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James Caldwell High School

Q: Is James Caldwell High School a good school?

James Caldwell High School ranks 79 th of 434 New Jersey high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

79^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 434 New Jersey High Schools

Better than 82% of New Jersey high schools

Summary

James Caldwell High School is a public high school serving 772 students in grades 9-12 in West Caldwell, New Jersey, which is part of the Caldwell-West School District. The school has consistently ranked among the top 100 high schools in New Jersey, currently ranking 79th out of 434 high schools in the state for the 2024-2025 school year, and has maintained a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger, indicating strong academic performance.

James Caldwell High School excels academically, consistently outperforming the state average in standardized test scores, particularly in English Language Arts and Mathematics. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, 64.4% of students were proficient or better in NJSLA/English Language Arts for 9th grade, compared to the state average of 49.9%. The school also stands out in advanced math courses, with 86.9% of students proficient or better in NJSLA/Geometry, significantly higher than the state averages. Additionally, the school maintains high graduation rates, ranging from 91.3% to 96.1% over the past few years, and low dropout rates, well below the state average.

While James Caldwell High School outperforms many nearby high schools, such as Hanover Park High School, Cedar Grove High School, and West Orange High School, in various academic metrics, it does not quite match the performance of Livingston High School, which is ranked 33rd out of 434 NJ high schools for the 2024-2025 school year. Additionally, the school has seen a recent increase in chronic absenteeism rates, from 9.8% in 2022-2023 to 14.9% in 2023-2024, which is an area the school may want to address to maintain its strong academic standing.

749

Students ?

9.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,431

Per pupil spending ?

11.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

265 Westville Ave
West Caldwell, NJ 07006

(973) 228-6981

District: Caldwell-West School District

Feeder schools for James Caldwell High School:

Elementary:	Jefferson Elementary School
	Lincoln Elementary School
	Washington Elementary School
	Wilson Elementary School
Middle:	Grover Cleveland Middle School
Prekindergarten:	Harrison School

Racial breakdown:

White:

76.6%

Hispanic:

15.4%

Asian:

4.7%

See top rated New Jersey high schools

Compare James Caldwell High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 63rd percentile in 2015 → 82nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the New Jersey average (59% vs 43% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 18% of New Jersey high schools

✓96% graduate in 4 years — above the New Jersey average (91%)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school59%

District avg62%

New Jersey avg43%

79^th of 434

New Jersey public high schools ?

Top 18%▲ up 19 pts since 2015

From top 37% (2015) to top 18% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of New Jersey High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

