2023 Places with the Best Public Schools in New Jersey

• Suburb in New Jersey

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  Rating 3.91 out of 5  35 reviews

Current Resident: Short Hills was a great place to go to school and to grow up in. The downtown area in Millburn was safe to roam around and hang out in with friends... Read 35 reviews

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• Population 14,500

Current Resident: I live in senior housing in Princeton, which is affordable and extremely well-run. There is a free municipal bus that is available six days a week which takes me to any of the places I need to go here in Princeton. Crosstown Taxi is also available at an extremely low cost. I have greatly enjoyed the large library, the Princeton Art Museum, and the Princeton Arts Council where I have attended classes. My medical and eye doctors and Princeton Shopping Center are all located on the municipal bus route. All of my needs and most of my wants are available without leaving the town. It's been my experience to find anyone employed by the town to be courteous, kind, and respectful. The atmosphere in Princeton causes me to feel safe, secure and cared for. A most remarkable community!... Read 87 reviews

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• Population 30,717

• Suburb in New Jersey

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• Population 1,336

• Suburb in New Jersey

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  Rating 4.44 out of 5  9 reviews

Current Resident: Haworth is an absolutely gorgeous and underrated community. The Haworth Public School is excellent with small class sizes and committed teachers, administrators and parents. The town has a lot of character with a quaint downtown, beautiful and unique homes, duck pond, walking trail by the reservoir and two country clubs. Every street is tree-lined. The library is amazing with a separate wing for kids and dynamic programming. There’s a 5K race, Spring Garage Sale, streets are closed for Halloween (it’s quite a celebration), and many events and things to do throughout the year. It’s a five-minute or less drive to Closter Plaza where you can shop, grab a bite, work out, go to the movies, etc. A++!... Read 9 reviews

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• Population 3,341

• Suburb in New Jersey

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  Rating 3.89 out of 5  28 reviews

Current Resident: Family friendly, great sense of community. Big volunteer network. Great schools, great town leaders. AB&G. Need I say more... Read 28 reviews

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• Population 6,820

• Suburb in New Jersey

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  Rating 4.17 out of 5  64 reviews

Current Resident: I relocated from the west coast with my family 2 years ago. Ridgewood was recommended by the relocation agency we used. We only planned to rent in the town until we figured out where we wanted to end up. It wasn't before long when we fell in love with the village. Couldn't imagine a better place to raise a family. Coming from out of state, we never felt like out siders. Everyone was very welcoming. Our street feels like a family! We're also very pleased with how serious everyone takes education here (took a little getting used to). Only critical feedback would be the Taxes. Can't imagine we'll stay after the kids graduate.... Read 64 reviews

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• grade A+

• Population 25,991

Current Resident: Moved here from Manhattan and been living here for 21 years, and love it. Great for raising a family, social and cultural diversity, convenience, safe, great schools, lots of outdoor spaces in and around town. Great sense of community, pride and ownership in town. Eclectic food scene. Access to Princeton University, NYC and Philadelphia.... Read 21 reviews

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• Population 2,208

• Suburb in New Jersey

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  Rating 3.85 out of 5  34 reviews

Former Resident: Growing up in Tenafly has been awesome, and I'm going to miss this place very much when I move out of the area soon. I am a product of the Tenafly Public Schools, I started my career and businesses here, and I had an amazing network of friends over here. Yes, some people can come across as snobby and entitled. This is just a product of living in an upper middle to wealthy class suburb of New York, which brings me to the first reason I can't give Fly Town 5 stars; affordability. You need to have money to live here. Real estate is not cheap, rent is not cheap, and taxes are really high. The town is really safe but carjackings are growing around this entire county. With all that said, I will miss this place and all the great people here.... Read 34 reviews

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• Population 15,307

• Suburb in New Jersey

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  Rating 3.85 out of 5  33 reviews

