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Plainfield Academy For The Arts & Advanced Studies

Public Grades 7-12

357^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 434 New Jersey High Schools

Better than 18% of New Jersey high schools

Summary

Plainfield Academy For The Arts & Advanced Studies is a public high school serving grades 7-12 in Plainfield, New Jersey, with 345 students. The school has seen fluctuations in its statewide ranking and rating, ranging from 140th to 357th out of New Jersey high schools and from 1 to 3 stars out of 5 on SchoolDigger. While the school has performed relatively well for its African American and Hispanic student subgroups, its rankings for female, male, and English Language Learner students are lower.

Plainfield Academy For The Arts & Advanced Studies has experienced high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 7.8% to 29.1% in recent years, significantly higher than the state average and the rates of nearby schools like Plainfield High School (14.9%) and South Plainfield High School (14.9%). The school's proficiency rates on state assessments are generally higher than the Plainfield Public School District averages, but lower than the state averages, particularly in mathematics.

While Plainfield Academy For The Arts & Advanced Studies outperforms the Plainfield Public School District, it lags behind many of the nearby schools, such as Bound Brook High School, Piscataway Township High School, and Watchung Hills Regional High School, in terms of ranking, rating, and academic performance. Addressing the school's challenges, such as chronic absenteeism and equity for all student subgroups, could be crucial steps in improving its outcomes and providing a better educational experience for its students.

357

Students ?

8.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,696

Per pupil spending ?

77.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1700 West Front St
Plainfield, NJ 07063

(908) 731-4421

District: Plainfield Public School District

Feeder schools for Plainfield Academy For The Arts & Advanced Studies:

Elementary:	Cedarbrook Elementary School
	Charles H. Stillman Elementary School
	Clinton Elementary School
	Dewitt D. Barlow Elementary School
	More...
	Emerson Community School
	Evergreen Elementary School
	Frederic W. Cook Elementary School
	Jefferson Elementary School
	Washington Community School
Middle:	Hubbard Middle School
	Maxson Middle School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

66.9%

African American:

31.4%

Two or more races:

1.1%

See top rated New Jersey high schools

Compare Plainfield Academy For The Arts & Advanced Studies to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 32nd percentile in 2014 → 18th in 2025

Strengths

✓95% graduate in 4 years — above the New Jersey average (91%)

✓Small classes — about 9 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the New Jersey average (27% vs 42% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (18th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 14 percentile points since 2014

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school27%

District avg15%

New Jersey avg42%

Middle school

522^nd of 752

New Jersey public middle schools ?

Bottom 31%▼ down 10 pts since 2015

From bottom 41% (2015) to bottom 31% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of New Jersey Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

357^th of 434

New Jersey public high schools ?

Bottom 18%▲ up 5 pts since 2015

From bottom 13% (2015) to bottom 18% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of New Jersey High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2High Schools in the Plainfield Public School District

