield Memorial High School, Haddonfield

Click here to see the rest of New Jersey’s top public high schools.