Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Rafael Cordero y Molina

Q: Is Rafael Cordero y Molina a good school?

Rafael Cordero y Molina ranks 602 nd of 1347 New Jersey elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-8

602^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,347 New Jersey Elementary Schools

Better than 55% of New Jersey elementary schools

Summary

Rafael Cordero y Molina is an elementary school serving grades PK-8 in Jersey City, New Jersey, with 770 students. Despite being part of the Jersey City Public Schools district, which is ranked 455 out of 609 districts in the state, Rafael Cordero y Molina stands out as a strong performer, consistently ranking in the top half of New Jersey elementary schools.

The school's test scores consistently outperform the district and state averages, with 59.1% of 3rd graders proficient or better in ELA compared to 46.7% for the district and 44.9% for the state. Rafael Cordero y Molina also performs particularly well for certain student subgroups, ranking in the top 25% of New Jersey elementary schools for Asian students and the top 50% for African American and Hispanic students. However, the school struggles with special education students, ranking in the bottom 25% of New Jersey elementary schools in this area.

While the school's relatively low free/reduced lunch rate of 37.53% in 2023-2024 suggests it may have access to more funding and resources compared to other high-poverty schools in the district, the school faces challenges with rising chronic absenteeism rates, which increased from 16.6% in 2022-2023 to 27.1% in 2023-2024. This is significantly higher than the district and state averages and could negatively impact student learning and achievement if not addressed. Overall, Rafael Cordero y Molina is a high-performing school within a low-performing district, but it must address equity and attendance issues to ensure all students can succeed.

794

Students ?

10.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,087

Per pupil spending ?

38.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

158 Erie St
Jersey City, NJ 07302-1718

(201) 714-4390

District: Jersey City Public Schools

Students who attend Rafael Cordero y Molina usually attend:

High:

James J Ferris High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

27.7%

Asian:

25.7%

White:

24.7%

See top rated New Jersey elementary schools

Compare Rafael Cordero y Molina to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 19th percentile in 2015 → 55th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 36 percentile points since 2015

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Jersey City Public Schools

✓Above the New Jersey median (55th percentile)

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (27% vs 15% New Jersey)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Algebra I scores 21 pts below the New Jersey average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school45%

District avg36%

New Jersey avg44%

Elementary school

602^nd of 1,347

New Jersey public elementary schools ?

Top 45%▲ up 36 pts since 2015

From bottom 19% (2015) to top 45% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of New Jersey Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

405^th of 752

New Jersey public middle schools ?

Bottom 46%▲ up 30 pts since 2015

From bottom 16% (2015) to bottom 46% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of New Jersey Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 26Elementary Schools in the Jersey City Public Schools

455^th of 609Jersey City Public Schools 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	55.8	602 of 1347	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.5	761 of 1338	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.9	670 of 1342	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.5	661 of 1345	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	41.9	703 of 1317	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.5	822 of 1360	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.2	858 of 1353	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	28.5	1002 of 1352	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	20.8	1106 of 1346	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	21.0	1099 of 1357	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	26.0	1091 of 1363	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	31.8	1035 of 1367	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	23.7	1116 of 1363	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	38.5	980 of 1360	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	34.1	1022 of 1354	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	29.2	1070 of 1346	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	21.6	1139 of 1338	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	38.2	1003 of 1329	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	63.6	623 of 1314	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2005	51.8	793 of 1303	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2004	35.2	980 of 1298	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	66.8	496 of 1204	58.8%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	48.7	210 of 463	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.7	229 of 469	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.1	151 of 463	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	51.2	228 of 494	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	46.2	223 of 456	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	44.0	294 of 522	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.1	292 of 517	43.5%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	72.6	93 of 330	71.8%	★★★★☆
2024	78.6	54 of 340	84.1%	★★★★☆
2023	73.1	81 of 346	76.6%	★★★★☆
2022	82.9	37 of 348	89.4%	★★★★☆
2021	70.2	95 of 339	72.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	57.5	545 of 1326	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	39.8	782 of 1317	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.9	640 of 1318	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	43.7	733 of 1326	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.3	753 of 1290	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.7	804 of 1331	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	42.4	819 of 1333	38.6%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	54.1	410 of 1032	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	37.5	609 of 989	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	54.6	383 of 982	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.7	446 of 953	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	43.0	465 of 896	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	52.9	385 of 899	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	49.7	402 of 870	53.8%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	37.4	685 of 1023	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	28.5	689 of 939	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	43.8	476 of 910	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.4	419 of 863	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	31.5	606 of 839	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	45.9	471 of 948	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	44.2	561 of 942	40.4%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	53.4	603 of 1318	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.8	703 of 1313	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.5	664 of 1315	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	57.5	557 of 1324	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	46.4	624 of 1297	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	41.5	800 of 1335	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.9	850 of 1334	36.3%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2021	15.4	787 of 868	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2022	83.4	111 of 976	88.6%	★★★★☆
2021	93.8	15 of 964	98.4%	★★★★★
2019	60.0	402 of 1023	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	70.0	288 of 1022	71.8%	★★★★☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	44.8	405 of 752	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.1	416 of 743	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.4	346 of 748	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.9	368 of 745	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	29.2	431 of 652	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.1	480 of 745	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	16.2	609 of 716	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	19.9	573 of 712	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	13.5	622 of 713	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	17.3	597 of 713	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	25.9	551 of 717	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	25.5	547 of 704	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	26.0	543 of 677	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	35.1	501 of 684	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	29.8	514 of 677	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	35.6	497 of 664	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	20.6	527 of 640	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	35.1	479 of 631	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	54.6	375 of 615	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2005	26.1	472 of 599	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	51.3	373 of 588	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2003	18.0	486 of 574	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	64.3	90 of 359	74.9%	★★★★☆
2024	63.7	90 of 352	74.4%	★★★★☆
2023	54.9	127 of 361	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.9	172 of 356	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	43.9	144 of 291	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	45.1	171 of 326	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	28.0	238 of 326	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	48.6	356 of 728	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	36.1	443 of 717	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.7	338 of 720	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	42.4	395 of 726	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	26.1	447 of 625	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	37.1	469 of 703	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	21.8	551 of 680	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	51.4	263 of 608	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.6	253 of 589	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.8	140 of 587	76.1%	★★★★☆
2022	61.2	168 of 591	71.6%	★★★★☆
2021	39.9	265 of 480	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	56.9	197 of 524	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	30.5	372 of 504	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	49.6	285 of 613	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.8	226 of 584	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.2	170 of 568	70.1%	★★★★☆
2022	56.2	160 of 549	70.9%	★★★★☆
2021	35.2	302 of 467	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	51.6	228 of 541	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	20.6	421 of 522	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	52.0	316 of 726	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.3	282 of 719	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.0	320 of 718	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.7	278 of 730	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	33.9	382 of 635	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.5	401 of 697	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	17.4	575 of 675	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2021	15.4	382 of 401	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Elementary school

