Education in New Jersey, United States: official figures
85.2% of public high school students in New Jersey graduated within four years of starting ninth grade in the 2021-22 school year (the adjusted cohort graduation rate); 19th lowest among the 49 states (including DC) with data (U.S.: 86.6%).
Is the graduation rate in New Jersey rising?
The four-year graduation rate in New Jersey was 85.2% in 2021-22, compared with 86% in 2011-12 and 90.6% in 2018-19, before the pandemic; nationally the rate went from 80% in 2011-12 to 86.6% in 2021-22.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics (U.S. Department of Education) · saved copyWhat is the graduation rate for disadvantaged students in New Jersey?
In 2021-22 the four-year graduation rate in New Jersey was 78.7% for economically disadvantaged students, 48.5% for students with disabilities and 70.3% for English learners (U.S.: 81.3%, 71.4%, 72.1% respectively).
Source: National Center for Education Statistics (U.S. Department of Education) · saved copyWhat is the graduation rate by race in New Jersey?
By race and ethnicity, the 2021-22 graduation rate in New Jersey was 77.8% for Black, 79.3% for Hispanic and 89.1% for White students (U.S.: 81.0%, 82.8%, 89.8%).
Source: National Center for Education Statistics (U.S. Department of Education) · saved copyHow do students in New Jersey score in grade 4 reading?
Public school students in New Jersey averaged 222 in fourth-grade reading on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), joint 2nd highest among the 50 states and DC, down from 227 in 2019 (national public: 214, 219 in 2019). 38% scored at or above Proficient and 34% below Basic.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics (U.S. Department of Education) · saved copyHow do students in New Jersey score in grade 8 reading?
Public school students in New Jersey averaged 266 in eighth-grade reading on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2nd highest among the 50 states and DC, down from 270 in 2019 (national public: 257, 262 in 2019). 38% scored at or above Proficient and 27% below Basic.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics (U.S. Department of Education) · saved copyHow do students in New Jersey score in grade 4 math?
Public school students in New Jersey averaged 240 in fourth-grade mathematics on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), joint 9th highest among the 50 states and DC, down from 246 in 2019 (national public: 237, 240 in 2019). 44% scored at or above Proficient and 23% below Basic.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics (U.S. Department of Education) · saved copyHow do students in New Jersey score in grade 8 math?
Public school students in New Jersey averaged 282 in eighth-grade mathematics on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), joint 3rd highest among the 50 states and DC, down from 292 in 2019 (national public: 272, 281 in 2019). 37% scored at or above Proficient and 35% below Basic.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics (U.S. Department of Education) · saved copyHow much does New Jersey spend per student?
Public school systems in New Jersey spent $27,234 per pupil on current operations in fiscal year 2024, 4th highest among the 50 states and DC (U.S.: $17,619), according to the Census Bureau's Annual Survey of School System Finances.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyIs school spending per pupil in New Jersey going up?
Current spending per pupil in New Jersey rose from $20,512 in fiscal 2019 to $27,234 in fiscal 2024, up 32.8% before inflation (U.S.: up 33.6%); the change on fiscal 2023 was up 3.6%.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyWhat does New Jersey spend school money on?
Of the $27,234 spent per pupil in New Jersey in fiscal 2024, $15,858 went on instruction and $10,540 on support services; salaries and wages came to $12,870 per pupil and employee benefits $8,785.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyWhere does school funding in New Jersey come from?
Public school systems in New Jersey received $41.5 billion in revenue in fiscal 2024: 6.3% from the federal government, 46.3% from the state and 47.4% from local sources such as property taxes (U.S.: 11.6%, 45.2% and 43.2%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow much does New Jersey spend on public schools in total?
Total spending by public school systems in New Jersey was $41.2 billion in fiscal 2024, of which $38.6 billion was current spending and $2.2 billion capital outlay on buildings and equipment; the systems owed $7.9 billion in debt at the end of the year.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many students are in public schools in New Jersey?
1,392,567 pupils were enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools in New Jersey in fall 2023, down 1.4% on fall 2019 (1,411,917) and up 1.6% on fall 2013; nationally enrollment was down 2.5% since 2019.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics (U.S. Department of Education) · saved copyWhat is the student-teacher ratio in New Jersey?
Public schools in New Jersey had 117,661 full-time-equivalent teachers in fall 2022, about 11.8 pupils per teacher, 7th fewest among the 50 states and DC (U.S.: 15.4; New Jersey in fall 2019: 12.1).
Source: National Center for Education Statistics (U.S. Department of Education) · saved copyWhat percentage of people in New Jersey have a college degree?
44.5% of adults aged 25 and over in New Jersey, about 2,966,000 people, held a bachelor's degree or higher in 2024; 6th highest among the 50 states and DC (U.S.: 36.8%). That is up 1.4 percentage points on 2021 (43.1%), according to the American Community Survey.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many people in New Jersey have a graduate degree?
