NJ high schools rank best in nation, US News says. See top public, charter, STEM schools

Hundreds of New Jersey schools have earned top ranks among the best in the nation, including a STEM school snagging the number one spot in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2025-2026 best high schools list.

New Jersey has 11 schools in the top 100 rankings and the third highest percentage of top-ranked schools in the nation, per U.S. News’ annual list, released Tuesday, Aug. 19. About 40% of New Jersey schools (or 40%) earned a spot on the list.

U.S. News reviewed more than 24,000 public schools and ranked 18,000 for the 2025-2026 report, which includes public schools, charter schools and schools that focus on STEM, an acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

U.S. News worked with global research firm RTI Internation to identify top schools based on various factors, including student achievement on state-required assessment, graduation rates and college readiness measures. Schools are also measured on how well they serve students, from the underserved populations to student participation and performance on AP testing and other exams. Rankings also include curriculum breadth and overall student outcomes.

Here’s the breakdown of the best public schools in New Jersey, per U.S. News.

Best NJ high schools in the US

New Jersey had 11 public high school schools make the top 100 list among best public high schools in the U.S., per the U.S. News’ list. Overall, 411 of 427 New Jersey public high schools ranked. Here’s the top 10 in NJ:

1. High Technology High School, Lincroft (Ranked #27 nationally)

2. Bergen County Academies, Hackensack (Ranked #41 nationally)

3. Edison Academy Magnet School, Edison (Ranked #59 nationally)

4. Dr. Ronald E McNair High School, Jersey City (Ranked #77 nationally)

5. Union County Magnet High School, Scotch Plains (Ranked #79 nationally)

6. Biotechnology High School, Freehold (Ranked #80 nationally)

7. Bergen County Technical High School, Teterboro (Ranked #82 nationally)

8. Woodbridge Academy Magnet School, Woodbridge (Ranked #90 nationally)

9. Academy for Information Technology, Scotch Plains (Ranked #94 nationally)

10. Academy for Allied Health Services, Scotch Plains (Ranked #114 nationally)

Top STEM high school in the US

High Technology High School in Lincroft, in Monmouth County, ranked No. 1 among the best STEM high schools in the U.S., according to the 2025-2026 U.S. News & World Report best high schools list.

High Technology High School

U.S. News gave High Technology High School a near-perfect grade of 99.85 out of 100 in its rankings, which also earned the school a #27 spot on the overall national rankings. The school, with a 2024-2025 enrollment of 284, is engineering-centric, with students earning college credits for core coursework through partnerships with colleges Rochester Institute of Technology and Georgian Court.

Best NJ STEM schools in the US

New Jersey had 44 STEM high schools ranked among the best in the nation. Here’s the top 10 STEM schools in New Jersey, per U.S. News.

1. High Technology High School, Lincroft (Ranked #27 nationally)

2. Bergen County Academies, Hackensack (Ranked #41 nationally)

3. Edison Academy Magnet School, Edison (Ranked #59 nationally)

4. Dr. Ronald E McNair High School, Jersey City (Ranked #77 nationally)

5. Union County Magnet High School, Scotch Plains (Ranked #79 nationally)

6. Biotechnology High School, Freehold (Ranked #80 nationally)

7. Bergen County Technical High School, Teterboro (Ranked #82 nationally)

8. Academy for Information Technology, Scotch Plains (Ranked #94 nationally)

9. Academy for Allied Health Services, Scotch Plains (Ranked #114 nationally)

10. Millburn High School, Millburn (Ranked #244 nationally)

Best NJ Charter schools in the US

New Jersey had 25 charter schools rank among the best charter high schools in the nation, per U.S. News. Here’s the top 10.

1. Thomas Edison Energysmart Charter School, Somerset (#23 in NJ)

2. Central Jersey College Prep Charter School, Somerset (#25 in NJ)

3. College Achieve Central Charter School, Plainfield (#63 in NJ)

4. Bergen Arts and Sciences Charter School, Garfield (#71 in NJ)

5. Beloved Community Charter School, Jersey City (#103 in NJ)

6. North Star Academy Charter School of Newark, Newark (#120 in NJ)

7. Passaic Arts and Science Charter School, Passaic (#192 in NJ)

8. Great Oaks Legacy Charter School, Newark (#193 in NJ)

9. Paterson Arts and Science Charter School, Paterson (#298 in NJ)

10. The Barack Obama Green Charter High School, Plainfield (#307 in NJ)

What are the top high schools in the US?

U.S. News ranked these as the best public high schools in the US:

1. BASIS Tucson North, Arizona

2. Signature School, Indiana

3. Central Magnet School, Tennessee

5. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Virginia

6. Albuquerque Institute of Math and Science, New Mexico

7. Hass Hall Bentonville, Arkansas

8. Julia R. Masterman Secondary School, Pennsylvania

9. The School for the Talented and Gifted, Texas

10. Aiken Scholars Academy, South Carolina

Lori Comstock is a New Jersey-based journalist with the Mid-Atlantic Connect Team.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Where are the best high schools near me? NJ schools top list, US News