Best schools
Best Elementary Schools in America: 2026 Rankings
We analyzed 60,000+ elementary schools to find the highest-performing in 2026. See which regions lead, what top schools have in common, and how to start your search.
The local route
No metro map yet; start with the biggest places.
Lakewood
128 schools on file.
Newark
89 schools on file.
Jersey City
75 schools on file.
The districts
No axis is drawn until three districts have rated campuses.See all 679 districts in New Jersey
The schools
The ten highest-rated schools; open a profile for the evidence.The map
Where the highest-rated schools sit.The cities
The twenty places with the most schools.- Lakewood128
- Newark89
- Jersey City75
- Paterson50
- Elizabeth41
- Clifton37
- Trenton37
- Hamilton35
- Edison33
- Westfield29
- Paramus28
- Passaic28
- East Orange26
- Camden25
- Cherry Hill24
- Vineland24
- Wayne24
- Plainfield22
- Princeton22
- Piscataway21
Browse all 583 cities in New Jersey
Student demographics
- White70.9%
- Hispanic or Latino9.2%
- Asian7.6%
- Black or African American7.3%
- Two or More Races4.2%
- American Indian/Alaska Native0.6%
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander0.3%
Enrollment-weighted average across 859 schools. Source: NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).
The record
- Total schools
- 3,352
- Districts
- 679
- Cities/towns
- 583
- Average rating
- 6.4
- out of 10
- Math proficiency
- 49%
- avg across schools
- ELA proficiency
- 56%
- avg across schools
- Avg student-teacher ratio
- 11.0:1
- Estimated scores
- 25%
- 822 of 3,352 schools use estimated academic data from nearby schools
Questions
How many schools are ranked in New Jersey?
MySchoolScout has rankings and data for 3,352 public schools across 679 districts in New Jersey.
What is the average school rating in New Jersey?
The average MySchoolScout composite score for ranked schools in New Jersey is 6.4 out of 10.
What percentage of students in New Jersey are proficient in math?
On average, 49.5% of students across ranked schools in New Jersey are proficient in math, based on the most recent state assessment data.
What percentage of students in New Jersey are proficient in reading?
On average, 56.0% of students across ranked schools in New Jersey are proficient in reading and ELA, based on the most recent state assessment data.
What is the average student-teacher ratio in New Jersey?
The average student-teacher ratio across ranked schools in New Jersey is 11.0:1.
What is the top-ranked school in New Jersey?
The top-ranked school in New Jersey on MySchoolScout is Bloomsbury Borough School in Bloomsbury, with a composite score of 9.8/10.
How does MySchoolScout rate schools in New Jersey?
MySchoolScout rates schools using publicly available data from the NCES Common Core of Data and the New Jersey Department of Education. Each school receives a 1-10 composite score built from Student Growth, Poverty-Adjusted Academic Achievement, and School Environment — plus College Readiness for high schools. Weights vary by school level, and equity data is shown for context but not scored.
Keep reading
Explore more
- Our MethodologyHow we rate schools and districts
- Every district in New JerseyThe A to Z directory
- Every city and town in New JerseyThe A to Z directory
- Every metro school mapSchool quality against home prices, by neighborhood
Related reading
Data from NCES Common Core of Data, New Jersey Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.