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University Heights Elementary School

Q: Is University Heights Elementary School a good school?

University Heights Elementary School ranks 778 th of 1347 New Jersey elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

778^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,347 New Jersey Elementary Schools

Better than 42% of New Jersey elementary schools

Summary

University Heights Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 321 students in grades PK-5 in Hamilton, New Jersey, which is part of the Hamilton Township Public School District. While the school has a lower student-teacher ratio compared to other schools in the district, it faces several challenges, including below-average test scores, high chronic absenteeism, and a declining statewide ranking.

On standardized tests, University Heights Elementary School generally performs below the district and state averages. For example, in 2024-2025, the school's 3rd grade proficiency rates were 34.4% in ELA and 54.8% in Math, compared to the district's 35.1% and 35.7%, and the state's 44.9% and 49.8% respectively. The school's performance also varies significantly by student subgroup, with its Hispanic students ranking 395th out of 1,032 NJ elementary schools, while its White students ranked 678th out of 970 in 2024-2025. Additionally, University Heights has had high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 14.9% to 19.1% in recent years, which is significantly above the district and state averages.

When compared to other elementary schools in the Hamilton Township district, University Heights generally performs below average. For example, in 2024-2025, its 3rd grade ELA and Math proficiency rates were lower than those of Alexander, Mercerville, Sayen, and Langtree Elementary Schools. The school's relatively high free/reduced lunch rate and low student-teacher ratio suggest it serves a more economically disadvantaged population, which may contribute to its lower academic performance.

308

Students ?

9.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,468

Per pupil spending ?

33.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

645 Paxson Avenue
Hamilton, NJ 08690

(609) 631-4167

District: Hamilton Township Public School District

Students who attend University Heights Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Richard C Crockett Middle School
High:	Hamilton North - Nottingham

Racial breakdown:

White:

51.6%

Hispanic:

29.5%

African American:

8.4%

See top rated New Jersey elementary schools

Compare University Heights Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 61st percentile in 2015 → 42nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 19 percentile points since 2015

!Science scores 18 pts below the New Jersey average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school42%

District avg33%

New Jersey avg46%

778^th of 1,347

New Jersey public elementary schools ?

Bottom 42%▼ down 19 pts since 2015

From top 39% (2015) to bottom 42% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of New Jersey Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 17Elementary Schools in the Hamilton Township Public School District

473^rd of 609Hamilton Township Public School District among New Jersey districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	42.5	778 of 1347	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	49.4	674 of 1338	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.1	817 of 1342	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	53.6	627 of 1345	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	48.6	614 of 1317	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.4	632 of 1360	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.6	584 of 1353	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	72.0	432 of 1352	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	61.2	564 of 1346	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2015	62.4	530 of 1357	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2014	60.1	656 of 1363	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	66.0	585 of 1367	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2012	69.6	500 of 1363	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2011	70.0	474 of 1360	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	56.8	715 of 1354	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2009	60.6	640 of 1346	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2008	62.3	634 of 1338	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2007	68.9	497 of 1329	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2006	80.6	147 of 1314	88.8%	★★★★☆
2005	74.5	349 of 1303	73.2%	★★★★☆
2004	62.7	614 of 1298	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2003	52.9	683 of 1204	43.3%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	36.6	842 of 1326	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	59.7	526 of 1317	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	27.7	949 of 1318	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	55.0	598 of 1326	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.6	658 of 1290	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.1	745 of 1331	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	55.0	630 of 1333	52.7%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	54.9	395 of 1032	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	26.6	728 of 982	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.8	688 of 896	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	22.5	696 of 899	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	50.6	469 of 1023	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	65.6	165 of 839	80.3%	★★★★☆
2019	51.5	400 of 948	57.8%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	54.0	597 of 1318	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.9	445 of 1313	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	40.9	763 of 1315	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	52.6	610 of 1324	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	53.6	523 of 1297	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.3	498 of 1335	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.7	517 of 1334	61.2%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	32.9	678 of 970	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.4	621 of 963	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.8	705 of 975	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	46.6	532 of 976	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	52.5	425 of 964	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	45.7	578 of 1023	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	43.7	596 of 1022	41.7%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Hispanic (2025)62nd percentile+19 vs school

Male (2025)55th percentile+12 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)54th percentile+12 vs school

Female (2025)37th percentile-6 vs school

White (2025)30th percentile-12 vs school

By subject vs New Jersey (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts48%-3 vs state

Mathematics46%~ state avg

Science12%-18 vs state

4.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Both of my Children attended this school and I found the teachers to be approachable and extremely knowledgeable on subject matter and student development. Absolutely wonderful staff who get the most from almost every student. My two girls left University heights prepared for middle school & with very strong foundations for future development. Best school in Hamilton NJ in my humble opinion. Close Quote

