Summary:
The 18 high schools in the Newark Public School District serve mostly grades 9–12; Science Park High School serves grades 7–12. Together, they enroll 12,054 students, averaging 670 per school, with enrollment ranging from 143 to 2,046. Results vary widely: grade 9 English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency ranges from 96% at Science Park to 4% at Eagle Academy for Young Men of Newark, a 92-point gap; the state result is 51%. The most important finding for families is that Newark’s high schools are not alike academically: school-to-school differences are substantial.
Science Park leads several results, including grade 9 ELA at 96% and grade 9 Algebra I at 89%, compared with state results of 51% and 22%. Technology High School is another standout, with 84% in grade 9 ELA and the highest reported grade 11 NJGPA mathematics result, 88% versus 61% statewide. Arts High School leads reported grade 11 NJGPA ELA at 89%, while University High School reports 83%; the state result is 76%. At the lower end, Eagle reports 0% in grade 9 Algebra I, and Barringer High School has the lowest reported NJGPA ELA result, 16%. These lows are on different tests and should not be treated as one overall ranking.
Recent trends are mixed: the average grade 9 ELA result across schools with scores in both years fell 2 points, from 35% to 33%, while the state rose 2 points; grade 9 Algebra I averages rose 2 points, matching the state’s increase. Grade 11 NJGPA ELA averages fell 16 points across reporting schools, compared with a 5-point state decline. SchoolDigger rankings offer another perspective: Science Park is at the 97th percentile and Technology at the 86th, while Arts rose from the 29th to the 53rd percentile and University from the 32nd to the 58th between 2023–2024 and 2025–2026. Income measures are context, not explanations: in 2024–2025, free/reduced lunch eligible students made up 68% at Science Park and 80% at Technology, alongside their strong results.
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