Best Private Schools in NJ – 2025

College Admissions Highlights:  In the last five years, a sampling of matriculations includes the following amazing results: BC, Brown, Bucknell, Carnegie Mellon, Case Western, Columbia, Cornell, Duke, Georgetown, Ga Tech, Harvard, Indiana, Johns Hopkins, MIT, Middlebury, NYU, Northeastern, Penn State, Princeton, Stanford, Tufts, UC Berkeley, UChicago, Michigan, UNC Chapel Hill, Penn, USC, UT Austin, UVA, Vanderbilt, Villanova, Wake Forest, Washington U, William & Mary, Williams, and Yale.

Academic Highlights:  Has 9 scientific research partners and 5 highly-selective summer research programs.  8:1 student-to-teacher ratio.  Incredible 700-acre campus with 18 residential houses.  Offers a wealth of experiential learning options.  Guided by “Harkness Learning” which involves in-depth discussion, active listening, and valuing multiple perspectives.

College Admissions Highlights:  Graduates over the last 4 years have continued their educations by enrolling at Barnard, BC, Brown, Bucknell, Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, Cornell, Davidson, Duke, Emory, Georgetown, Harvard, NYU, Northeastern, Notre Dame, Princeton, Purdue, Penn, Stanford, Tufts, UMiami, UNC Chapel Hill, USC, UVA, VaTech, Villanova, Wake Forest, WashingtonU, and Yale.

Academic Highlights:  Blair has a 14% acceptance rate.  83% of students are boarding. The average class size is 12 students.  17% are international students. 90% of faculty live on campus.  6:1 student-to-faculty ratio.  They offer 56 AP, Honors, and Post-AP courses.  30 varsity teams. Off electives such as film production, architecture, robotics and digital music.

College Admissions Highlights:  In a recent sample of colleges attended by Newark Academy graduates in the last 4 years: American, BC, Brown, Bucknell, CalTech, UCLA, Carnegie Mellon, Case Western, U Chicago, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Davidson, Emory, Georgetown, Harvard, Howard, Johns Hopkins, Kenyon, MIT, U Michigan, NYU, Northeastern, Notre Dame, Penn State, Pomona, Princeton, RPI, Rice, Skidmore, Stanford, Temple, Tennessee, UT Austin, Ohio State, Tufts, Vanderbilt, Villanova, Wake Forest, Washington U, Wellesley, Williams, and Yale.

Academic Highlights:  The average class size is 14.  66% identify as students of color.  89% of teachers have earned advanced degrees.  International Baccalaureate program with 100% enrolled in at least one IB course. 97% scored a 3 or higher on the AP tests & 4 or higher on IB tests. More than 60 student clubs and activities are available for upper school students.

College Admissions Highlights:  In the last four years, three or more graduates have enrolled at Amherst, BC, Brown, Bucknell, Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Duke, Georgetown, Hamilton, Harvard, Lafayette, Michigan, Middlebury, NYU, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Penn, Princeton, Providence, USC, Trinity, Miami, Vanderbilt, Villanova, UVA, Wake Forest, William & Mary, Williams, and Yale.

Academic Highlights:  This is an all-boys school.  73 faculty members hold advanced degrees. 27% of students identify as people of color. 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio.  27 AP & Honors courses. 95% of students take one or more AP course.  Offer programs for French, Spanish, Latin, Italian, and Arabic.  11 musical and theater performing groups. 85% of students play on interscholastic athletic teams.

College Admissions Highlights:  Students from the last three years enrolled for continued education at Babson, BU, Brown, Bucknell, Case Western, William & Mary, Columbia, Cornell, Emory, Georgetown, Howard, Kenyon, Lehigh, Middlebury, NYU, Northeastern, Penn State, Pepperdine, Princeton, SMU, Tufts, UCBerkeley, UChicago, UMichigan, Notre Dame, Penn, USC, UVA, Vanderbilt, Villanova, Wake Forest, WashU, Wellesley, and Yale.

Academic Highlights: 119 different zipcodes in NY/NJ. 48% are students of color.  34 AP & Advanced Topic courses available and is highly selective per discipline. 85% earned 4 or above on the AP exams.  77% of faculty members hold advanced degrees.  An integrated Math Modeling and Biology/Chemistry approach is utilized.