Current Resident: HP is a quiet area suitable for families with kids that are willing to shell extra in terms of taxes in exchange for safety. It's near a high school (which is a couple towns over) and has an elementary school that is within a 5 minute drive or walking distance, depending on where you're living (in town or couple towns over). Nightlife is basically nonexistent except for eating out at a couple local restaurants. It's very small, so everybody basically knows everyone. The diversity could be better. I haven't heard of many jobs available, so you may have to look to other towns for employment.... Read 33 reviews

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• Population 4,801

Current Resident: Excellent place to live in central jersey with beautiful homes, Posh, Spacious landscape, best schools, Corporate offices, Shopping centers, medical centers, sports facilities Including baseball, golf, cricket, soccer, fitness centers, farms, parks, lakes.... Read 31 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Population 15,491

Niche User: There is a great sense of safety in this area. You would not be at all harmed if you left your front/back door(s) unlocked for almost any duration.... Read 35 reviews

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• Population 2,768

• Suburb in New Jersey

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  Rating 4.1 out of 5  21 reviews

Current Resident: Upper Saddle River is a fairly small town. The schools in the area are amazing. The only bad things about the town are that there is only one store in town, and no restaurants or anything.... Read 21 reviews

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• Population 8,352

• Suburb in New Jersey

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  Rating 4.5 out of 5  6 reviews

Current Resident: Demarest is a really quiet place with very friendly neighbors and community members. Though it is an extremely small town, it has a gazebo downtown where many concerts and events are hosted free for the public over the summer. The downtown area is small like the town with few stores, but it is never an issue as a few minute drive to the neighboring towns will get you all the stores you need. The schools are also above in education and have many achievements through the years.... Read 6 reviews

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• Population 4,977

• Suburb in New Jersey

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  Rating 4.9 out of 5  10 reviews

Current Resident: Saddle River is a great suburb Beautiful neighborhood and neighbors Excellent schools/ Wandell elementary school is located in Saddle River -plus the receiving schools are all fantastic! No better place to live... Read 10 reviews

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• Population 3,362

• Suburb in New Jersey

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  Rating 4.47 out of 5  30 reviews

Current Resident: You’ll wish you grew up here! Luckily, I did, and moved back to raise our children. So many Lakers who grew up here have moved back here the past few years because they appreciate the wonderful community, top schools, great recreation with many lakes and hiking! It’s a real testament to our town. So easy to make friends here. I love the history of the town too. The town celebrates the history and is protective of the charm and natural setting.... Read 30 reviews

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• Population 4,464

• Suburb in New Jersey

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  Rating 4.25 out of 5  8 reviews

Works Here: I grew up in--and attended public schools in--South Brunswick; and for the past 26 years I have also worked there. I have nothing but good things to say about the township, in general, and Monmouth Junction, in particular. The school system is nationally renowned, and the extra-curricular activities associated with it, stellar. It's increasingly expensive to live there; however, there are few better places to live in New Jersey--or anywhere else. I heartily recommend Monmouth Junction to anyone who can afford to live there.... Read 8 reviews

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• Population 9,728

• Suburb in New Jersey

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• Population 7,056

• Suburb in New Jersey

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  Rating 4.15 out of 5  46 reviews

Current Resident: I love Summit the town is beautiful and overall really peaceful. The one downside of the town is sometimes people may not be the friendliest. Many families seem to deem their kids as a way to prove themselves and so they make their kids do a million different things. While this is not everyone their are a lot of competitive parents in Summit, who constantly have to one up one another.... Read 46 reviews

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• Population 22,598

• Suburb in New Jersey

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  Rating 3.94 out of 5  97 reviews

Current Resident: We cannot song the praises of LIvingston NJ enough! Education is a high priority for those living in town, and it has a FANTASTIC, top-rated school district that consistently ranks among the highest and most desirable in NJ and the United States. Along with a strong Jewish community, diverse populations include a strong mix of Chinese, Korean Indian and other cultures. Property values remain high, and the community services offered include two beautiful park-like pools and a superb recreation program. Safety is excellent, as the emergency services here are too-notch. Add in a gorgeous township oval, spectacular high school and public library campus, ample shopping, plus plenty of scenic open space and you’ve got the winning combo for one of the best places to live and raise a family in New Jersey! We have lived here for 30 years and LOVE it!... Read 97 reviews

