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Emerson Middle School

Q: Is Emerson Middle School a good school?

Emerson Middle School ranks 342 nd of 752 New Jersey middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

342^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 752 New Jersey Middle Schools

Better than 55% of New Jersey middle schools

Summary

Emerson Middle School is a public middle school located in Union City, New Jersey, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 1,023 students. The school is part of the Union City School District, which is ranked 298 out of 609 districts in New Jersey and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Emerson Middle School has consistently ranked in the top half of New Jersey middle schools, with a current ranking of 342 out of 752 schools for the 2024-2025 school year. The school's performance on NJSLA tests is generally above the Union City School District and state averages, particularly in English Language Arts (ELA). However, the school's performance in Mathematics lags behind the district and state. Emerson Middle School performs exceptionally well for certain student subgroups, such as Hispanic students and English Language Learners (ELLs), but its performance for Special Education students is relatively lower.

While Emerson Middle School has seen a gradual decrease in chronic absenteeism, the rate is still higher than the desired target of 10% or less. This is a common challenge faced by many schools in the Union City School District, as the nearby schools also report similar chronic absenteeism rates. Compared to other nearby schools, such as Union Hill Middle School and Academy I, Emerson Middle School has similar performance metrics but also some areas where it could improve, particularly in Mathematics proficiency.

999

Students ?

14.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,615

Per pupil spending ?

86.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

318 - 18th Street
Union City, NJ 07087

(201) 348-5900

District: Union City School District

Students who attend Emerson Middle School usually attend:

High:	Jose Marti STEM Academy
	Union City High School

Feeder schools for Emerson Middle School:

Elementary:	George Washington Elementary School
	Jefferson Elementary School
	Robert Waters Elementary School
	Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

97.3%

White:

1.0%

African American:

1.0%

See top rated New Jersey middle schools

Compare Emerson Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 69th percentile in 2022 → 55th in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the New Jersey median (55th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 69th-percentile peak (2022) to 55th (2025)

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

!Science scores 14 pts below the New Jersey average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school40%

District avg45%

New Jersey avg42%

342^nd of 752

New Jersey public middle schools ?

Top 45%▲ up 22 pts since 2015

From bottom 33% (2015) to top 45% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of New Jersey Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Middle Schools in the Union City School District

298^th of 609Union City 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	51.4	342 of 752	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.1	328 of 743	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.5	317 of 748	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.6	234 of 745	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	34.1	395 of 652	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	54.1	342 of 745	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	49.6	367 of 716	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2017	36.3	473 of 712	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2016	39.9	451 of 713	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2015	33.5	479 of 713	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2014	26.6	549 of 717	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	33.3	517 of 704	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	35.8	501 of 677	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	42.0	469 of 684	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2010	43.0	460 of 677	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2009	30.6	515 of 664	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	29.2	495 of 640	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	38.7	462 of 631	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	62.7	310 of 615	49.6%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	85.0	25 of 343	92.7%	★★★★★
2024	61.7	73 of 320	77.2%	★★★★☆
2023	57.3	78 of 288	72.9%	★★★★☆
2022	79.9	20 of 270	92.6%	★★★★★
2021	44.9	75 of 197	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.7	47 of 227	79.3%	★★★★☆
2018	64.7	44 of 202	78.2%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	54.1	306 of 728	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.3	329 of 717	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.9	336 of 720	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.6	245 of 726	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	37.5	364 of 625	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	53.4	344 of 703	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	51.1	360 of 680	47.1%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	68.1	146 of 608	76.0%	★★★★☆
2024	69.1	132 of 589	77.6%	★★★★☆
2023	70.1	119 of 587	79.7%	★★★★☆
2022	79.2	70 of 591	88.2%	★★★★☆
2021	52.1	185 of 480	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	70.4	117 of 524	77.7%	★★★★☆
2018	65.8	138 of 504	72.6%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	73.8	87 of 613	85.8%	★★★★☆
2024	75.3	63 of 584	89.2%	★★★★☆
2023	78.0	51 of 568	91.0%	★★★★★
2022	84.2	33 of 549	94.0%	★★★★★
2021	60.8	103 of 467	77.9%	★★★★☆
2019	77.2	60 of 541	88.9%	★★★★☆
2018	74.2	75 of 522	85.6%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	49.7	337 of 726	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.6	293 of 719	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.2	268 of 718	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.4	215 of 730	70.5%	★★★★☆
2021	32.9	391 of 635	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	53.7	313 of 697	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.7	355 of 675	47.4%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	32.5	334 of 507	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.1	315 of 510	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.9	220 of 505	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.8	135 of 535	74.8%	★★★★☆
2021	23.8	321 of 401	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	60.0	149 of 492	69.7%	★★★★☆
2018	40.9	258 of 471	45.2%	★★☆☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2025)93rd percentile+38 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)86th percentile+31 vs school

Hispanic (2025)76th percentile+21 vs school

Female (2025)58th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2025)54th percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)34th percentile-20 vs school

By subject vs New Jersey (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts64%+7 vs state

Mathematics31%-4 vs state

Science5%-14 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, September 15, 2016

This school has the most dedicated teachers and administration. I grew up in Union City and Emerson was tough and rough.. Today it's organized and thriving! Close Quote

