Maplewood Public Schools In Top Half In NJ Rankings: See Where They Placed

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — An annual list of the top public school districts in New Jersey put South Orange-Maplewood in the top half, or number 100 out of 243. The district also gets an A for academics, teachers, diversity, and college prep.

The website Niche — which connects families with colleges and private schools — just released the 2022 Best Schools and Districts rankings, with individual lists by state.

Here are the top 15 school districts on the New Jersey list:

2022 Best School Districts in New Jersey

1. Millburn Township School District
2. Northern Valley Regional High School District
3. Princeton Public Schools
4. West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District
5. Livingston Board of Education School District
6. Tenafly
7. Ridgewood
8. Pascack Valley
9. Summit Public Schools
10. Moorestown
11. Bernards
12. Westfield
13. Mountain Lakes
14. West Essex (North Caldwell)
15. South Brunswick

The high school in the district, Columbia High School, showed its academic mettle recently, as it had 10 National Merit Scholar Semi-Finalists, more than most schools in the state.

The Criteria And A Change

Ranking factors include parent and student ratings, state test scores, graduation rates, SAT/ACT scores, teacher quality, extracurricular activities offered, and more. Some of the information comes from the Department of Education. See more here.

The most significant change to the methodology in 2022, said the group, was a de-emphasis of SAT and ACT scores. Any factor for test scores has been reduced by one third, Niche said.

They explained the change this way: "Similar to the decision made for the 2022 Best Colleges ranking, Niche chose to alter the methodology for several reasons: acknowledgement of socioeconomic and racial disparities perpetuated by standardized tests, challenges making appointments to test in-person due to COVID-19, and an increasing number of institutions adopting test-optional policies."

Now in their eighth year, the K-12 school rankings include updated data for 94,491 public schools, 2,489 private schools, and 11,846 school districts nationwide.

"While traditional rankings rely almost exclusively on metrics like test scores and academic performance, Niche’s rankings provide a more personal view of a school," they said.

Top In The Country

This year, for the first time ever, The Davidson Academy in Reno, NV was ranked the Best Public School in America. It has risen significantly over time, having ranked 7 in 2020 and 18 in 2019.

Phillips Academy in Andover, MA remains the Best Private School in America. Since Niche first started ranking schools, Phillips Academy has been #1 every year except 2015 and 2020.

2022 Best Public High Schools in America

1. The Davidson Academy (NV)
2. North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NC)
3. MA Academy for Math & Science School (MA)
4. Maggie Walker Governor's School (VA)
5. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology (VA)

2022 Best Private High Schools in America

1. Phillips Academy (MA)
2. The Hotchkiss School (CT)
3. Choate Rosemary Hall (CT)
4. The College Preparatory School (CA)
5. Groton School (MA)

2022 Best School Districts in America

1. Adlai E. Stevenson High School District No. 125 (IL)
2. Glenbrook High Schools District 225 (IL)
3. Great Neck Public Schools (NY)
4. Community High School District 128 (IL)
5. Jericho Union Free School District (NY)

“Our 2022 rankings come at a time when so many parents are curious about the different options for their children’s education, including some they may never have considered before,” said Luke Skurman, Founder and CEO of Niche. “No matter where they are in their search process, we strive to be a reliable guide and resource. It is truly an honor to know our users trust us to play a key role in such a big life decision.”

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