White (2022)89th percentile+38 vs school

Asian (2025)72nd percentile+17 vs school

Hispanic (2025)60th percentile+5 vs school

Female (2025)59th percentile+4 vs school

African American (2025)55th percentile~ school

Male (2025)54th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)33rd percentile-22 vs school

Special Education (2021)9th percentile-37 vs school

Middle school

African American (2025)75th percentile+29 vs school

Hispanic (2025)57th percentile+11 vs school

Male (2025)56th percentile+10 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)54th percentile+7 vs school

Female (2025)51st percentile+5 vs school

Special Education (2021)5th percentile-29 vs school

By subject vs New Jersey (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts61%+8 vs state

Mathematics37%-4 vs state

Science27%+3 vs state

Algebra I25%-21 vs state

3.7

3 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

Rate Rafael Cordero y Molina

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, April 16, 2024

Our child is in Kindergarten at Cordero and attended Pre-K there. The teachers and staff are great and really seem to care about the children. Diverse student body with a strong PTA and high community involvement dedicated to continuing to improve and enhance the school and the student experience in general. The school seems to improve year over year. Highly recommend Cordero PS 37! Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, May 2, 2019

Most staff members are occupied during school hours on their secondary job or business through internet. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, November 24, 2011

My daughter is in Second grade at Rafael Cordero (PS.37) She 's been part of this school since Kindergarten. I have great experiences with the teachers. She loves going to school and the system works great.
Totally recommended. Close Quote

