Haddonfield Schools Rank Best In NJ For Athletes In New List

HADDONFIELD, NJ — The Haddonfield School District is one of the best school districts in New Jersey and the state's top district for athletes, according to a new list.

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

In the new ratings, Haddonfield received an A-plus, ranking as the best school district in Camden County and 13th best in New Jersey.

Haddonfield was also rated New Jersey's best school district for athletes and 35th best for teachers. The district's teachers also rank as the 16th best in the state, Niche says.

Haddonfield Schools received the following grades from Niche:

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

Meanwhile, Niche gave the Haddon Township School District a B-plus. Haddon Township was ranked as the county's fourth-best district and 114th out of 243 qualifying districts in the state.

Here's how Niche graded Haddon Township Schools:

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

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.