In 2024, 18.2% of adults 25 and over in New Jersey had a graduate or professional degree and 6.6% an associate degree as their highest qualification (U.S.: 14.7% and 8.8%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many adults in New Jersey did not finish high school?
90.4% of adults 25 and over in New Jersey had at least a high school diploma or equivalent in 2024, leaving 9.6% without one; that share is joint 15th highest among the 50 states and DC (U.S.: 10.1%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow New Jersey compares with other states
Public high school 4-year graduation rate (ACGR) (2021-22)
New Jersey ranks 31 of 49, highest first. Adjusted cohort graduation rate; New Mexico and Oklahoma did not report for 2021-22
| Rank | Region | Public high school 4-year graduation rate (ACGR) |
|---|---|---|
| 28 | Maine | 86.1% |
| 29 | Hawaii | 86.0% |
| 30 | Montana | 85.8% |
| 31 | New Jersey | 85.2% |
| 32 | North Dakota | 85.1% |
| 33 | Georgia | 84.1% |
| 34 | South Carolina | 83.8% |
Graduation rate of economically disadvantaged students (2021-22)
New Jersey ranks 26 of 48, highest first. Adjusted cohort graduation rate
| Rank | Region | Graduation rate of economically disadvantaged students |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Illinois | 80.0% |
| 24 | North Carolina | 79.5% |
| 25 | Nebraska | 79.0% |
| 26 | New Jersey | 78.7% |
| 27 | Georgia | 78.6% |
| 28 | Maryland | 77.9% |
| 29 | Louisiana | 77.5% |
NAEP fourth-grade reading, average score (2024)
New Jersey ranks 2 of 51, highest first. Public school students; scale 0-500
| Rank | Region | NAEP fourth-grade reading, average score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 225 |
| 2 | New Jersey | 222 |
| 3 | Wyoming | 222 |
| 4 | Colorado | 221 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | 221 |
| 6 | Indiana | 220 |
| 7 | Connecticut | 219 |
NAEP eighth-grade reading, average score (2024)
New Jersey ranks 2 of 51, highest first. Public school students; scale 0-500
| Rank | Region | NAEP eighth-grade reading, average score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 268 |
| 2 | New Jersey | 266 |
| 3 | Colorado | 265 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | 264 |
| 5 | Connecticut | 263 |
| 6 | Illinois | 262 |
| 7 | Indiana | 262 |
NAEP fourth-grade mathematics, average score (2024)
New Jersey ranks 9 of 51, highest first. Public school students; scale 0-500
| Rank | Region | NAEP fourth-grade mathematics, average score |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Texas | 241 |
| 7 | Minnesota | 241 |
| 8 | North Dakota | 241 |
| 9 | New Jersey | 240 |
| 10 | Tennessee | 240 |
| 11 | Indiana | 240 |
| 12 | South Dakota | 240 |
NAEP eighth-grade mathematics, average score (2024)
New Jersey ranks 3 of 51, highest first. Public school students; scale 0-500
| Rank | Region | NAEP eighth-grade mathematics, average score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 283 |
| 2 | Wisconsin | 283 |
| 3 | New Jersey | 282 |
| 4 | Minnesota | 282 |
| 5 | Utah | 282 |
| 6 | South Dakota | 281 |
| 7 | Nebraska | 280 |
Eighth graders at or above NAEP Proficient in mathematics (2024)
New Jersey ranks 2 of 51, highest first. Public school students
| Rank | Region | Eighth graders at or above NAEP Proficient in mathematics |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 37.2% |
| 2 | New Jersey | 36.8% |
| 3 | Wisconsin | 36.5% |
| 4 | Utah | 35.1% |
| 5 | Minnesota | 34.0% |
| 6 | South Dakota | 33.3% |
| 7 | Colorado | 32.5% |
Fourth graders below NAEP Basic in reading (2024)
New Jersey ranks 48 of 51, highest first. Public school students
| Rank | Region | Fourth graders below NAEP Basic in reading |
|---|---|---|
| 45 | Mississippi | 35.4% |
| 46 | Colorado | 35.1% |
| 47 | Indiana | 34.7% |
| 48 | New Jersey | 33.7% |
| 49 | New Hampshire | 33.3% |
| 50 | Wyoming | 32.2% |
| 51 | Massachusetts | 31.7% |
Current spending per pupil, public schools (FY2024)
New Jersey ranks 4 of 51, highest first. Census Bureau Annual Survey of School System Finances
| Rank | Region | Current spending per pupil, public schools |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $31,918 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $31,529 |
| 3 | Vermont | $28,818 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $27,234 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $26,316 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $24,429 |
| 7 | Hawaii | $23,878 |
Change in current spending per pupil since FY2019 (FY2019-FY2024)
New Jersey ranks 23 of 51, highest first. Current dollars, not adjusted for inflation
| Rank | Region | Change in current spending per pupil since FY2019 |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | Illinois | +34.2% |
| 21 | Arkansas | +33.5% |
| 22 | Maryland | +33.4% |
| 23 | New Jersey | +32.8% |
| 24 | Mississippi | +32.7% |
| 25 | Louisiana | +32.5% |
| 26 | Rhode Island | +32.0% |