175^th of 609Caldwell-West 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	73.1	79 of 434	81.8%	★★★★☆
2024	76.5	69 of 429	83.9%	★★★★☆
2023	66.1	95 of 422	77.5%	★★★★☆
2022	62.3	94 of 415	77.3%	★★★★☆
2021	62.0	96 of 405	76.3%	★★★★☆
2019	58.9	123 of 416	70.4%	★★★★☆
2018	61.1	105 of 415	74.7%	★★★★☆
2017	65.7	90 of 411	78.1%	★★★★☆
2016	49.1	164 of 409	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2015	47.6	152 of 406	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2014	74.1	98 of 411	76.2%	★★★★☆
2013	75.7	84 of 396	78.8%	★★★★☆
2012	70.8	126 of 388	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2011	70.0	132 of 378	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	66.2	150 of 371	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2009	73.3	105 of 370	71.6%	★★★★☆
2008	76.7	81 of 359	77.4%	★★★★☆
2007	77.4	79 of 361	78.1%	★★★★☆
2006	77.1	74 of 357	79.3%	★★★★☆
2005	80.0	55 of 351	84.3%	★★★★☆
2004	84.7	23 of 348	93.4%	★★★★★
2003	81.3	54 of 343	84.3%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2018	79.2	20 of 198	89.9%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	72.7	90 of 426	78.9%	★★★★☆
2024	73.5	90 of 420	78.6%	★★★★☆
2023	64.3	84 of 416	79.8%	★★★★☆
2022	62.9	83 of 414	80.0%	★★★★☆
2021	63.6	101 of 402	74.9%	★★★★☆
2019	61.4	111 of 408	72.8%	★★★★☆
2018	62.9	108 of 403	73.2%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	62.5	120 of 406	70.4%	★★★★☆
2024	64.5	117 of 403	71.0%	★★★★☆
2023	60.3	95 of 385	75.3%	★★★★☆
2022	66.9	69 of 382	81.9%	★★★★☆
2021	64.2	85 of 374	77.3%	★★★★☆
2019	45.7	164 of 364	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.5	74 of 368	79.9%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	70.2	63 of 377	83.3%	★★★★☆
2024	30.5	275 of 358	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	45.7	119 of 344	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	6.5	317 of 324	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	43.6	167 of 326	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	53.0	112 of 347	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	78.8	32 of 345	90.7%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	67.6	97 of 426	77.2%	★★★★☆
2024	73.5	69 of 419	83.5%	★★★★☆
2023	66.0	88 of 414	78.7%	★★★★☆
2022	57.6	105 of 410	74.4%	★★★★☆
2021	60.7	100 of 402	75.1%	★★★★☆
2019	58.3	118 of 407	71.0%	★★★★☆
2018	61.0	99 of 405	75.6%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	70.8	59 of 359	83.6%	★★★★☆
2024	67.1	73 of 361	79.8%	★★★★☆
2023	56.3	90 of 339	73.5%	★★★★☆
2022	61.6	75 of 344	78.2%	★★★★☆
2021	43.8	161 of 333	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	65.6	78 of 349	77.7%	★★★★☆
2018	70.2	57 of 355	83.9%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	63.5	91 of 347	73.8%	★★★★☆
2024	72.7	63 of 345	81.7%	★★★★☆
2023	60.7	82 of 335	75.5%	★★★★☆
2022	54.0	99 of 335	70.4%	★★★★☆
2021	48.9	114 of 336	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.8	106 of 339	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.0	101 of 340	70.3%	★★★★☆

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)

Asian (2018)90th percentile+15 vs school

Special Education (2025)84th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)83rd percentile~ school

Female (2025)79th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2025)77th percentile-5 vs school

White (2025)74th percentile-8 vs school

Hispanic (2025)70th percentile-11 vs school

By subject vs New Jersey (2024-2025) ?