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• Population 31,103

• Suburb in New Jersey

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  Rating 3.8 out of 5  35 reviews

Current Resident: I love love love living in Kendall Park! I've been living here since I was in Kindergarten, and I'm currently a Freshman at the local South Brunswick High School. It's safe to say the schooling is great! The community is also very safe, as there are police during most public events and protecting the schools. The homes are affordable and in great neighborhoods. It's been so much fun living here! There are so many stores nearby, and a ShopRite even recently came to the South Brunswick/Kendall Park area! The neighborhoods are close together and everyone is kind to one another. The majority of this area is Indian, but there are other races living in the area as well! There are lots of parks, and lots of kind families to meet!... Read 35 reviews

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• Population 10,560

• Suburb in New Jersey

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  Rating 3.31 out of 5  35 reviews

Current Resident: It a great small town with great diversity, opportunities, and food. Everyone is connected together, willing to help anyone and everyone. Its location is great: it is located in between major cities like New York and Philadelphia.... Read 35 reviews

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• Population 8,185

• Suburb in New Jersey

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  Rating 4.33 out of 5  30 reviews

Current Resident: Closter's education and community is very commendable. Their education prepares students for the pressures of middle school then high school, but they also make sure that students feel like they are a part of the community, which is why the schools host many events throughout the year for families to attend. Closter Plaza is the shopping mall of the town, with a variety of restaurants, stores, tutoring centers, boutiques, and gyms. The Plaza has something for everyone, and it's a casual place for friends to hang out on a weekend. Closter additionally has a very kind community, and everyone is really friendly. It is the perfect place for a family to reside in as the parents will be able to interact with those around them and find whatever they need, and children will be able to enjoy their childhood experience.... Read 30 reviews

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• Population 8,573

• Suburb in New Jersey

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  Rating 4.22 out of 5  18 reviews

Current Resident: I moved to Northvale when my daughter was 2 specifically for the excellent schools, safe and vibrant community and location with easy commuting access to New York City. Northvale has everything you need within its borders from multiple supermarkets, drug stores, shops of all types, restaurants, deli's, nail salons, banks, shoemaker, hair salons, Doctors, Dentists and EVERYTHING else you may need. It is the most convenient place I have ever lived. The residents culture is one of helpfulness and "It takes a Village to raise children" mentality. Meaning you will have many looking out for each others kids and each other. During Hurricane Sandy there were extension cords from house to house over lawns with people helping each other. If a personal tragedy or serious illness strikes, food chains are set up. Great Senior Center, Library, Police, Fire, DPW and all in between. Only 10 minutes to the gorgeous Hudson River/Piermont, NY.... Read 18 reviews

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• Population 4,762

• Suburb in New Jersey

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  Rating 3.91 out of 5  45 reviews

Current Resident: Bernards Township is a comfortable suburban town located in central New Jersey with a great education system and quiet lifestyle. While everything necessary is located within reasonable distance, it tends to get boring living in this town due to a lack of diverse quality food choices, as well as limited recreational facilities. Definitely a very safe town to live in, with a lot of very friendly people, good for kids and family, with access to transportation to NYC, but otherwise recreationally, there is no entertainment access.... Read 45 reviews

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• Population 27,836

• Suburb in New Jersey

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  Rating 4 out of 5  2 reviews

Current Resident: Amazing beautiful area. Great neighborhood to raise kids. The food is awesome. The nightlife is phenomenal. Asbury Park is very close and super fun! The beaches are to die for. I couldn't imagine summer anywhere else. It is the perfect image of the jersey shore.... Read 2 reviews

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• Population 1,945