Parents across New Jersey may want to take note: U.S. News & World Report has released its latest ranking of the state’s best public elementary schools, and the list stretches from Paterson to the Shore.
School 28 in Paterson holds the No. 1 spot for a third straight year. According to U.S. News, the PK-8 school has 463 students and a 12:1 student-teacher ratio. 96% of students scored at or above the proficient level for math, while 97% scored at or above the proficient level for reading.
Half of this year’s top 20 wasn’t on last year’s list, including Milton Avenue School in Chatham, which joins at No. 2, and Glenwood School in Short Hills at No. 3.
How Schools Are Ranked
The ranking draws on U.S. Department of Education data and measures how well schools perform in math and reading, according to U.S. News.
10 schools returned from last year’s top 20. Harrison Elementary in Livingston jumped from No. 18 to No. 7, and Orchard Elementary in Ridgewood climbed from No. 20 to No. 10. Forrestdale School in Rumson fell from No. 5 to No. 12. Cornelia F. Bradford School in Jersey City moved from No. 2 to No. 4, and Princeton Charter School slipped from No. 3 to No. 6.
From Paterson to the Shore
The list spans much of New Jersey.
Millburn enjoys two entries, Glenwood at No. 3 and South Mountain at No. 17, and Ridgewood has two, Orchard at No. 10 and Somerville at No. 20. Summit’s Franklin Elementary comes in at No. 19. Paterson, Jersey City, and Union City all place in the top 11.
H W Mountz Elementary in Spring Lake, at No. 8, has just 130 students and a 6:1 student-teacher ratio, the smallest school and lowest ratio within the top 20. At the other end, Cornelia F. Bradford School in Jersey City has 1,082 students and a 20:1 ratio.
The list isn’t strictly limited to K-5—Milton Avenue in Chatham is PK-3, while Thomas Edison Energysmart Charter School spans K-12, for example.
The Full List
| Rank | School | Town | Grades | Students | Student-teacher ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | School 28 | Paterson | PK-8 | 463 | 12:1 |
| 2 | Milton Avenue School | Chatham | PK-3 | 301 | 11:1 |
| 3 | Glenwood School | Short Hills | K-4 | 315 | 13:1 |
| 4 | Cornelia F. Bradford School | Jersey City | PK-5 | 1,082 | 20:1 |
| 5 | Thomas Edison EnergySmart Charter School | Somerset | K-12 | 613 | 15:1 |
| 6 | Princeton Charter School | Princeton | K-8 | 423 | 11:1 |
| 7 | Harrison Elementary School | Livingston | K-5 | 522 | 13:1 |
| 8 | H W Mountz Elementary School | Spring Lake | PK-8 | 130 | 6:1 |
| 9 | Alexander Hamilton School | Glen Rock | K-5 | 300 | 13:1 |
| 10 | Orchard Elementary School | Ridgewood | K-5 | 348 | 12:1 |
| 11 | Sara M. Gilmore Academy | Union City | 1-8 | 400 | 14:1 |
| 12 | Forrestdale School | Rumson | 4-8 | 498 | 8:1 |
| 13 | Hilldale School | Pine Brook | K-5 | 327 | 11:1 |
| 14 | Hatikvah International Academy Charter School | East Brunswick | K-8 | 657 | 14:1 |
| 15 | Salt Brook School | New Providence | K-6 | 583 | 12:1 |
| 16 | Mount Prospect Elementary School | Basking Ridge | PK-5 | 522 | 9:1 |
| 17 | South Mountain School | Millburn | PK-4 | 278 | 10:1 |
| 18 | Radburn Elementary School | Fair Lawn | K-4 | 445 | 13:1 |
| 19 | Franklin Elementary School | Summit | 1-5 | 369 | 13:1 |
| 20 | Somerville Elementary School | Ridgewood | K-5 | 394 | — |
Source: U.S. News & World Report. Towns as listed by U.S. News.
Why It Matters
New Jersey is known for its robust public education system.
For parents deciding where to live or which public school to choose, the 2027 makes it a bit easier to see how local schools are performing. That said, test scores only tell part of the story—rankings like these don’t capture what schools offer outside of the core subjects, from music and art to sports.
Class size is another factor that might influence where you send a child to school. 130 students at Mountz differs heavily from more than 1,000 at Bradford. Families may weigh those when making a decision.
For Paterson, School 28’s place at the top for the third year in a row stands out on a list that incudes excellent schools across New Jersey.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.
