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Best Schools in Plainfield, NJ
Plainfield, NJ has 28 public schools (6 high, 4 middle, 14 elementary) serving 18,265 students. On average they score 29% on state proficiency tests against a projected 23%, so schools in Plainfield don't meet expectations. Rankings below compare each school’s actual results with the projection for its socioeconomic context.
Best High Schools in Plainfield, NJ
The top high schools in Plainfield, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Scotch Plains-fanwood High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Scotch Plains-fanwood School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1510 Students
2. Piscataway Township High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Piscataway Township School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 2144 Students
3. Plainfield Academy For The Arts & Advanced Studies
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Plainfield Public School District • Public • Grades 7 - 12 • 356 Students
4. The Barack Obama Green Charter High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
The Barack Obama Green Charter High School District • Charter • Grades 6 - 12 • 257 Students
5. Plainfield High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Plainfield Public School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1925 Students
6. Pinnacle Academy High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Plainfield Public School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 60 Students
Best Middle Schools in Plainfield, NJ
The top middle schools in Plainfield, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Terrill Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Scotch Plains-fanwood School District • Public • Grades 5 - 8 • 837 Students
2. Theodore Schor Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Piscataway Township School District • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 571 Students
3. Hubbard Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Plainfield Public School District • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 775 Students
4. Maxson Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Plainfield Public School District • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 818 Students
Best Elementary Schools in Plainfield, NJ
The top elementary schools in Plainfield, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. J. Ackerman Coles Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Scotch Plains-fanwood School District • Public • Grades Pre K - 4 • 535 Students
2. Frederic W. Cook Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Plainfield Public School District • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 389 Students
3. Grandview Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Piscataway Township School District • Public • Grades KG - 3 • 561 Students
4. Arbor Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Piscataway Township School District • Public • Grades 4 - 5 • 522 Students
5. Emerson Community School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Plainfield Public School District • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 509 Students
6. Cresthaven Academy Charter School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Cresthaven Academy Charter School • Charter • Grades KG - 8 • 532 Students
7. Jefferson Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Plainfield Public School District • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 441 Students
8. Cedarbrook Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Plainfield Public School District • Public • Grades KG - 8 • 623 Students
9. Dewitt D. Barlow Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Plainfield Public School District • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 417 Students
10. Clinton Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Plainfield Public School District • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 413 Students
Education & Community Snapshot in Plainfield, NJ
City-level factors that shape the learning environment around local schools.
Community Factors
Plainfield, NJ has a total population of 54,344 with 29% of that population attending schools. The adult high school graduation rate is 71%, and 21% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Students in Plainfield, NJ
K-12 Students
High School Graduates
Adults 25+ with HS diplomas
College Graduates
Adults 25+ with a Bachelor’s degree or higher
Demographics statistics provided by Best Neighborhood Plainfield, NJ.
Safety
Crime Grades summarize reported incidents per 1,000 residents. Use them as neighborhood context, not a school rating.
Overall Crime Grade
15.96 per 1,000 Residents
Violent Crime Grade
2.19 per 1,000 Residents
Property Crime Grade
13.78 per 1,000 Residents
Crime statistics provided by CrimeGrade in Plainfield, NJ.
Connectivity
Connectivity influences learning at home. We summarize internet infrastructure, typical download speed, and a digital connectivity index for Plainfield, NJ.
ISP Report Card
Internet Infrastructure Grade
Average Download Speed
Speed Most Residents Can Get
Digital Connectivity Index
ISP Connectivity Demand Report
To read more about these statistics, please visit Plainfield, NJ Internet Health Assessment.
Questions About Schools in Plainfield, NJ
How many schools are in Plainfield, NJ?
Plainfield, NJ has 28 public schools: 6 high schools, 4 middle schools and 14 elementary schools, serving 18,265 students in total.
How do schools in Plainfield perform on state tests?
On average, 28 schools in Plainfield score 29% proficient on state assessments. Given the socioeconomic context of their students we project 23%, so on average schools in Plainfield don't meet expectations.
How does SchoolGrade rank the best schools in Plainfield?
Every public school gets a SchoolGrade from A+ to F based on the share of students at or above the state proficiency bar. The Impact Grade compares that result with what we would expect given the school’s student and community context, so schools that outperform their circumstances stand out. Schools cannot pay to change a grade. Read the full methodology.
Best Schools in Cities Near Plainfield, NJ
Explore nearby cities to widen your school search.
- Actual: 20%
- Projected: 19%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 52%
- Projected: 39%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 43%
- Projected: 31%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 66%
- Projected: 44%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 63%
- Projected: 46%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 39%
- Projected: 31%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 63%
- Projected: 49%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 64%
- Projected: 52%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 38%
- Projected: 31%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 43%
- Projected: 30%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
Every school in Plainfield
18 of 19 schools in Plainfield carry a SchoolGrade (1 have no school-level proficiency results in our source data). Grade distribution:
B: 2C: 1D: 8F: 7
All 19 public schools we grade in Plainfield. The ranked lists above show the top ten per level; every school has its own page.
High schools (3)
Middle and junior high schools (2)
Elementary and primary schools (7)
- Cedarbrook Elementary School
- Charles H Stillman Elementary School
- Clinton Elementary School
- Dewitt D Barlow Elementary School
- Evergreen Elementary School
- Frederic W Cook Elementary School
- Jefferson Elementary School
Other schools and academies (7)
- College Achieve Central Charter School
- Cresthaven Academy Charter School
- Emerson Community School
- Plainfield Academy For The Arts And Advanced Studies
- The Queen City Academy Charter School
- Union County Teams Charter School
- Washington Community School
Private schools (2)
Private schools have a SchoolGrade only where their state publishes their test results.