Here's How Hightstown High School Ranks Among NJ's Best, New Report Shows

EAST WINDSOR, NJ — Hightstown High School ranked 191st in New Jersey in U.S. News & World Report's 2026-2027 Best High Schools rankings, released Tuesday.

The rankings evaluated Hightstown High School against 17,945 nationally ranked schools and 415 ranked schools in New Jersey. The school ranked No. 217 in the state for College Readiness Index and No. 197 for College Curriculum Breadth Index. It ranked No. 219 in the state for State Assessment Proficiency and No. 185 for State Assessment Performance.

Hightstown High School's graduation rate is 96 percent, somewhat above the state median. The school has 133 full-time equivalent teachers.

The AP participation rate at Hightstown High School is 31 percent, according to U.S. News. The school's 12th grade enrollment is 424 students, and 47 percent of students are economically disadvantaged. Hightstown High School is the only high school in the East Windsor Regional School District.

Hightstown High School trails other schools in Mercer County in this year's rankings, including Princeton High School, ranked 36th in the state; West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South and North, ranked 22nd and 24th in the state, respectively; and Lawrence High School, ranked 125th in the state.

The rankings are based on six performance measures, including student achievement on state-required assessments, graduation rates and college readiness. U.S. News also considers how well schools serve underserved students, participation and performance on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams, curriculum breadth and overall student outcomes. The rankings use data from the 2023-2024 school year and were produced with research firm RTI International.

Here are the top 25 high schools in NJ, along with their national rankings:

1. High Technology High School, Lincroft — No. 28 nationally
2. Edison Academy Magnet School, Edison — No. 40 nationally
3. Union County Magnet High School, Scotch Plains — No. 59 nationally
4. Biotechnology High School, Freehold — No. 72 nationally
5. Woodbridge Academy Magnet School, Woodbridge — No. 75 nationally
6. Bergen County Academies, Hackensack — No. 78 nationally
7. Academy for Information Technology, Scotch Plains — No. 83 nationally
8. Bergen County Technical High School - Teterboro, Teterboro — No. 84 nationally
9. Dr. Ronald E McNair High School, Jersey City — No. 114 nationally
10. Academy for Allied Health Sciences, Scotch Plains — No. 126 nationally
11. Marine Academy of Science and Technology, Highlands — No. 156 nationally
12. PCTI STEM Academy, Wayne — No. 250 nationally
13. Thomas Edison Energysmart Charter School, Somerset — No. 261 nationally
14. Glen Ridge High School, Glen Ridge — No. 290 nationally
15. Millburn High School, Millburn — No. 294 nationally
16. Science Park High School, Newark — No. 312 nationally
17. High Tech High School, Secaucus — No. 334 nationally
18. Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest, Demarest — No. 346 nationally
19. Monmouth County Academy of Allied Health and Science, Neptune — No. 348 nationally
20. Elizabeth High School, Elizabeth — No. 354 nationally
21. Montgomery High School, Skillman — No. 356 nationally
22. West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South, West Windsor — No. 383 nationally
23. Tenafly High School, Tenafly — No. 389 nationally
24. West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North, Plainsboro — No. 393 nationally
25. Livingston High School, Livingston — No. 411 nationally

The full rankings are available at U.S. News & World Report

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