Best Schools for Low-income Students in New Jersey (2026)

These are the New Jersey public schools where low-income students scored highest on the state reading and math tests, ranked by the average of the two proficiency rates. Only schools with at least 20 tested low-income students are included. The list reflects how students in this group perform at each school; it is not a ranking of schools by their demographic makeup.

Other lists: Asian · Black · Hispanic · Multiracial · White

Elementary schools

#	School	Reading	Math	Tested	Overall Repit grade
1	Roosevelt School Lodi	75%	75%	51	B+
2	Little Falls Township Public School # 3 Little Falls	75%	75%	41	A+
3	West Belmar Elementary School Wall	50%	90%	29	A
4	Hilltop School Lodi	72%	67%	91	C
5	John F Kennedy Elementary School South Plainfield	70%	70%	21	A+
6	Milford Brook School Manalapan	70%	70%	28	A
7	Clark Mills School Manalapan	70%	70%	25	A+
8	Cornelia F. Bradford School Jersey City	70%	70%	24	A+
9	Frost Elementary School East Brunswick	70%	70%	26	A+
10	Columbus School Lodi	77%	57%	67	B+
11	Lillian M. Steen Bogota	72%	57%	87	C+
12	James Madison School #10 Garfield	77%	52%	103	B+
13	Harry S. Truman Elementary School Parlin	65%	65%	37	A
14	Number 10 Linden	65%	65%	39	C
15	Robertsville Elementary School Morganville	65%	65%	41	A
16	Livingston Elementary Union	65%	65%	53	B+
17	Gantner Avenue School Elmwood Park	75%	55%	51	C
18	E. Roy Bixby Bogota	62%	62%	65	C+
19	Thomas Jefferson School #9 Garfield	62%	62%	93	A+
20	School #3 Cliffside Park	67%	57%	173	B+
21	Jefferson Elementary School Bergenfield	65%	55%	39	A
22	Strathmore Elementary School Aberdeen	50%	70%	26	A
23	Lincoln Park Elementary School Lincoln Park	55%	65%	32	B+
24	Slackwood Elementary School Lawrenceville	70%	50%	21	C+
25	Jotham W. Wakeman School Jersey City	62%	57%	185	A

Middle schools

#	School	Reading	Math	Tested	Overall Repit grade
1	School 28 Paterson	98%	98%	143	B+
2	Sara M. Gilmore Academy Union City	98%	87%	172	A+
3	Johnstone Elementary School Vineland	95%	85%	46	D
4	Terence C. Reilly School No 7 Elizabeth	95%	77%	553	A+
5	William F. Halloran School No.22 Elizabeth	94%	72%	528	B
6	The Gray Charter School Newark	87%	77%	131	A
7	Academy I Jersey City	87%	77%	223	C+
8	Robert Treat Academy Charter School Newark	83%	70%	311	A
9	Thomas Jefferson Middle School Lodi	87%	54%	424	B
10	Maria Varisco Rogers Charter School Newark	87%	54%	336	C
11	East Brook Middle School Paramus	75%	65%	42	A+
12	Little Falls Township Public School # 1 Little Falls	82%	57%	77	A
13	Belleville PS10 Belleville	85%	55%	44	C
14	Soaring Heights Charter School Jersey City	77%	57%	79	A+
15	Lincoln Park Middle School Lincoln Park	82%	52%	71	A
16	Pace Charter School of Hamilton Hamilton Twp	77%	57%	162	C+
17	Belleville PS9 Belleville	77%	52%	63	B
18	John H. Walker Middle School Nutley	75%	55%	60	A
19	Washington School Nutley	67%	57%	65	A
20	Nicholas Oresko Community School Bayonne	67%	57%	144	B
21	Dover Middle School Dover	76%	45%	344	B+
22	Upper Pittsgrove School Monroeville	65%	55%	41	C+
23	Great Meadows Regional Middle School Great Meadows	70%	50%	23	C
24	Classical Academy Charter School of Clifton Clifton	70%	50%	29	B
25	Branchburg Central Middle School Branchburg	70%	50%	25	B+

High schools

#	School	Reading	Math	Tested	Overall Repit grade
1	Dr Ronald McNair High School Jersey City	98%	87%	120	A+
2	Infinity Institute Jersey City	98%	87%	135	A+
3	Bergen County Academies Hackensack	90%	—	20	A+
4	Academy For Allied Health Sciences Scotch Plains	90%	90%	22	A+
5	Bergen County Technical High School - Teterboro Teterboro	90%	—	26	A+
6	Union County Tech Scotch Plains	95%	75%	42	A+
7	Technology High School Newark	92%	72%	260	A+
8	Science Park High School Newark	90%	66%	322	A+
9	Cumberland County Technical Education Center Millville	82%	62%	154	A+
10	Livingston High School Livingston	90%	50%	28	A+
11	North Star Academy Charter School Newark	74%	65%	2886	B
12	Liberty High School Jersey City	92%	42%	79	A
13	Elizabeth High School - Frank J Cicarell Academy Elizabeth	94%	36%	444	B+
14	County Prep High School Jersey City	87%	42%	283	A+
15	Thomas Edison EnergySmart Charter School Somerset	75%	55%	47	A+
16	High Tech High School Secaucus	87%	32%	192	A
17	Montgomery High School Skillman	70%	50%	29	A+
18	Pompton Lakes High School Pompton Lakes	65%	55%	56	B+
19	Allentown High School Allentown	70%	50%	30	B+
20	Robbinsville High School Robbinsville	70%	50%	21	A+
21	Gloucester County Institute of Technology Sewell	62%	55%	70	A
22	Central Jersey College Prep Charter School Somerset	62%	52%	107	A
23	Fair Lawn High School Fair Lawn	62%	52%	77	A
24	East Orange STEM Academy High School East Orange	83%	31%	352	A
25	Cherry Hill High School East Cherry Hill	62%	47%	120	A+

Source: U.S. Department of Education EDFacts (state assessment results by student group) via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. Small schools report results as ranges; we use the midpoint. Methodology

Best Schools for Low-income Students in New Jersey (2026)

Elementary schools

Middle schools

High schools

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