Public + private high schools, every state.
765
high schools (public + private)
531
public (348 districts)
234
private (NCES PSS)
107,281
public grade‑12 students (seniors, latest year)

NJ public HS enrollment trend

Across the 400,627 students enrolled in NJ brick-and-mortar public high schools in 2021, the state grew +4.7% by 2024 (419,310 students, +18,683 net). That's the demographic tide every individual school is fighting or riding.

Charter share of public HS enrollment (latest year): 2.9% (12,104 of 419,310 students). Virtual / nonclassroom-based schools excluded.

🗺️ State context · NAEP 2024

How does NJ compare nationally?

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the only test given the same way to students in every state — making it the benchmark for state-to-state academic comparison. Below, this state's 8th-grade averages and where it sits on the 50-state distribution.

8th-grade math
285
+12 vs national avg (273)
8th-grade reading
270
+10 vs national avg (260)
national avg NJ Math → Reading → 260 290 245 275

Each dot is one state's 2024 NAEP 8th-grade averages. NJ is highlighted in gold. Dashed lines mark national averages — being upper-right of both = above national in both subjects. Source: NAEP State Snapshot Reports. NAEP doesn't produce per-school scores — this is state-level context.

Where the students are

Top 10 cities by public-HS enrollment

NEWARK 20 HS 15,144
JERSEY CITY 9 HS 6,908
Elizabeth 8 HS 6,780
PATERSON 8 HS 5,941
WAYNE 3 HS 5,928
EDISON 3 HS 5,253
TOMS RIVER 5 HS 4,708
HAMILTON 3 HS 3,992
Passaic 4 HS 3,878
CHERRY HILL 3 HS 3,415

School-size distribution

Public, classroom-based · grades 9–12, latest year

Fastest-growing high schools
public, classroom-based · grade 9–12 · 2021→2024
K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson STEM Academy
Elizabeth Public Schools
277→740 +167.1%
Malcolm X Shabazz High School
Newark Public School District
205→531 +159.0%
College Achieve Paterson Charter School
College Achieve Paterson Charter School
249→528 +112.0%
LEAD Charter School
LEAD Charter School
166→333 +100.6%
Bergen County Institute for Science and Technology
Bergen County Vocational Technical School District
157→290 +84.7%
Newark School of Global Studies
Newark Public School District
211→377 +78.7%
Central Jersey College Prep Charter School
Central Jersey College Prep Charter School
271→477 +76.0%
Weequahic High School
Newark Public School District
337→592 +75.7%
Capital City High School
Trenton Public School District
443→756 +70.7%
Essex County West Caldwell Tech
Essex County Schools of Technology
220→353 +60.5%
Fastest-shrinking high schools
public, classroom-based · grade 9–12 · 2021→2024
Infinity Institute
Jersey City Public Schools
288→169 -41.3%
Academy for Urban Leadership Charter School
Academy for Urban Leadership Charter School
324→206 -36.4%
Union County TEAMS Charter School
Union County TEAMS Charter School-High School/College LA
150→99 -34.0%
Chartertech High School for the Performing Arts
Chartertech High School for the Performing Arts
380→253 -33.4%
High Tech High School
Hudson County Schools of Technology School District
1,008→790 -21.6%
Indian Hills High School
Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District
816→668 -18.1%
North Warren Regional School
North Warren Regional
448→379 -15.4%
Belvidere High School
Belvidere School District
353→303 -14.2%
Bound Brook High School
Bound Brook School District
667→579 -13.2%
Lincoln High School
Jersey City Public Schools
883→767 -13.1%

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