These 4 NJ Public High Schools Are Ranked Among the Best in the Nation

Four of New Jersey’s public high schools have been named among the top 50 in the nation – including one in the No. 2 slot, according to a new ranking. All four are part of technology-vocational school districts.

Using data compiled by education research platform Niche, 24/7 Wall St. identified the 50 best public high schools in the United States. Niche ranked schools based on a weighted index of seven measures, including self-reported standardized test scores, parent and student surveys, extracurricular activities, and indicators of teacher quality. Charter and magnet schools were excluded from the analysis.

In New Jersey, the four schools that made the list are:

2. High Technology High School, Lincroft
12. Biotechnology High School, Freehold
23. Marine Academy of Technology & Environmental Science, Stafford Twp.
26. Bergen County Technical High School, Teterboro

High Technology High School is part of the Monmouth County Vocational School District. There are only 295 students enrolled, and the student-to-teacher ratio is 12:1, meaning kids get lots of extra attention during class. The average graduation rate is 95 percent. About 44 percent of students are enrolled in at least one AP course, and the average SAT score is 1520/average ACT score is 34.

Biotechnology High School in Freehold is also part of the Monmouth County Vocational School District. Of the 315 students enrolled, the student-to-teacher ratio is 13:1. Average graduation rate is 95 percent, and the average standardized test scores are 1480 for the SAT and 34 for the ACT. About 23 percent of students are enrolled in at least one AP course.

Marine Academy of Technology & Environmental Science, part of the Ocean County Vocational Technical School District, has 277 students enrolled. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12:1, and the average graduation rate is 95 percent. Students typically score 1420 on the SAT and 33 on the ACT. The number of kids enrolled in AP courses was unknown.

Bergen County Technical High School, which is part of the Bergen County Vocational Technical School District, has 677 students and a 10:1 teacher-to-student ratio. The graduation rate is 95 percent, and high schoolers score, on average, 1370 on the SAT and 32 on the ACT. About 66% of students take at least one AP course.

The 10 Best Public High Schools in America are:
1. North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, Durham, NC
2. High Technology High School, Lincroft, NJ
3. University of Illinois High School, Urbana, IL
4. Bronx High School of Science, Bronx, NY
5. Stuyvesant High School, New York, NY
6. South Carolina Governor’s School for Science & Mathematics, Hartsville, SC
7. Staten Island Technical High School, Staten Island, NY
8. Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics, Oklahoma City, OK
9. Adlai E. Stevens High School, Lincolnshire, IL
10. Townsend Harris High School, Queens, NY