U.S. News & World Report’s 2027 Best Middle Schools rankings are out, and New Jersey’s top 20 runs from city schools in Jersey City, Newark, and Paterson to small Shore boroughs like Avon, Spring Lake, and Little Silver, showing the true expanse of New Jersey’s robust education system.
Infinity Institute in Jersey City holds the No. 1 spot once again, with School 28 in Paterson at No. 2. According to U.S. News, Infinity Institute serves grades 6 to 12, has 265 students, and has an 11:1 student-teacher ratio.
What Changed
12 schools from last year’s top 20 returned, while eight new ones joined the list: Hoboken Dual Language Charter School, H W Mountz Elementary in Spring Lake, Avon Elementary, Science Park High School in Newark, Mount Pleasant Middle School in Livingston, Roosevelt STEM in Pennsauken, Academy I in Jersey City, and Charles Dewolf Middle School in Old Tappan.
Eight dropped out of the top 20, including Millburn Middle School, Tenafly Middle School, and John Adams Middle School in Edison.
Among returning schools, Sara M. Gilmore Academy in Union City climbed from No. 14 to No. 9, and Forrestdale School in Rumson and Markham Place School in Little Silver each rose four spots. Hatikvah International Academy Charter School, Brookside School in Allendale, and Mountain View School in Mendham fell four spots each.
Keep in mind that U.S. News changed how it scores state test results this year, giving more credit to schools with students at the highest proficiency levels, so expect a difference when comparing to last year’s results.
Not Just Middle Schools
Many of the schools on the list stretch the traditional grade range of a typical middle school. They include K-8 and PK-8 schools, Science Park High School (grades 7 to 12), and Thomas Edison EnergySmart Charter School (K-12). However, for the middle school rankings, U.S. News assesses wider-grade schools only on their sixth through eighth grade tests for accuracy.
Four of the 20 are charter schools, according to the districts U.S. News lists: Princeton Charter, Thomas Edison EnergySmart, Hoboken Dual Language, and Hatikvah. Seven schools also appear in the elementary top 20: School 28, Princeton Charter, Thomas Edison EnergySmart, H W Mountz, Sara M. Gilmore, Forrestdale, and Hatikvah.
How the Rankings Work
U.S. News ranks elementary and middle schools within each state, not nationally. Half of a school’s score comes from how its students performed on state math and reading tests, while the other half compares those results with what U.S. News expected for a school with a similar share of economically disadvantaged students and students from historically underserved ethnic groups. Schools need more than 20 students and state test results to be ranked, and charter schools are ranked alongside district schools. Student-teacher ratios are used to break ties.
The test data is from the 2023-24 school year, the latest widely available. Each state uses its own exam, so scores aren’t comparable across states.
The Full List
| Rank | School | Town | Grades | Students | Student-teacher ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Infinity Institute | Jersey City | 6-12 | 265 | 11:1 |
| 2 | School 28 | Paterson | PK-8 | 463 | 12:1 |
| 3 | Mendham Township Middle School | Brookside | 5-8 | 342 | 10:1 |
| 4 | Princeton Charter School | Princeton | K-8 | 423 | 11:1 |
| 5 | Thomas Edison EnergySmart Charter School | Somerset | K-12 | 613 | 15:1 |
| 6 | Forrestdale School | Rumson | 4-8 | 498 | 8:1 |
| 7 | Markham Place School | Little Silver | 5-8 | 309 | 8:1 |
| 8 | Hoboken Dual Language Charter School | Hoboken | K-8 | 441 | 22:1 |
| 9 | Sara M. Gilmore Academy | Union City | 1-8 | 400 | 14:1 |
| 10 | H W Mountz Elementary School | Spring Lake | PK-8 | 130 | 6:1 |
| 11 | Avon Elementary School | Avon | PK-8 | 112 | 6:1 |
| 12 | Hatikvah International Academy Charter School | East Brunswick | K-8 | 657 | 14:1 |
| 13 | Brookside School | Allendale | 4-8 | 502 | 12:1 |
| 14 | Science Park High School | Newark | 7-12 | 964 | 14:1 |
| 15 | Briarcliff Middle School | Mountain Lakes | 6-8 | 263 | 9:1 |
| 16 | Mount Pleasant Middle School | Livingston | 6 | 530 | 12:1 |
| 17 | Roosevelt Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics [confirm full name] | Pennsauken | K-8 | 184 | 11:1 |
| 18 | Academy I | Jersey City | 6-8 | 415 | 14:1 |
| 19 | Mountain View School | Mendham | 5-8 | 208 | 7:1 |
| 20 | Charles Dewolf Middle School | Old Tappan | 5-8 | 370 | 12:1 |
Source: U.S. News & World Report, 2027 Best Middle Schools. Towns as listed by U.S. News.
Why It Matters
For parents deciding where to live or which public school to choose, rankings like these can show where students are doing the best. But it’s worth noting the rankings rely on state test scores from two school years ago, and they do not capture what a school offers outside the classroom, such as extracurriculars.
Looking for other grade levels? See our lists of the top elementary schools and top high schools in New Jersey:
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.
