These Are The Top Elementary Schools In NJ, U.S. News Says In New Ranking

School 28 in the Paterson Public School District is the best public elementary school in New Jersey, according to a new ranking Tuesday from U.S. News & World Report.

U.S. News researchers based the 2026 ranking of the nation’s best public elementary schools on publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Education. Elementary schools are considered K-6 in the analysis.

The top 25 public elementary schools in New Jersey are:

1. School 28 (Paterson Public School District)
2. Cornelia F. Bradford School (Jersey City Public Schools)
3. Princeton Charter School
4. Washington Elementary School (Westfield Public School District)
5. Forrestdale School (Rumson Borough School District)
6. Wyoming School (Millburn Township School District)
7. Deerfield School (Millburn Township School District)
8. Alexander Hamilton School (Glen Rock Public School District)
9. Sara M. Gilmore Academy (Union City School District)
10. Wildwood Elementary School (Mountain Lakes Public School District)
11. Central School (Haddonfield School District)
12. Hatikvah International Academy Charter School
13. Navesink Elementary School (Middletown Township Public School District)
14. Hilldale School (Montville Township School District)
15. Lincoln-Hubbard Elementary School (Summit Public School District)
16. Essex Fells Elementary School (Essex Fells School District)
17. Torey J. Sabatini School (Madison Public School District)
18. Harrison Elementary School (Livingston Board of Education School District)
19. South Valley Elementary School (Moorestown Township Public School District)
20. Orchard Elementary School (Ridgewood Public School District)
21. Joseph D. Sharp Elementary School (Cherry Hill School District)
22. Deane-Porter Elementary School (Rumson Borough School District)
23. Point Road School (Little Silver Boro School District)
24. Brookside School (Allendale Public School District)
25. Glenwood School (Millburn Township School District)

The report includes about 47,000 public elementary schools ranked at the state and district levels based on publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Education.

For district-level rankings, at least two of the top-performing schools must rank in the top 75 percent of the overall elementary or middle school rankings to qualify for recognition.

“The 2026 Best Elementary and Middle Schools rankings highlight institutions that excel in fostering student achievement and providing exceptional learning environments for all,” U.S. News said of the report.

The rankings methodology focuses on state assessments of students who were proficient or above proficient in mathematics and reading/language arts, while accounting for student background and achievement in core subjects. Student-teacher ratios are applied to break ties in the overall score.

To see the full ranking of elementary schools, you can click here.