Geometry87%+31 vs state

Mathematics82%+24 vs state

English Language Arts64%+14 vs state

Algebra I46%+15 vs state

Science40%+9 vs state

★

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Schools Near James Caldwell High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				NJGPA English Language Arts (2025)	NJGPA Mathematics (2025)	NJSLA-S Science (2025)	NJSLA English Language Arts (2025)	NJSLA Algebra I (2025)		NJSLA Geometry (2025)		NJSLA Algebra II (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	NJGPA English Language Arts 11th Grade	NJGPA Mathematics 11th Grade	NJSLA-S Science 11th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 9th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I 9th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I End of Course	NJSLA Geometry 9th Grade	NJSLA Geometry End of Course	NJSLA Algebra II 9th Grade	NJSLA Algebra II End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
James Caldwell High School	Public	9-12	265 Westville Ave	West Caldwell	07006	Essex County	Caldwell-West School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 228-6981	749	75	9.9	11.5%	574 (76.6%)	18 (2.4%)	115 (15.4%)	35 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	5 (0.7%)	73.1	79^th of 434 public high schools	81.8%		76.5	69^th of 429 public high schools	83.9%	10		81.7	40.0	64.4	45.9	45.9	86.9	86.9			$14,431	$24	$14,407
Essex County West Caldwell Technical	Public	9-12	620 Passaic Ave	West Caldwell	07006	Essex County	Essex County Schools of Technology	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 412-2205	353	35	10.0	66.0%	14 (4.0%)	133 (37.7%)	197 (55.8%)	6 (1.7%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	42.6	249^th of 434 public high schools	42.6%		51.3	194^th of 429 public high schools	54.8%	55		61.0	16.7	54.2	30.5	30.5	29.2	26.9			$13,110	$420	$12,690
Verona High School	Public	9-12	151 Fairview Ave	Verona	07044	Essex County	Verona Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(973) 571-6750	593	54	11.0	0.5%	470 (79.3%)	12 (2.0%)	68 (11.5%)	22 (3.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.2%)	70.9	91^st of 434 public high schools	79.0%		67.6	109^th of 429 public high schools	74.6%	18		81.8	57.1	62.0	27.0	27.0	67.3	67.3			$12,611	$135	$12,476
West Essex High School	Public	9-12	65 West Greenbrook Rd	North Caldwell	07006	Essex County	West Essex Regional School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 228-1200	1,061	93	11.4	3.3%	844 (79.5%)	25 (2.4%)	101 (9.5%)	68 (6.4%)	2 (0.2%)	5 (0.5%)	15 (1.4%)	69.8	96^th of 434 public high schools	77.9%		78.4	64^th of 429 public high schools	85.1%	32		83.5	32.2	66.4	36.7	36.5	89.0	89.0	100.0	100.0	$9,583		$9,583
West Orange High School	Public	9-12	51 Conforti Ave	West Orange	07052	Essex County	West Orange Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(973) 669-5301	2,106	188	11.2	44.0%	314 (14.9%)	795 (37.7%)	776 (36.8%)	89 (4.2%)	1 (0.0%)	6 (0.3%)	115 (5.5%)	50.8	197^th of 434 public high schools	54.6%		49.2	206^th of 429 public high schools	52.0%	9	84.0	56.6	32.8	54.6	18.6	18.5	98.2	94.7	48.2	48.2	$12,571		$12,571
Essex High School	Public	9-12	369 Passaic Avenue	Fairfield	07004	Essex County	Essex Regional Educational Services Commission	No	(n/a)	No	No	(973) 815-1389	34	3	11.3	64.7%	1 (2.9%)	32 (94.1%)	1 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Essex Campus Academy	Public	9-12	369 Passaic Avenue	Fairfield	07004	Essex County	Essex Regional Educational Services Commission	No	(n/a)	No	No	(973) 815-1389	37	3	12.3	59.5%	1 (2.7%)	23 (62.2%)	13 (35.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Cedar Grove High School	Public	9-12	90 Rugby Road	Cedar Grove	07009	Essex County	Cedar Grove Township School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(973) 239-6400	421	43	9.7	6.4%	323 (76.7%)	15 (3.6%)	44 (10.5%)	30 (7.1%)	2 (0.5%)	5 (1.2%)	2 (0.5%)	62.8	134^th of 434 public high schools	69.1%		53.4	178^th of 429 public high schools	58.5%	44		87.0	25.4	57.7	33.3	33.3	85.8	85.8			$9,924	$27	$9,897
Livingston High School	Public	9-12	30 Robert Harp Drive	Livingston	07039	Essex County	Livingston Board of Education School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 535-8000	2,081	187	11.1	2.2%	1,030 (49.5%)	101 (4.9%)	102 (4.9%)	783 (37.6%)	4 (0.2%)	4 (0.2%)	56 (2.7%)	84.7	33^rd of 434 public high schools	92.4%		85.9	35^th of 429 public high schools	91.8%	2		87.4	64.6	79.8	41.5	41.3	86.5	85.8	100.0	92.6	$12,895	$72	$12,823
Montclair High School	Public	9-12	100 Chestnut St	Montclair	07042	Essex County	Montclair Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(973) 509-4100	1,925	150	12.8	17.9%	935 (48.6%)	434 (22.5%)	305 (15.8%)	97 (5.0%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	145 (7.5%)	62.5	135^th of 434 public high schools	68.9%		62.3	136^th of 429 public high schools	68.3%	1	88.1	69.1	47.9	62.9	14.3	14.3	43.3	43.3	96.0	96.0	$9,854	$108	$9,746

Frequently Asked Questions about James Caldwell High School

Is James Caldwell High School a good school?

James Caldwell High School ranks 79^th of 434 New Jersey high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend James Caldwell High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 749 students attended James Caldwell High School.

What district is James Caldwell High School in?

Caldwell-West School District

What is the racial makeup of James Caldwell High School?

Students at James Caldwell High School are 77% White, 15% Hispanic, 5% Asian, 2% African American.

What schools feed into James Caldwell High School?

James Caldwell High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Jefferson Elementary School
Elementary : Lincoln Elementary School
Elementary : Washington Elementary School
Elementary : Wilson Elementary School
Middle : Grover Cleveland Middle School
Prekindergarten : Harrison School

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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.