Jersey City, NJ elementary schools ranked

RankGradeSchoolCityDistrictActualProjectedImpactStudents
#1A+Cornelia F Bradford SchoolJersey CityJersey City Public Schools89%72%Exceeds Expectations962
#2ASoaring Heights Charter School (Charter)Jersey CitySoaring Heights Charter School70%27%Greatly Exceeds Expectations270
#3A-Jotham W Wakeman SchoolJersey CityJersey City Public Schools65%31%Greatly Exceeds Expectations598
#4A-Jersey City Global Charter School (Charter)Jersey City63%49%Meets Expectations416
#5BLearning Community Charter School (Charter)Jersey CityThe Learning Community Charter School55%38%Exceeds Expectations637
#6BDr Michael Conti SchoolJersey CityJersey City Public Schools53%34%Exceeds Expectations672
#7C+Dr Paul Rafalides SchoolJersey CityJersey City Public Schools45%25%Exceeds Expectations364
#8C+Nicolaus Copernicus SchoolJersey CityJersey City Public Schools45%31%Meets Expectations521
#9C+Charles E Trefurt SchoolJersey CityJersey City Public Schools42%29%Meets Expectations648
#10C+Jersey City Golden Door Charter School (Charter)Jersey CityJersey City Golden Door Charter School42%35%Doesn't Meet Expectations668
#11CJulia A Barnes SchoolJersey CityJersey City Public Schools41%18%Greatly Exceeds Expectations340
#12CRafael Cordero Y MolinaJersey CityJersey City Public Schools41%44%Underperforms Expectations735
#13CFrank R Conwell SchoolJersey CityJersey City Public Schools40%31%Doesn't Meet Expectations507
#14CChrista Mcauliffe SchoolJersey CityJersey City Public Schools37%24%Meets Expectations918
#15C-Alfred Zampella SchoolJersey CityJersey City Public Schools34%31%Doesn't Meet Expectations802
#16C-Patricia M Noonan School Ps 26Jersey CityJersey City Public Schools34%24%Meets Expectations529
#17C-The Ethical Community Charter School (Charter)Jersey CityThe Ethical Community Charter School School Distirct33%31%Underperforms Expectations380
#18D+Martin Luther King JR SchoolJersey CityJersey City Public Schools32%32%Underperforms Expectations776
#19D+Dr Maya Angelou Elementary SchoolJersey CityJersey City Public Schools31%18%Meets Expectations674
#20D+James F Murray SchoolJersey CityJersey City Public Schools31%25%Doesn't Meet Expectations805
#21D+Rev Dr Ercel F Webb SchoolJersey CityJersey City Public Schools28%12%Exceeds Expectations741
#22DJersey City Community Charter School (Charter)Jersey CityJersey City Community Charter School26%12%Meets Expectations587
#23DJoseph H Brensinger SchoolJersey CityJersey City Public Schools26%22%Doesn't Meet Expectations1,092
#24DMahatma K Gandhi SchoolJersey CityJersey City Public Schools26%29%Underperforms Expectations1,001
#25DGladys Nunery SchoolJersey CityJersey City Public Schools23%7%Meets Expectations273
#26D-Alexander D Sullivan SchoolJersey CityJersey City Public Schools17%17%Underperforms Expectations629
#27D-Dr Charles P Defuccio SchoolJersey CityJersey City Public Schools17%19%Underperforms Expectations302
#28FDr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School (Charter)Jersey CityDr Lena Edwards Academic Charter School15%14%Underperforms Expectations380
#29FPresident Barack Obama Elementary SchoolJersey CityJersey City Public Schools13%12%Underperforms Expectations420
#30FChaplain Charles Watters SchoolJersey CityJersey City Public Schools12%16%Underperforms Expectations697
#31FMartin Center For The ArtsJersey CityJersey City Public Schools8%9%Underperforms Expectations425
#32FOllie Culbreth JR SchoolJersey CityJersey City Public Schools8%12%Underperforms Expectations422
#33FWhitney M Young JR SchoolJersey CityJersey City Public Schools7%10%Underperforms Expectations655

How Jersey City, NJ's elementary schools compare

A: 4B: 2C: 11D: 10F: 6

18% of the 33 ranked elementary schools in Jersey City, NJ earn an A or B (4 A grades, 2 B, 11 C, 10 D, 6 F), against 46% of elementary schools nationwide. 16 schools meet or beat the proficiency projected from their student context (48% here, 70% nationally), and 8 exceed it. On average 35% of tested students meet the state bar against a projected 25% (national averages: 46% actual, 37% projected).

The biggest overperformers, by actual proficiency above projection: Soaring Heights Charter School (70% against 27%, A), Jotham W Wakeman School (65% against 31%, A-), Julia A Barnes School (41% against 18%, C), Dr Paul Rafalides School (45% against 25%, C+), Dr Michael Conti School (53% against 34%, B).

Districts with the most schools in the top quarter (the top 10): Jersey City Public Schools (6).

The largest ranked elementary schools: Joseph H Brensinger School (1,092 students, D, #23), Mahatma K Gandhi School (1,001 students, D, #24), Cornelia F Bradford School (962 students, A+, #1).

Of the top 25, 0 are magnet schools and 6 are charters. Selective and specialised schools tend to post high actual scores; the projection column is the fairer comparison for a neighborhood school.

About this ranking

  • Scope: public elementary schools in Jersey City, NJ, as grouped on its schools page; the New Jersey ranking covers the whole state.
  • Order: SchoolGrade, then actual proficiency, then name; schools with the same grade and score share a rank.
  • Ranked: regular public schools that NCES lists as open, not fully online, with at least 30 students. Others are listed with the reason.
  • Tags: Magnet and Charter from the NCES school directory; K-12 marks schools serving every grade that are ranked with the elementary schools.
  • Grades are the 2025-26 SchoolGrade model. How SchoolGrade works

Questions about elementary schools in Jersey City, NJ

What is the best elementary school in Jersey City, NJ?

Cornelia F Bradford School in Jersey City ranks first among the 33 ranked elementary schools in Jersey City, NJ with a SchoolGrade of A+, 89% of tested students meeting the state bar against a projected 72%.

How are elementary schools in Jersey City, NJ ranked?

By SchoolGrade, the 2025-26 model that scores each school's actual test proficiency against the level projected for its student context, then by actual proficiency to break ties. Regular public schools that are open, not fully online and have at least 30 students are ranked; the rest are listed below the table with the reason.

How many elementary schools does Jersey City, NJ have?

SchoolGrade grades 33 public elementary schools in Jersey City, NJ; 33 are ranked here.