College Admissions Highlights:  Looking at two recent graduating classes, students went on to enroll at American, BC, Brown, Bucknell, Cal Tech, Case Western, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Duke, Emory, Georgetown, Hamilton, Howard, Johns Hopkins, MIT, NYU, Northeastern, Princeton, Providence, RPI, SMU, Tufts, UCLA, U Michigan, UNC Chapel Hill, Notre Dame, Penn, USC, UVA, Vassar, Villanova, Wake Forest, William & Mary, Williams, and Yale.

Academic Highlights:  Kent Place School is an all-girls institution.  54% of students identify as people of color. 7:1 Student to faculty ratio. 10% of faculty hold a doctorate. 23 AP Courses are offered at Kent Place. 94% earn a 3 or higher on AP exams.  9 students from a recent graduating class will continue playing athletics in college.

College Admissions Highlights:  Over the last three years, Grads from Princeton Day School have attended these top schools: Babson, Baylor, BC, Brown, Bucknell, Carnegie Mellon, Case Western, Columbia, Cornell, Davidson, Duke, Georgetown, Hamilton, Harvard, Middlebury, NYU, Northeastern, Penn State, Pomona, Princeton, Rice, Skidmore, Texas A&M, Tufts, UC Berkeley, UCLA, U Chicago, U Miami, U Michigan, USC, Vanderbilt, Vassar, Wake Forest, William & Mary, Washington U, and Wesleyan.

Academic Highlights:  54.5% identify as students of color.  The Research Experience Program allows juniors to gain laboratory experience over the summer.  70% of the 140 faculty members hold advanced degrees.  Average class size ranges from 5-17.  Those who complete a subject at the highest level are eligible to apply to take courses at Princeton University.  17 AP & 9 post AP courses are on the menu.

College Admissions Highlights:  Over the last four years, Pingry graduates chose to attend the following schools to further their education: BC, BU, Brown, Bucknell, UC Berkeley, U Chicago, Colby, Colgate, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Duke, Georgetown, Harvard, Howard, Indiana, Johns Hopkins, Lafayette, MIT, Miami, Michigan, NYU, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Penn State, Skidmore, USC, Stanford, Ohio State, US Austin, Tufts, Vanderbilt, Vassar, Wake Forest, Washington U, Williams, WPI, and Yale.

Academic Highlights:   56% identify as students of color.  79% of faculty members have an advanced degree.  19 AP & 8 Advanced topic courses are offered.  35 sports offered and 7 student-run publications.  Seniors participate in an Independent Senior Project in a chosen field. 7500+ hours of community service. 130 clubs.

College Admissions Highlights:  Over the last two years, seniors from Stuart Country Day enrolled in the following schools: BU, Bryn Mawr, Bucknell, Brandeis, Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, Dickinson, Duke, Emory, Hamilton, Harvey Mudd, Georgetown, Georgia Tech, Middlebury, NYU, Northwestern, Pratt, Princeton, Purdue, Skidmore, SMU, Syracuse, College of NJ, U Chicago, Vanderbilt, UNC Chapel Hill, UVA, Wake Forest, and Worcester Polytechnic.

Academic Highlights:  Stuart Country Day is an all-girls institution.  There are 18 AP courses offered. 70% of faculty possess advanced degrees.  5:1 student-to-teacher ratio.  Offer 4 leaderships endorsements in STEM, Arts & Humanities, Social Justice, and Business & Entrepreneurship. 45 Clubs in middle and upper school. 11 interscholastic sports & 25 student performances per year.

College Admissions Highlights: Peddie students have matriculated to these colleges and universities in the last three years: BC, Brown, Bucknell, Carnegie Mellon, Case Western, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Duke, Georgetown, GaTech, Harvard, Howard, Middlebury, NYU, Northeastern, Pomona, Princeton, Rice, Swarthmore, Tufts, US Military Acad, UC Berkeley, UCLA, U Chicago, Michigan, Penn, USC, UVA, Villanova, Wake Forest, Washington U, Wesleyan, William & Mary, Williams, and Yale.

Academic Highlights:  90% of faculty live on campus.  Students come from 22 states & 20 countries.  61% boarding. 47% US Students of color. 6:1 student-to-teacher ratio with an average class size of 12.  34 AP and Honors courses are available.  93% scored 3 or higher on AP exams. 47 interscholastic teams in 15 sports. 17 arts ensembles & a robotics team.