NJ Schools Among Least ‘Racially Equal’ In Nation, Study Finds

New Jersey has one of the least “racially equal” school systems in the nation, a study claims.

A recent report from financial information website WalletHub ranked New Jersey as the 48^th-lowest state when it comes to “racial equality in education” among Black and White residents. Only Connecticut (49^th) and Wisconsin (50^th) placed lower on the list.

The top-rated state for 2026? Wyoming, researchers said.

To reach their conclusions, WalletHub analyzed data from all 50 states across several key metrics: adults with a high school degree, adults with a bachelor’s degree, standardized test scores and high school graduation rates. View the full report and see its methodology here.

Here’s how New Jersey fared, researchers said:

• 28th – Share of Adults with at Least a High School Degree
• 49th – Share of Adults with at Least a Bachelor’s Degree
• 25th – Standardized-Test Scores
• 38th – Mean SAT Score
• 48th – Average ACT Score
• 34th – Public High School Graduation Rate

WalletHub isn’t the only report that has found widespread racial inequality in New Jersey’s schools. Some Garden State advocacy groups that have recently released studies on the issue include the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice and New Jersey Policy Perspective.

A 2023 study on “school segregation” from Rutgers University-Newark found that 32 percent of the state’s children – nearly 270,000 children – attend schools that are “racially and economically segregated.” The numbers are rising, researchers noted, increasing from 382 schools between them in 2016 to 451 schools in 2019.

• Related: ‘Segregation’ In NJ Schools Focus Of New Rutgers Study

More than 130 of about 700 Garden State K-12 school districts are considered segregated with at least 80 percent of students of one race, and 41 school districts with at least 90 percent of students of one race, a Patch analysis from 2024 found.

• Related: How Segregated Is Your NJ School? See District Breakdown

There are also signs that racial equality in New Jersey is improving, some researchers say.

Earlier this year, WalletHub released a new version of its “States That Have Made the Most Racial Progress” report ahead of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. New Jersey ranked fifth-highest on the list, behind Texas (first), Wyoming (second), Mississippi (third) and Georgia (fourth).

• Related: NJ Among States With Most ‘Racial Progress,’ Study Says
• Related: Racial Wealth Gap Is Ballooning In New Jersey, Report Finds
• Related: Fight For Slavery Reparations Endures In NJ As Wealth Gap Widens

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