New Jersey’s Top Public High Schools Stand Out With Outstanding SAT Results in Latest State Rankings
Strong SAT performance continues to highlight academic excellence at several traditional public high schools across New Jersey, according to the latest data released by the New Jersey Department of Education. While selective magnet and specialised schools often dominate statewide rankings, a number of regular-admission public high schools are proving that exceptional academic achievement is possible without highly competitive entrance requirements.
The newly released state figures show that students attending several neighbourhood public high schools earned SAT scores far above both the New Jersey and national averages. These schools continue to demonstrate strong academic preparation, rigorous coursework, and a learning environment that helps students perform well on one of the country’s most recognised college entrance exams.
Leading the list of traditional public high schools is Millburn High School in Essex County. The school recorded an average combined SAT score of 1,391 out of 1,600, maintaining its position as the highest-performing regular-admission public high school in New Jersey. Millburn has consistently ranked among the state’s strongest academic institutions and once again remains a standout in the latest results.
Following closely behind are West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South and West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North in Mercer County. Both schools posted impressive average SAT scores that place them among the state’s highest-performing neighbourhood public schools.
Although magnet and specialised schools generally report the highest SAT averages because of their selective admissions policies, several traditional public schools continue to compete at an exceptional level. If all public schools, including selective academies, were ranked together, Millburn High School would still place among the top-performing schools across New Jersey.
Specialised magnet schools typically admit students through competitive application processes that evaluate academic records, entrance exams, or other achievement-based criteria. Because these schools enrol highly selected student populations, they often produce some of the highest standardised test scores in the state.
According to the latest state data, Edison Academy Magnet School in Middlesex County earned the highest overall average SAT score in New Jersey with 1,539, placing it just 61 points below a perfect score. Its average remains significantly higher than that of the state’s leading regular-admission high school.
Despite the attention given to SAT rankings, many education experts continue to caution against using standardised test scores as the only measure of school quality. Critics argue that SAT performance can be influenced by family income, access to private tutoring, and preparation courses that are not equally available to every student. They say school performance should also be evaluated through graduation rates, classroom achievement, student growth, access to advanced courses, and overall educational opportunities.
Even with those concerns, SAT scores remain an important benchmark for many colleges and universities during the admissions process. High average scores often reflect strong academic preparation and can enhance a school’s reputation among prospective families.
Statewide, New Jersey students earned an average combined SAT score of 1,052, including an average of 519 in mathematics and 533 in evidence-based reading and writing. These results continue to place New Jersey above the national average.
Across the United States, the average SAT score was 1,029, with students averaging 521 in reading and writing and 508 in mathematics. The comparison shows that New Jersey students continue to outperform the national average on the college entrance exam.
Strong SAT performance also aligns with admission standards at many competitive universities. For example, recently admitted first-year students at Rutgers University’s School of Arts and Sciences generally reported SAT scores ranging from 1,350 to 1,510, illustrating the level of academic preparation often expected at highly selective public universities.
The latest rankings of New Jersey’s highest-scoring regular-admission public high schools are:
- Millburn High School – Millburn Township School District (1,391)
- West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South – West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District (1,356)
- West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North – West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District (1,341)
- Montgomery High School – Montgomery Township School District (1,330)
- Princeton High School – Princeton Public School District (1,320)
- Tenafly High School – Tenafly Public Schools (1,310)
- Ridge High School – Bernards Township School District (1,306)
- John P. Stevens High School – Edison Township Public Schools (1,300)
- Cresskill High School – Cresskill Public School District (1,292)
- Livingston High School – Livingston Public Schools (1,277)
- Summit High School – Summit Public Schools (1,273)
- Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest – Northern Valley Regional High School District (1,265)
- Ridgewood High School – Ridgewood Public Schools (1,262)
- Robbinsville High School – Robbinsville Public School District (1,261)
- Chatham High School – School District of the Chathams (1,259)
- Hopewell Valley Central High School – Hopewell Valley Regional School District (1,249)
- South Brunswick High School – South Brunswick School District (1,247)
The latest rankings provide families with another useful snapshot of academic performance across New Jersey’s public school system. While standardised test scores represent only one part of a school’s overall success, the consistent performance of these traditional public high schools demonstrates that students can achieve outstanding academic results in regular-admission schools throughout the state.
Sources
- New Jersey Department of Education (Official State Education Data)
- College Board (Official SAT Statistics)
- Rutgers University – School of Arts and Sciences Admissions Data