Schools Near Emerson Middle School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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 5th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 6th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 7th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 8th 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
Emerson Middle School	Public	6-8	318 - 18th Street	Union City	07087	Hudson County	Union City School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 348-5900	999	67	14.9	86.7%	10 (1.0%)	10 (1.0%)	972 (97.3%)	7 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	51.4	342^nd of 752 public middle schools	54.5%		52.1	328^th of 743 public middle schools	55.9%	14		5.1		67.1	59.7	66.9		42.1	28.0	26.5			$8,615	$483	$8,132
Union Hill Middle School	Public	7-8	3800 Hudson Ave	Union City	07087	Hudson County	Union City School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 348-5936	865	59	14.6	83.5%	11 (1.3%)	4 (0.5%)	846 (97.8%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	60.7	270^th of 752 public middle schools	64.1%		63.2	248^th of 743 public middle schools	66.6%	22		6.4			66.9	69.6			36.8	44.3			$10,040	$489	$9,551
Hoboken Middle School	Public	6-8	158 Fourth Street	Hoboken	07030	Hudson County	Hoboken Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 356-3750	438	43	10.2	43.4%	204 (46.6%)	52 (11.9%)	136 (31.1%)	30 (6.8%)	3 (0.7%)	3 (0.7%)	10 (2.3%)	71.8	181^st of 752 public middle schools	75.9%		64.9	235^th of 743 public middle schools	68.4%	54		25.4		77.3	64.9	58.3		66.9	57.8	12.3	94.5	94.5	$12,680	$301	$12,379
West New York Middle School	Public	7-8	201 57th St	West New York	07093	Hudson County	West New York School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 553-4160	1,087	68	15.9	91.4%	19 (1.7%)	10 (0.9%)	1,048 (96.4%)	7 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.3%)	31.2	502^nd of 752 public middle schools	33.2%		31.6	494^th of 743 public middle schools	33.5%	8		9.4			39.0	45.2			25.1	16.3	100.0	100.0	$8,996	$962	$8,034
Franklin L. Williams School	Public	6-8	222 Laidlaw Avenue	Jersey City	07306	Hudson County	Jersey City Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 714-8340	906	73	12.4	81.9%	73 (8.1%)	65 (7.2%)	674 (74.4%)	87 (9.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	6 (0.7%)	22	580^th of 752 public middle schools	22.9%		26.3	542^nd of 743 public middle schools	27.1%	38		4.5		36.2	44.0	34.9		20.9	29.3	0.7	40.4	40.4	$12,649	$746	$11,903
Explore Middle School	Public	6-8	180 9th Street	Jersey City	07302	Hudson County	Hudson County Schools of Technology School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 631-6395	163	15	11.2	27.6%	44 (27.0%)	21 (12.9%)	70 (42.9%)	20 (12.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.9%)	91.3	32^nd of 752 public middle schools	95.7%		92.2	26^th of 743 public middle schools	96.5%	6		29.5		91.1	89.1	90.2		71.5	78.2	43.8	100.0	100.0	$10,449		$10,449
Kindle Education Public Charter School	Public, Charter	6-7	35 Journal Square Plaza	Jersey City	07306	Hudson County	Kindle Education Public Charter School	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(551) 350-1520	87	4	21.7	64.4%	11 (12.6%)	38 (43.7%)	30 (34.5%)	3 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (5.7%)	30.4	514^th of 752 public middle schools	31.6%					(n/a)				48.0	44.6			13.2	29.3
Secaucus Middle School	Public	6-8	11 Mill Ridge Road	Secaucus	07094	Hudson County	Secaucus School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 974-2025	478	46	10.4	37.2%	109 (22.8%)	19 (4.0%)	209 (43.7%)	135 (28.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.3%)	55.5	308^th of 752 public middle schools	59.0%		64.5	241^st of 743 public middle schools	67.6%	67		12.3		48.6	57.0	70.2		36.3	43.8	36.3	100.0	100.0	$8,873	$645	$8,228
Middle School # 4	Public	6-8	107 Bright Street	Jersey City	07302	Hudson County	Jersey City Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 946-5740	755	47	16.0	55.5%	147 (19.5%)	146 (19.3%)	226 (29.9%)	211 (27.9%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.4%)	21 (2.8%)	64.8	236^th of 752 public middle schools	68.6%		68.9	201^st of 743 public middle schools	72.9%	35		27.5		65.2	64.5	55.6		53.0	55.2	5.7	88.3	88.3	$10,749	$520	$10,229
Lincoln School	Public	3-8	140 Anderson Avenue	Fairview	07022	Bergen County	Fairview Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 943-0560	635	55	11.5	76.1%	44 (6.9%)	3 (0.5%)	586 (92.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18.1	625^th of 752 public middle schools	16.9%		16.7	634^th of 743 public middle schools	14.7%	9	11.8	1.3	18.3	19.2	16.8	41.1	20.2	13.2	21.2	16.1	81.3	81.3	$10,180	$1,153	$9,027

Frequently Asked Questions about Emerson Middle School

What high school do graduates of Emerson Middle School attend?

Students who attend Emerson Middle School usually go on to attend Jose Marti STEM Academy

Is Emerson Middle School a good school?

Emerson Middle School ranks 342^nd of 752 New Jersey middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Emerson Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 999 students attended Emerson Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Emerson Middle School?

Students at Emerson Middle School are 97% Hispanic, 1% White, 1% African American.

What district is Emerson Middle School in?

Union City 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.