Schools Near Rafael Cordero y Molina

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)						NJSLA Algebra I (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-S Science 8th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 4th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 5th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 6th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 7th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 8th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 3rd Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 4th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 5th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 6th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 7th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 8th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I 8th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Rafael Cordero y Molina	Public	PK, KG-8	158 Erie St	Jersey City	07302	Hudson County	Jersey City Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 714-4390	794	74	10.7	38.9%	196 (24.7%)	151 (19.0%)	220 (27.7%)	204 (25.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	22 (2.8%)	55.8	602^nd of 1347 public elementary schools	55.3%		42.5	761^st of 1338 public elementary schools	43.1%	159	33.8	18.8	59.1	57.4	56.2	62.8	68.8	68.8	66.7	38.9	40.0	20.9	6.3	12.5	25.0	25.0	$10,087	$357	$9,730
Dr. Michael Conti School	Public	PK, KG-8	182 Merseles St	Jersey City	07302	Hudson County	Jersey City Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 714-4300	651	57	11.4	46.1%	151 (23.2%)	76 (11.7%)	226 (34.7%)	159 (24.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (5.8%)	75.9	342^nd of 1347 public elementary schools	74.6%		70.2	418^th of 1338 public elementary schools	68.8%	76	40.4	14.3	74.2	87.5	68.1	53.8	73.1	60.0	73.0	81.3	53.2	30.7	60.8	30.0	86.7	86.7	$10,825	$420	$10,405
Frank R Conwell School	Public	PK, KG-5	111 Bright Street	Jersey City	07302	Hudson County	Jersey City Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 915-6100	605	51	11.8	56.5%	133 (22.0%)	121 (20.0%)	252 (41.7%)	76 (12.6%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.5%)	19 (3.1%)	48.4	703^rd of 1347 public elementary schools	47.8%		49.4	673^rd of 1338 public elementary schools	49.7%	30	16.1		53.6	71.1	49.1				50.9	55.5	29.0						$9,863	$390	$9,473
Jotham W. Wakeman School	Public	PK, KG-5	100 St Pauls Ave	Jersey City	07306	Hudson County	Jersey City Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 714-4310	617	56	11.0	45.2%	58 (9.4%)	64 (10.4%)	191 (31.0%)	286 (46.4%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (2.6%)	86.6	179^th of 1347 public elementary schools	86.7%		79	293^rd of 1338 public elementary schools	78.1%	114	51.9		73.5	78.8	71.6				76.1	72.8	67.9						$12,283	$554	$11,729
Hoboken Dual Language Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	123 Jefferson Street	Hoboken	07030	Hudson County	Hoboken Dual Language Charter School	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 427-1458	441	20	22.0	8.8%	223 (50.6%)	7 (1.6%)	123 (27.9%)	77 (17.5%)	5 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.4%)	95.8	18^th of 1347 public elementary schools	98.7%		95.2	29^th of 1338 public elementary schools	97.8%	11	67.4	60.0	89.6	92.0	94.2	91.4	95.5	93.2	91.7	94.0	78.8	66.0	93.3		78.6	78.6	$9,496	$427	$9,069
Thomas G. Connors Elementary School	Public	K-5	201 Monroe Street	Hoboken	07030	Hudson County	Hoboken Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 356-3680	353	34	10.3	31.7%	169 (47.9%)	34 (9.6%)	77 (21.8%)	48 (13.6%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (6.2%)	79.1	302^nd of 1347 public elementary schools	77.6%		83.3	232^nd of 1338 public elementary schools	82.7%	70	38.6		74.3	73.5	71.9				73.6	71.4	54.4						$18,095	$463	$17,632
Cornelia F. Bradford School	Public	PK, KG-5	96 Sussex St	Jersey City	07302	Hudson County	Jersey City Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(201) 915-6450	1,082	55	19.6	9.7%	312 (28.8%)	55 (5.1%)	80 (7.4%)	520 (48.1%)	6 (0.6%)	76 (7.0%)	32 (3.0%)	97.8	4^th of 1347 public elementary schools	99.7%		97.6	4^th of 1338 public elementary schools	99.7%		83.1		96.0	93.5	91.4				94.1	88.0	95.2						$6,621		$6,621
Patricia M. Noonan School PS #26	Public	PK, KG-5	164 Laidlaw Ave	Jersey City	07306	Hudson County	Jersey City Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 963-7160	539	55	9.8	54.5%	92 (17.1%)	53 (9.8%)	192 (35.6%)	180 (33.4%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	19 (3.5%)	34	896^th of 1347 public elementary schools	33.5%		35.6	860^th of 1338 public elementary schools	35.7%	36	26.0		34.8	50.9	37.5				37.8	38.0	34.0						$12,306	$265	$12,041
Charles E. Trefurt School	Public	PK, KG-5	96 Franklin St	Jersey City	07307	Hudson County	Jersey City Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 714-4320	668	69	9.6	70.1%	45 (6.7%)	36 (5.4%)	499 (74.7%)	77 (11.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.5%)	52.3	648^th of 1347 public elementary schools	51.9%		34.7	872^nd of 1338 public elementary schools	34.8%	224	25.9		50.0	51.0	45.3				54.4	57.7	48.1						$12,189	$483	$11,706
Martin Luther King Junior School	Public	PK, KG-8	886 Bergen Ave	Jersey City	07306	Hudson County	Jersey City Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 915-6521	752	65	11.6	77.1%	386 (51.3%)	61 (8.1%)	131 (17.4%)	153 (20.3%)	4 (0.5%)	7 (0.9%)	10 (1.3%)	42.4	782^nd of 1347 public elementary schools	41.9%		38.6	814^th of 1338 public elementary schools	39.2%	32	32.5	4.1	44.2	49.3	51.4	44.0	41.2	44.9	49.3	35.4	48.1	19.0	21.9	11.5	23.8	23.8	$9,613	$348	$9,265

Frequently Asked Questions about Rafael Cordero y Molina

What is the racial makeup of Rafael Cordero y Molina?

Students at Rafael Cordero y Molina are 28% Hispanic, 26% Asian, 25% White, 19% African American, 3% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Rafael Cordero y Molina attend?

Students who attend Rafael Cordero y Molina usually go on to attend:

High : James J Ferris High School

Is Rafael Cordero y Molina a good school?

Rafael Cordero y Molina ranks 602^nd of 1347 New Jersey elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Rafael Cordero y Molina?

In the 2024-25 school year, 794 students attended Rafael Cordero y Molina.

What district is Rafael Cordero y Molina in?

Jersey City Public Schools

Rate Rafael Cordero y Molina!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NJNew Jersey Elementary School Rankings

NJNew Jersey District Rankings

Schools in Jersey City, NJ

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Rafael Cordero y Molina!

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.