School 28 in Paterson

By Cecilia Levine From Daily Voice

Several New Jersey schools are among the best in the nation, according to new rankings released this week.

U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in education rankings, announced its 2026 Best Elementary and Middle Schools list on Tuesday, Oct. 28. The report includes about 47,000 public elementary schools and 23,000 middle schools ranked at the state and district levels, with charter schools evaluated as a separate category, according to the publication.

Rankings are based on publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Education, the report said. To qualify for district-level recognition, at least two top-performing schools must rank within the top 75 percent of overall state results. Click here for more on methodology.

New Jersey’s top-ranked elementary schools are:

  • No. 1: School 28 in Paterson
  • No. 2: Cornelia F. Bradford School in Jersey City
  • No. 3: Princeton Charter School
  • No. 4: Washington Elementary School in Westfield
  • No. 5: Forrestdale School in Rumson
  • No. 6: Wyoming School in Millburn
  • No. 7: Deerfield School in Short Hills
  • No. 8: Alexander Hamilton School in Glen Rock
  • No. 9: Sara Gilmore Academy in Union City
  • No. 10: Wildwood Elementary School in Mountain Lakes

New Jersey’s highest-ranking middle schools include:

  • No. 1: Infinity Institute in Jersey City
  • No. 2: School 28 in Paterson
  • No. 3: Upper School in Englewood Cliffs
  • No. 4: Princeton Charter School
  • No. 5: Mendham Township Middle School
  • No. 6: Ho-Ho-Kus Public School
  • No. 7: Thomas Edison EnergySmart Charter School in Somerset
  • No. 8: Hatikvah International Academy Charter School in East Brunswick
  • No. 9: Brookside School in Allendale
  • No. 10: Forrestdale School in Rumson

U.S. News & World Report describes itself as the “global authority in education rankings.”

Click here for the complete rankings.