See How Wayne Public Schools Scored In Latest High School Rankings From U.S. News

WAYNE, NJ — Both public high schools in Wayne Township performed well in the annual "best high schools" rankings, released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report.

More than 450 schools in New Jersey were ranked among the 2023-24 Best High Schools, with Wayne Valley and Wayne Hills High Schools in the top 25 percent.

In this edition of the rankings, more than 17,600 public high schools were compared on their performance on state-required tests, graduation, and how well they prepare students for college.

The rankings also take into account how well the schools meet the needs of underserved students, including those from economically-disadvantaged households.

All told, there were 476 Garden State high schools on the U.S. News list.

Compared to their peers in New Jersey this year, Wayne Valley came in at No. 101 and Wayne Hills at No. 105. Both schools also were given a score out of 100 (see more details below).

The top 42 schools in New Jersey also cracked the top 1,000 nationally.

Here are some more details from the school rankings for both high schools in the Wayne Township Public School District:

Wayne Valley High School

• National rank: 2,247 (Ranked No. 101 in the state)
• Overall score: 87.29/100
• Total enrollment: 1,180
• Graduation rate: 97 percent
• Student-teacher ratio: 10 to 1
• Advanced Placement (AP) participation rate: 53 percent

Wayne Hills High School

• National rank: 2,319 (Ranked No. 105 in the state)
• Overall score: 86.88/100
• Total enrollment: 1,183
• Graduation rate: 94 percent
• Student-teacher ratio: 10 to 1
• Advanced Placement (AP) participation rate: 47 percent.

In total, U.S. News reviewed 25,000 schools and ranked 17,680 of them — and both Wayne high schools were within the top 2,500.

In general, the highest-ranked schools had students who performed well on state assessments for math, reading, and science, U.S. News said. They also performed strongly in meeting the needs of underserved students, including those who are Black, Hispanic or from low-income households.

The schools had a breadth of curriculum offerings and high graduation rates, and their students performed well on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams.

Related article:

• NJ's Top 100 Public High Schools Ranked By U.S. News