564^th of 609Plainfield 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)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	29.5	522 of 752	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.7	468 of 743	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.4	443 of 748	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	57.5	279 of 745	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	44.9	419 of 745	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	61.2	268 of 716	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2017	36.4	472 of 712	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2016	27.5	532 of 713	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	41.8	422 of 713	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2014	28.8	534 of 717	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	31.3	524 of 704	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	37.9	492 of 677	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	33.1	517 of 684	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2022	88.5	13 of 356	96.3%	★★★★★
2019	87.3	24 of 326	92.6%	★★★★★
2018	81.1	39 of 326	88.0%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	29.7	254 of 343	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	61.1	79 of 320	75.3%	★★★★☆
2023	64.0	60 of 288	79.2%	★★★★☆
2022	60.2	61 of 270	77.4%	★★★★☆
2019	65.5	46 of 227	79.7%	★★★★☆
2018	89.0	11 of 202	94.6%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	34.1	458 of 728	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.3	423 of 717	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.6	439 of 720	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	61.9	250 of 726	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	40.1	440 of 703	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	57.1	311 of 680	54.3%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	44.1	315 of 608	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.1	301 of 589	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	56.1	207 of 587	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	80.1	65 of 591	89.0%	★★★★☆
2019	58.2	183 of 524	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	69.8	114 of 504	77.4%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	49.0	291 of 613	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.2	137 of 584	76.5%	★★★★☆
2023	54.5	193 of 568	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	80.2	43 of 541	92.1%	★★★★★
2018	91.3	19 of 522	96.4%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	36.2	446 of 726	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.7	405 of 719	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.9	404 of 718	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	50.4	312 of 730	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.8	364 of 697	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	59.5	256 of 675	62.1%	★★★☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	20.5	357 of 434	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.2	339 of 429	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	53.8	140 of 422	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	40.9	206 of 415	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	35.3	244 of 416	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	28.5	295 of 415	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	38.5	229 of 411	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2016	47.3	175 of 409	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2015	19.7	354 of 406	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	49.9	281 of 411	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2013	41.2	294 of 396	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	45.2	146 of 283	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.8	143 of 282	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	69.6	26 of 250	89.6%	★★★★☆
2022	52.7	76 of 256	70.3%	★★★★☆
2019	43.6	127 of 254	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.9	109 of 266	59.0%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	40.5	112 of 215	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	67.3	33 of 191	82.7%	★★★★☆
2023	41.2	77 of 161	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	84.6	10 of 137	92.7%	★★★★★
2018	30.3	108 of 146	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	26.5	336 of 426	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.8	335 of 420	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	42.8	196 of 416	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	39.9	203 of 414	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	28.0	281 of 408	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	13.7	374 of 403	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	45.9	200 of 406	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.1	216 of 403	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	67.4	68 of 385	82.3%	★★★★☆
2022	61.1	83 of 382	78.3%	★★★★☆
2019	47.5	154 of 364	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	27.3	295 of 368	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	43.5	194 of 377	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.0	139 of 358	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	77.2	30 of 344	91.3%	★★★★★
2022	67.5	40 of 324	87.7%	★★★★☆
2019	46.4	144 of 347	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	40.2	190 of 345	44.9%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	21.8	328 of 426	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.8	343 of 419	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	42.1	181 of 414	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	31.1	249 of 410	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.1	255 of 407	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	29.3	277 of 405	31.6%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Middle school

African American (2022)96th percentile+34 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)53rd percentile+22 vs school

Hispanic (2025)48th percentile+18 vs school

Male (2025)39th percentile+8 vs school

Female (2025)37th percentile+7 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)26th percentile-5 vs school

High school

Hispanic (2025)51st percentile+33 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)49th percentile+31 vs school

African American (2025)48th percentile+31 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)48th percentile+30 vs school

Male (2025)23rd percentile+5 vs school

Female (2025)21st percentile+3 vs school

By subject vs New Jersey (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts49%-6 vs state

Geometry29%-27 vs state

Algebra I15%-22 vs state

Mathematics9%-22 vs state

Science6%-19 vs state

★

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Schools Near Plainfield Academy For The Arts & Advanced Studies

