We put a lot of emphasis on high school education, but the middle school years are just as formative. U.S. News & World Report ranked 23,861 middle schools across the country, with individual lists per state (no national ranking). The list evaluates 713 middle schools in New Jersey.
The study analyzed math and language arts state assessments, both for the test scores and in the context of socioeconomic demographics. If a school district has three or more ranked middle schools and at least two schools in the top 75 percent of the overall ranking, then it gets a No. 1 ranked school in that district. A charter school’s rank equals its order in the overall state ranking.
No. 1 on the list, Public School No. 28/Paterson Academy of the Gifted & Talented in Paterson, has 484 students in the Pre-K to Grade 8 public school. The ranking shows that 95 percent of students scored at or above the proficient level for math, and 100 percent scored at or above that level for reading. The school’s minority student enrollment is 93 percent, and it enrolls 77 percent of economically disadvantaged students. School 28 was also ranked No. 1 in New Jersey Elementary Schools, New Jersey Middle Schools, Paterson Public School District Elementary Schools and Paterson Public School District Middle Schools.
No. 2, Infinity Institute in Jersey City, has a student population of 326 in its Grades 6-12 public school. At Infinity, 78 percent of students scored at or above the proficient level for math, and 97 percent scored at or above that level for reading. The school’s minority student enrollment is 74 percent, while the school enrolls 64 percent of economically disadvantaged students.
No. 3, Upper School in Englewood Cliffs, has a population of 264 in the Grades 3-8 public school. At the Upper School, 82 percent of students scored at or above the proficient level in math, and 93 percent scored at or above that level in reading. The school’s minority student enrollment is 75 percent, and the school enrolls 1 percent of economically disadvantaged students. Upper School also ranks No. 37 in New Jersey Elementary Schools.
No. 4, Thomas Edison Energysmart Charter School in Somerset, has a population of 604 in the K-12 charter school. At TEECS, 79 percent of students scored at or above the proficient level for math, and 88 percent scored at or above that level for reading. The school’s minority student enrollment is 87 percent and the school enrolls 9 percent of economically disadvantaged students. TEECS ranks No. 73 in New Jersey Elementary Schools, No. 4 in New Jersey Middle Schools, No. 4 in New Jersey Charter Elementary Schools and No. 1 in New Jersey Charter Middle Schools.
No. 5, Mendham Township Middle School in Brookside, has a population of 301 in Grades 5-8. Eighty-five percent of students at the public school scored at or above the proficient level for math, and 94 percent scored at or above that level for reading. The school’s minority student enrollment is 17 percent and the school enrolls 1 percent of economically disadvantaged students.
These are the Top 20 middle schools in New Jersey, based on U.S. News & World Report:
- Public School 28/Paterson Academy of the Gifted & Talented, Paterson, Paterson Public School District
- Infinity Institute, Jersey City, Jersey City Public Schools
- Upper School, Englewood Cliffs, Englewood Cliffs School District
- Thomas Edison Energysmart Charter School, Somerset, Thomas Edison Energysmart Charter School
- Mendham Township Middle School, Brookside, Mendham Township School District
- Princeton Charter School, Princeton, Princeton Charter School
- Forrestdale School, Rumson, Rumson Borough School District
- Markham Place School, Little Silver, Little Silver Boro School District
- Ho-Ho-Kus Public School, Ho-Ho-Kus, Ho-Ho-Kus School District
- Hatikvah International Academy Charter School, East Brunswick, Hatikvah International Academy Charter School
- Brookside School, Allendale, Allendale Public School District
- Sara M. Gilmore Academy, Union City, Union City School District
- Mountain View Middle School, Mendham, Mendham Borough School District
- Deerfield School, Mountainside, Mountainside School District
- Knollwood School, Fair Haven, Fair Haven School District
- Millburn Middle School, Millburn, Millburn Township School District
- Harding Township School, New Vernon, Harding Township School District
- Tenafly Middle School, Tenafly, Tenafly Public School District
- John Adams Middle School, Edison, Edison Township School District
- Academy I Middle School, Jersey City, Jersey City Public Schools
Read More:
New Jersey Has the Best Education in the U.S., Says U.S. News & World Report
The Best High Schools for Athletes in New Jersey, According to a 2025 Ranking
Parents in New Jersey Could Get Paid PTO For Their Kids’ School Events
Popular Now:
New Jersey’s 10 Best Beaches
The Best Counties to Live in New Jersey
The Best Free Beaches in New Jersey
The Best Cities to Live in New Jersey (2025-26), According to U.S. News & World Report
This is New Jersey’s Most Underrated Town, Travel Site Says
These 30 Towns Are the Top Places to Live in New Jersey, According to Niche
The Best High Schools for Athletes in New Jersey, According to a 2025 Ranking
These NJ High Schools Send the Most Grads to Harvard, Princeton & MIT
This NJ Gem Was Just Named One of the Best New Hotels on the Planet
The Country’s Best Boardwalk is in New Jersey, According to USA Today Readers