Schools Near University Heights Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				NJSLA-S Science (2025)	NJSLA English Language Arts (2025)			NJSLA Mathematics (2025)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NJSLA-S Science 5th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 4th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 5th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 3rd Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 4th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
University Heights Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	645 Paxson Avenue	Hamilton	08690	Mercer County	Hamilton Township Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(609) 631-4167	308	32	9.7	33.8%	159 (51.6%)	26 (8.4%)	91 (29.5%)	14 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.8%)	42.5	778^th of 1347 public elementary schools	42.2%		49.4	674^th of 1338 public elementary schools	49.6%	104	12.1	34.4	64.7	42.9	54.8	44.2	39.3	$12,468	$06	$12,462
Joseph F. Cappello School	Public	PK, KG-3	1072 Old Trenton Road	Hamilton	08690	Mercer County	Mercer County Special Services School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(609) 588-8485	97	14	7.1	23.7%	7 (7.2%)	37 (38.1%)	42 (43.3%)	8 (8.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.1%)								(n/a)								$61,336		$61,336
Morgan Elementary School	Public	K-5	38 Stamford Road	Hamilton	08619	Mercer County	Hamilton Township Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(609) 631-4160	285	30	9.6	32.3%	153 (53.7%)	27 (9.5%)	78 (27.4%)	10 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	16 (5.6%)	60.1	534^th of 1347 public elementary schools	60.4%		51.1	653^rd of 1338 public elementary schools	51.2%	119	20.8	50.0	79.4	57.9	62.5	56.4	46.2	$10,522	$06	$10,516
Mercerville Elementary School	Public	K-5	60 Regina Avenue	Hamilton	08619	Mercer County	Hamilton Township Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(609) 631-4159	350	28	12.5	47.4%	146 (41.7%)	31 (8.9%)	127 (36.3%)	26 (7.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.4%)	39.2	822^nd of 1347 public elementary schools	39.0%		43.8	746^th of 1338 public elementary schools	44.2%	76	15.7	52.6	52.6	44.8	41.7	35.6	37.9	$8,682	$06	$8,676
Sayen Elementary School	Public	K-5	3333 Nottingham Way	Hamilton	08690	Mercer County	Hamilton Township Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(609) 631-4164	254	21	11.9	29.1%	139 (54.7%)	12 (4.7%)	76 (29.9%)	5 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (8.7%)	48	707^th of 1347 public elementary schools	47.5%		42.5	758^th of 1338 public elementary schools	43.3%	51	34.7	36.8	56.7	56.0	50.0	40.5	37.3	$9,728	$07	$9,721
Langtree Elementary School	Public	K-5	2080 Whatley Road	Hamilton	08690	Mercer County	Hamilton Township Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(609) 631-4157	339	28	12.1	43.7%	150 (44.2%)	40 (11.8%)	99 (29.2%)	28 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (6.5%)	49	694^th of 1347 public elementary schools	48.5%		55.5	600^th of 1338 public elementary schools	55.2%	94	22.3	50.0	64.2	49.0	61.6	37.7	34.0	$8,715	$05	$8,710
Klockner Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	830 Klockner Avenue	Hamilton	08619	Mercer County	Hamilton Township Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(609) 631-4154	284	20	14.0	70.8%	52 (18.3%)	55 (19.4%)	141 (49.6%)	19 (6.7%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.6%)	33.5	900^th of 1347 public elementary schools	33.2%		20.8	1064^th of 1338 public elementary schools	20.5%	164	16.1	51.2	31.7	37.2	51.2	33.4	27.8	$9,492	$1,019	$8,473
Alexander Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	20 Robert Frost Drive	Hamilton	08690	Mercer County	Hamilton Township Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(609) 631-4148	302	25	12.0	24.8%	206 (68.2%)	21 (7.0%)	58 (19.2%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.6%)	42.7	777^th of 1347 public elementary schools	42.3%		61.6	525^th of 1338 public elementary schools	60.8%	252	13.6	53.5	44.7	47.5	55.8	35.7	47.5	$9,054	$06	$9,048
Ben Franklin Elementary	Public	PK, KG-3	2939 Princeton Pike	Lawrenceville	08648	Mercer County	Lawrence Township Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(609) 671-5540	342	36	9.5	21.3%	142 (41.5%)	35 (10.2%)	60 (17.5%)	85 (24.9%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	16 (4.7%)	58.3	568^th of 1347 public elementary schools	57.8%		70.9	407^th of 1338 public elementary schools	69.6%	161		51.4			52.7			$15,316	$62	$15,254
Greenwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2069 Greenwood Avenue	Hamilton	08609	Mercer County	Hamilton Township Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(609) 631-4151	270	20	13.5	83.3%	9 (3.3%)	119 (44.1%)	134 (49.6%)	4 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.5%)	17.1	1144^th of 1347 public elementary schools	15.1%		16.8	1121^st of 1338 public elementary schools	16.2%	23	12.2	31.4	22.4	38.6	30.1	22.0	18.0	$10,973	$1,204	$9,769

Frequently Asked Questions about University Heights Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of University Heights Elementary School?

Students at University Heights Elementary School are 52% White, 30% Hispanic, 8% African American, 6% Two or more races, 5% Asian.

How many students attend University Heights Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 308 students attended University Heights Elementary School.

Is University Heights Elementary School a good school?

University Heights Elementary School ranks 778^th of 1347 New Jersey elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of University Heights Elementary School attend?

Students who attend University Heights Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Richard C Crockett Middle School
High : Hamilton North - Nottingham

What district is University Heights Elementary School in?

Hamilton Township Public School District

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the New Jersey Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.