Where Cherry Hill Schools Rank Among 'Best' In NJ: New List

CHERRY HILL, NJ — Cherry Hill is one of the top 100 school districts in the state, according to a new list.

Niche released its 2026 Best School Districts in America rankings on Monday. The online platform's graded more than 11,000 districts nationwide on academics, extracurriculars and other factors.

In the new ratings, Cherry Hill received an A-minus, ranking second in Camden County and 84th in New Jersey.

The district also ranked as the 96th most diverse in NJ, the 147th best for athletes in NJ and 190th for best teachers in NJ.

Cherry Hill Schools received the following grades from Niche:

• Overall: A-
• Academics: A-
• Teachers: B+
• Clubs & Activities: B
• Sports: B+
• Resources & Facilities: D+
• Diversity: A-
• College Prep: A+
• Administration: C
• Food: C

Niche said its rankings — now in the 11th year — differ from others that rely almost exclusively on test scores and academic performance, since the web platform also includes input from students, alumni and parents. Niche also uses school-reported statistics and verified data from the U.S. Department of Education.

Here's more on Niche's methodology.

"Choosing the right school is one of the most important decisions a family can make," Niche CEO Luke Skurman said in a statement. "Our K-12 rankings bring together rigorous data and real experiences from students, parents and educators. This gives families the clarity to choose schools where their children can succeed academically, thrive socially, and build a strong foundation for their future."

But school rankings have their critics, including the nation's largest teachers union, which claims that such rankings lack nuance and reduce students to data points.

“The typical person doesn’t know how schools are rated and just sees the A through F or 1 to 10, and assumes those ratings reflect what makes a good school or a bad school,” Susan Lyons, principal consultant at Lyons Assessment Consulting, told the National Education Association in 2023. “Those who have the ability to pay for housing in districts that receive better scores will often buy homes there, which in turn further stratifies our system by race and class, which is really detrimental for equity.”

Click here to see the full list of New Jersey's highest-ranking districts, according to Niche.