What makes a public school district stand out as one of the best? Niche recently evaluated criteria including AP, IB and gifted/talented programs, teacher quality, diversity, sports, student-teacher ratio and special education. Last week, Niche named the Best School Districts in NJ for 2025 (along with the Best High Schools in NJ) and Northern Valley Regional High School District in Demarest topped the list.
Northern Valley Regional High School District has 2,000 students in three schools. The district ranked A+ overall, with A+ grades in academics, teachers, college prep and administration; A for clubs and activities; and B for diversity. The high school is a Blue Ribbon School, and offers 55 dual-enrollment opportunities with BCC, NJIT, Seton Hall and Fairleigh Dickinson universities. Students can choose to enroll in Career and Technical Education Programs in technology, computer science, biomedical engineering, marketing, theater, architecture and child development. Options also include the Career Pathways Program, work-based learning experiences, service learning and volunteer initiatives, teaching mentorships, and unpaid internship/job shadowing.
No. 2 Princeton Public Schools has 3,800 students across six schools. Also with an overall A+ rating, Princeton received A+ grades in academics, teachers and college prep; and A- grades in clubs and activities, diversity and administration. The student-teacher ratio is 11 to 1. According to state test scores, 58 percent of students are at least proficient in math and 75 percent in reading.
Third on the list, Millburn Township School District has 4,800 students in eight schools. The student-teacher ratio is 13 to 1. According to state test scores, 80 percent of students are at least proficient in math and 83 percent in reading. The A+ score includes A+ in academics, teachers and college prep; A in administration; A- in clubs and activities; and B in diversity.
The 50 Best School Districts in New Jersey, according to Niche, are:
- Northern Valley Regional High School District in Demarest
- Princeton Public Schools
- Millburn Township School District
- Ridgewood Public School District
- West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District
- Tenafly Public School District
- Summit Public School District
- Mountain Lakes School District
- The School District of The Chathams
- Haddonfield Public Schools
- Moorestown Public School District
- Livingston Board of Education School District
- New Providence School District
- Bernards Township School District in Basking Ridge
- South Brunswick School District
- Morris Hills Regional School District in Denville
- West Essex Regional School District in North Caldwell
- West Morris Regional High School District in Chester
- Westfield Public School District
- Somerset Hills Regional School District in Bernardsville
- River Dell Regional School District in River Edge
- Rutherford School District
- Mahwah Township Public School District
- Glen Ridge Public School District
- Pascack Valley Regional High School District in Montvale
- Holmdel Township School District
- Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District in Oakland
- Hopewell Valley Regional School District in Pennington
- Montgomery Township School District in Skillman
- Montville Township Public Schools
- Fair Lawn School District
- Hillsborough Township Public School District
- Edison Township School District
- Ocean City School District
- Parsippany-Troy Hills Township School District
- North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District in Annandale
- Randolph Township School District
- Metuchen Public School District
- Freehold Regional High School District in Englishtown
- Robbinsville Public Schools
- Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District in Martinsville
- Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District
- East Brunswick Public Schools
- Park Ridge School District
- Glen Rock Board of Education
- Hanover Park Regional High School District
- Fort Lee School District
- Paramus Public School District
- Upper Freehold Regional School District in Allentown
- Cresskill Public School District
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Read More:
These Are the 50 Best Public High Schools in NJ, According to Niche
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