Lawrenceville School Is Top Private School In State In New Rankings

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ — The Lawrenceville School is the top private school in New Jersey, and the fourth best private school in the country, according to recently released rankings fron Niche.com. The Lawrence Township Public School District ranked No. 59 on the list of public schools.

In compiling its rankings, Niche.com looked at data from the U.S. Department of Education as well as test scores, college data and ratings collected from users.

The methodology for each category of ranking varied. (Click here for more information on how Niche calculates its rankings.)

Niche assigns a standardized score for each factor, which is then weighted before an overall score is calculated for each school district. The overall scores are again standardized and some districts are disqualified from receiving a final letter grade if there isn’t enough data. School districts are then ranked numerically and assigned grades.

The Lawrenceville School earned an overall grade of A+, with an A+ for academics, teachers, college prep and for clubs activities. (You can see the full report card here).

“The Lawrenceville School is considered one of the best high schools in the country for a reason,” one reviewer wrote. “The academics are among the best. The teachers are all qualified and have extensive experience from the best high schools and colleges. In terms of diversity, Lawrentians are from around the world. At Lawrenceville, students are taught manage the many aspects of their lives, and I feel prepared to transition into college. The facilities are one of a college, including a STEM lab with VR and 3D printing, a building for every subject, and a huge library. The sports are also good here. The mandatory sport for each term brings out a lot of talent in students who would have never tried a sport otherwise. Also, students can participate in clubs, sports, and school sponsored volunteer activities. There is much more that could be said about how good the Lawrenceville School is. But I hope from what you have read, you can see how great a school it is.”

In the public school rankings, the Lawrence Township Public School District earned an overall grade of A. Its highest grade was an A+ for college prep, and it received an A for clubs and activities, for health and safety and for diversity.

“LTPS were overall great. Most teachers are very engaging in the classroom in addition to many of them also coaching sports or running clubs,” one reviewer wrote. “LTPS provides the education and school involvement necessary to succeed in building character and friendships. It is a great place to build a well rounded student as many teachers truly connect with students and become a mentor or support system to them. Some teachers and faculty notice different personality types and teach to the overall classroom type and therefore do not teach to the smartest or academically challenged in the room but rather the average. This can be good or bad depending on where the student falls. However there are many chances to take advanced level courses including Honors and AP. The district is very involved in the community and students and faculty are always creating clubs and events to better the community as a whole. Recently LHS and LIS have created Green Clubs where they promote sustainability within the district.”

According to Niche, these are the 25 best public school districts in New Jersey:

1. Princeton Public Schools (14th in nation)
2. Millburn Township Schools (36th in nation)
3. West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District (55th in nation)
4. Livingston Public Schools (97th in nation)
5. Summit Public Schools
6. The School District of the Chathams
7. Bernards Township School District
8. Montgomery Township School District
9. Tenafly Public Schools
10. West Essex Regional School District, North Caldwell
11. East Brunswick Public Schools
12. Pascack Valley Regional High School District, Montvale
13. Moorestown Township Public School District
14. Montclair Public Schools
15. Ridgewood Public Schools
16. South Brunswick Public Schools
17. West Morris Regional High School District
18. Hopewell Valley Regional School District
19. Glen Ridge Public Schools
20. Haddonfield Public Schools
21. Fair Lawn School District
22. Mountain Lakes School District
23. Somerset Hills Regional School District, Bernardsville
24. Northern Valley Regional High School District, Demarest
25. Berkeley Heights Public Schools

Click here to see the full list.

Niche’s data for its K-12 school district rankings comes from various sources, including the U.S. Department of Education, the National Center for Education Statistics and the Civil Rights Data Collection.

The rankings also rely on data that is self-reported by Niche users and schools. (Click here to learn more about where Niche’s data comes from.)

What do you think of the rankings? Let us know in the comments below.

Patch file photo