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 Mathematics (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 8th Grade	NJSLA-S Science 11th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 6th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 7th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 8th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 9th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 6th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 7th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 8th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I 8th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I 9th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I 10th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I End of Course	NJSLA Geometry 9th Grade	NJSLA Geometry 10th Grade	NJSLA Geometry End of Course	NJSLA Algebra II 9th Grade	NJSLA Algebra II 10th Grade	NJSLA Algebra II End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Plainfield Academy For The Arts & Advanced Studies	Public	7-12	1700 West Front St	Plainfield	07063	Union County	Plainfield Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 731-4421	357	40	8.9	77.3%	2 (0.6%)	112 (31.4%)	239 (66.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.1%)	20.5	357^th of 434 public high schools	17.7%		23.2	339^th of 429 public high schools	21.0%	18		57.0	6.3	22.1		54.8	56.3	41.4		16.1	0.0	40.0	0.0		14.9	28.6		28.6				$12,696		$12,696
Dunellen High School	Public	9-12	411 First Street	Dunellen	08812	Middlesex County	Dunellen Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(732) 400-5900	409	36	11.3	48.9%	83 (20.3%)	56 (13.7%)	245 (59.9%)	16 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.2%)	36.2	284^th of 434 public high schools	34.6%		29.3	314^th of 429 public high schools	26.8%	30	83.9	62.3		20.0				29.7					2.8		5.3	50.0	15.4	25.3		45.5	45.5	$7,075		$7,075
North Plainfield High School	Public	9-12	34 Wilson Avenue	North Plainfield	07060	Somerset County	North Plainfield School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(908) 769-6000	1,141	100	11.4	75.7%	86 (7.5%)	189 (16.6%)	828 (72.6%)	26 (2.3%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	7 (0.6%)	24.2	340^th of 434 public high schools	21.7%		27	328^th of 429 public high schools	23.5%	12	68.9	40.9		10.1				36.9					10.2		10.0	65.2		50.0				$11,138	$46	$11,092
The Barack Obama Green Charter School	Public, Charter	6-12	35 Watchung ave	Plainfield	07060	Union County	The Barack Obama Green Charter High School District	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(877) 643-4064	358	25	14.3	78.2%	1 (0.3%)	92 (25.7%)	262 (73.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	17.7	370^th of 434 public high schools	14.7%		30.2	307^th of 429 public high schools	28.4%	63	66.7	23.3	5.0	6.7	12.2	4.9	37.5	19.7	14.6	2.4	0.0	60.0	3.7	12.2	12.4							$9,321	$950	$8,371
South Plainfield High School	Public	9-12	200 Lake Street	South Plainfield	07080	Middlesex County	South Plainfield School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(908) 754-4620	1,044	93	11.2	36.3%	348 (33.3%)	140 (13.4%)	385 (36.9%)	141 (13.5%)	1 (0.1%)	7 (0.7%)	19 (1.8%)	57.1	164^th of 434 public high schools	62.2%		59.4	150^th of 429 public high schools	65.0%	14	89.3	66.2		38.6				42.4					23.1		23.6	62.0		62.0				$6,934		$6,934
Middlesex High School	Public	9-12	300 John F. Kennedy Drive	Middlesex	08846	Middlesex County	Middlesex Borough School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(732) 317-6000	597	55	10.8	45.7%	226 (37.9%)	41 (6.9%)	257 (43.0%)	48 (8.0%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.7%)	18 (3.0%)	48.3	210^th of 434 public high schools	51.6%		40.1	258^th of 429 public high schools	39.9%	48	88.7	51.8		26.3				48.7					24.8		24.8	57.1		57.1				$11,917	$24	$11,893
Plainfield High School	Public	9-12	950 Park Avenue	Plainfield	07060	Union County	Plainfield Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 731-4390	2,077	156	13.3	75.4%	17 (0.8%)	326 (15.7%)	1,708 (82.2%)	8 (0.4%)	4 (0.2%)	3 (0.1%)	11 (0.5%)	8	425^th of 434 public high schools	2.1%		8	415^th of 429 public high schools	3.3%	10	46.6	16.8		5.0				16.5					3.3	0.0	2.9	10.4		10.2				$10,696		$10,696
Pinnacle Academy High School	Public	9-12	209 Berckman St	Plainfield	07062	Union County	Plainfield Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(908) 731-4270	67	3	22.3	74.6%	0 (0.0%)	12 (17.9%)	55 (82.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Piscataway Township High School	Public	9-12	100 Behmer Road	Piscataway	08854	Middlesex County	Piscataway Township School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(732) 981-0700	2,144	155	13.8	42.9%	262 (12.2%)	583 (27.2%)	544 (25.4%)	677 (31.6%)	12 (0.6%)	9 (0.4%)	57 (2.7%)	47.2	220^th of 434 public high schools	49.3%		52.1	187^th of 429 public high schools	56.4%	33	79.1	59.6		35.5				50.2					7.6		7.5	49.5		49.3	95.5		95.5	$7,617	$163	$7,454
Watchung Hills Regional High School	Public	9-12	108 Stirling Rd.	Warren	07059	Somerset County	Watchung Hills Regional High School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 647-4800	1,653	143	11.5	3.4%	857 (51.8%)	77 (4.7%)	301 (18.2%)	346 (20.9%)	5 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	59 (3.6%)	67.9	104^th of 434 public high schools	76.0%		79.9	57^th of 429 public high schools	86.7%	47		77.6		50.3				69.1					69.4		69.4	38.0		38.0	100.0		100.0	$14,489	$55	$14,434

Frequently Asked Questions about Plainfield Academy For The Arts & Advanced Studies

What district is Plainfield Academy For The Arts & Advanced Studies in?

Plainfield Public School District

Is Plainfield Academy For The Arts & Advanced Studies a good school?

Plainfield Academy For The Arts & Advanced Studies ranks in the bottom 17.7% of New Jersey high schools.

What is the racial makeup of Plainfield Academy For The Arts & Advanced Studies?

Students at Plainfield Academy For The Arts & Advanced Studies are 67% Hispanic, 31% African American, 1% Two or more races.

What schools feed into Plainfield Academy For The Arts & Advanced Studies?

How many students attend Plainfield Academy For The Arts & Advanced Studies?

In the 2024-25 school year, 357 students attended Plainfield Academy For The Arts & Advanced Studies.

Rate Plainfield Academy For The Arts & Advanced Studies!

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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.