Share of public school revenue from local sources (FY2024)
New Jersey ranks 18 of 51, highest first. Census Bureau
| Rank | Region | Share of public school revenue from local sources |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Virginia | 48.9% |
| 16 | Georgia | 48.6% |
| 17 | Massachusetts | 48.1% |
| 18 | New Jersey | 47.4% |
| 19 | Louisiana | 47.1% |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 47.1% |
| 21 | Maryland | 46.5% |
Pupils per teacher, public schools (Fall 2022)
New Jersey ranks 45 of 51, highest first. Common Core of Data
| Rank | Region | Pupils per teacher, public schools |
|---|---|---|
| 42 | Wyoming | 12.6 |
| 43 | North Dakota | 12.4 |
| 44 | Massachusetts | 12.0 |
| 45 | New Jersey | 11.8 |
| 46 | New York | 11.7 |
| 47 | Connecticut | 11.7 |
| 48 | New Hampshire | 11.5 |
Change in public school enrollment, fall 2019 to fall 2023 (2019-2023)
New Jersey ranks 20 of 51, highest first. Common Core of Data
| Rank | Region | Change in public school enrollment, fall 2019 to fall 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | North Carolina | -1.0% |
| 18 | Tennessee | -1.0% |
| 19 | Georgia | -1.1% |
| 20 | New Jersey | -1.4% |
| 21 | Indiana | -1.8% |
| 22 | Iowa | -1.8% |
| 23 | Missouri | -2.1% |
Adults 25 and over with a bachelor's degree or higher (2024)
New Jersey ranks 6 of 51, highest first. American Community Survey 1-year estimates
| Rank | Region | Adults 25 and over with a bachelor's degree or higher |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Colorado | 47.8% |
| 4 | Vermont | 45.1% |
| 5 | Maryland | 44.7% |
| 6 | New Jersey | 44.5% |
| 7 | Virginia | 43.3% |
| 8 | Connecticut | 42.6% |
| 9 | New Hampshire | 41.5% |
Adults 25 and over without a high school diploma or equivalent (2024)
New Jersey ranks 16 of 51, highest first. American Community Survey 1-year estimates
| Rank | Region | Adults 25 and over without a high school diploma or equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | West Virginia | 9.9% |
| 14 | Oklahoma | 9.8% |
| 15 | Florida | 9.6% |
| 16 | New Jersey | 9.6% |
| 17 | Rhode Island | 9.6% |
| 18 | Tennessee | 9.4% |
| 19 | Indiana | 9.4% |
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Sources
- National Center for Education Statistics (U.S. Department of Education): Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 219.46: Public high school 4-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR), by selected student characteristics and state, 2011-12 through 2021-22, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1913b92e5e75…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, table-based summary file: Educational attainment for the population 25 years and over (B15003), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0c933281d2c2…)
- National Center for Education Statistics (U.S. Department of Education): Digest of Education Statistics 2024, Table 203.20: Enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools, by state, fall 1990 through fall 2023 (Common Core of Data), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 8e370b60d62a…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: 2024 Annual Survey of School System Finances: summary tables (Public Elementary-Secondary Education Finance Data, fiscal year 2024), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 848133174f29…)
- National Center for Education Statistics (U.S. Department of Education): NAEP mathematics grade 4, 2019 and 2024: average scale score and achievement-level percentages for public school students by state (NAEP Data Service), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 913ed194a3d5…)
- National Center for Education Statistics (U.S. Department of Education): NAEP mathematics grade 8, 2019 and 2024: average scale score and achievement-level percentages for public school students by state (NAEP Data Service), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 7dc207d5418d…)
- National Center for Education Statistics (U.S. Department of Education): NAEP reading grade 4, 2019 and 2024: average scale score and achievement-level percentages for public school students by state (NAEP Data Service), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 7da857933d83…)
- National Center for Education Statistics (U.S. Department of Education): NAEP reading grade 8, 2019 and 2024: average scale score and achievement-level percentages for public school students by state (NAEP Data Service), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 790de8a24822…)
- National Center for Education Statistics (U.S. Department of Education): Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 208.40: Public elementary and secondary teachers, enrollment, and pupil/teacher ratios, by state, fall 2000 through fall 2022 (Common Core of Data), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c15568f58c4c…)
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