New Jersey Education Statistics 2026: Schools, Enrollment & Spending
New Jersey reported 1,357,450 public school students, 2,505 schools, and 590 operating school districts for the 2025-26 school year.
Fiscal year 2024 current spending reached $27,234 per pupil, placing New Jersey fourth among the 50 states and District of Columbia for this measure.
New Jersey Education Snapshot
School and enrollment statistics use NJDOE reporting. The spending measure comes from the U.S. Census Bureau Annual Survey of School System Finances.
Public School Enrollment Trend
NJDOE fall enrollment totals cover school years 1998-99 through 2025-26.
New Jersey Enrollment by School Year
District-reported public school enrollment
Enrollment peaked at 1,393,781.5 in 2005-06 and measured 1,357,450 in 2025-26. Historical half-student values are retained as published by NJDOE.
Trend analysis
- Enrollment increased from 1,264,260 in 1998-99 to a series high of 1,393,781.5 in 2005-06.
- The 2025-26 total was 36,331.5 students below the 2005-06 peak, a difference of 2.6%.
- Enrollment fell by 23,732 students between 2024-25 and 2025-26.
- The latest one-year change was -1.72%, the largest annual decline in the displayed series.
- The 2025-26 total remained 93,190 students above the 1998-99 level.
Full New Jersey Enrollment History
Annual totals and calculated year-over-year movement based on NJDOE Fall Enrollment Reports.
| School year | Enrollment | Annual change | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-99 | 1,264,260 | Baseline | Baseline |
| 1999-00 | 1,289,221 | +24,961 | +1.97% |
| 2000-01 | 1,313,394 | +24,173 | +1.88% |
| 2001-02 | 1,341,503 | +28,109 | +2.14% |
| 2002-03 | 1,367,249 | +25,746 | +1.92% |
| 2003-04 | 1,380,881.5 | +13,632.5 | +1.00% |
| 2004-05 | 1,390,825.5 | +9,944 | +0.72% |
| 2005-06 | 1,393,781.5 | +2,956 | +0.21% |
| 2006-07 | 1,387,963 | -5,818.5 | -0.42% |
| 2007-08 | 1,378,630.5 | -9,332.5 | -0.67% |
| 2008-09 | 1,377,728 | -902.5 | -0.07% |
| 2009-10 | 1,383,705.5 | +5,977.5 | +0.43% |
| 2010-11 | 1,364,494.5 | -19,211 | -1.39% |
| 2011-12 | 1,363,996.5 | -498 | -0.04% |
| 2012-13 | 1,373,181.5 | +9,185 | +0.67% |
| 2013-14 | 1,371,399 | -1,782.5 | -0.13% |
| 2014-15 | 1,369,379 | -2,020 | -0.15% |
| 2015-16 | 1,372,982 | +3,603 | +0.26% |
| 2016-17 | 1,373,267 | +285 | +0.02% |
| 2017-18 | 1,370,236 | -3,031 | -0.22% |
| 2018-19 | 1,364,714 | -5,522 | -0.40% |
| 2019-20 | 1,375,829 | +11,115 | +0.81% |
| 2020-21 | 1,362,400 | -13,429 | -0.98% |
| 2021-22 | 1,360,916 | -1,484 | -0.11% |
| 2022-23 | 1,371,921 | +11,005 | +0.81% |
| 2023-24 | 1,379,988 | +8,067 | +0.59% |
| 2024-25 | 1,381,182 | +1,194 | +0.09% |
| 2025-26 | 1,357,450 | -23,732 | -1.72% |
Table analysis
- The table contains 28 consecutive school years of NJDOE enrollment totals.
- Annual enrollment exceeded 1.39 million in 2004-05 and 2005-06.
- The largest annual increase was 28,109 students in 2001-02.
- The largest annual decline was109 students 23,732 students in 2025-26.
- Enrollment increased in three consecutive years from 2022-23 through 2024-25 before declining in 2025-26.
- Twenty-one of the 28 reported totals fall between 1.36 million and 1.39 million students.
- Changes and percentages are calculated from the published annual totals.
Schools, Districts, Staffing, and Finance
Current structural measures are separated from fiscal-year spending statistics to preserve their reporting periods and definitions.
New Jersey Public School System Profile
| Indicator | Category | Value | Period | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public school enrollment | Students | 1,357,450 | 2025-26 | Fall enrollment |
| Charter school enrollment | Students | 64,037 | 2025-26 | Student count |
| Charter enrollment share | Students | 4.72% | 2025-26 | Calculated share |
| Total schools | Schools | 2,505 | 2025-26 | School count |
| Elementary schools | Schools | 2,000 | 2025-26 | School count |
| Secondary schools | Schools | 395 | 2025-26 | School count |
| Combined schools | Schools | 110 | 2025-26 | School count |
| Local educational agencies | Agencies | 693 | 2025-26 | LEA count |
| Operating school districts | Agencies | 590 | 2025-26 | District count |
| Charter schools | Agencies | 84 | 2025-26 | NJDOE LEA category |
| Renaissance schools | Agencies | 3 | 2025-26 | NJDOE LEA category |
| Non-operating districts | Agencies | 16 | 2025-26 | District count |
| Classroom teachers | Staff | 116,911 | 2025-26 | FTE |
| Certificated staff | Staff | 149,516.5 | 2025-26 | FTE |
| State aid | Finance | $12 billion | 2025-26 | Rounded NJDOE total |
| Four-year graduation rate | Outcome | 91.3% | 2023-24 | Cohort rate |
| Dropout rate | Outcome | 1.0% | 2023-24 | NJDOE rate |
Table analysis
- Elementary schools account for 2,000 of 2,505 schools, or 79.8%.
- Secondary schools account for 395 schools, while 110 schools serve combined elementary and secondary grades.
- The statewide system contains 693 local educational agencies, including 590 operating districts.
- Charter enrollment represents 4.72% of the published statewide enrollment total.
- The ratio of enrollment to classroom teacher FTE is approximately 11.6 students per teacher FTE; this calculated ratio is not an NJDOE student-teacher ratio.
- State aid is published as a rounded $12 billion figure and is not equivalent to Census current spending.
- Graduation and dropout rates use 2023-24 outcome data rather than the 2025-26 school-year counts.
Schools by Grade Configuration
NJDOE school classifications, 2025-26
Elementary schools include preschool-to-grade-eight combinations. Secondary schools include grade-nine-to-grade-twelve combinations.
Chart analysis
- Elementary schools form the largest category at 2,000.
- The elementary count is about five times the secondary count of 395.
- Combined-grade schools represent 4.4% of all reported schools.
Current Spending Per Pupil Comparison
Nominal fiscal year 2024 dollars
New Jersey exceeded the U.S. figure by $9,615 per pupil. Census values are not adjusted for inflation or regional price differences.
Chart analysis
- New Jersey current spending measured $27,234 per pupil.
- The state figure was 54.6% above the U.S. amount of $17,619.
- New Jersey exceeded the Northeast weighted average by $496 per pupil.
- The state ranked fourth among the 50 states and District of Columbia for this selected measure.
New Jersey Spending Benchmarks
| Geography | Measure | Value | Period | Definition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | Current spending per pupil | $27,234 | FY2024 | Nominal current spending |
| Northeast | Current spending per pupil | $26,738 | FY2024 | Weighted regional average |
| United States | Current spending per pupil | $17,619 | FY2024 | National amount |
| New Jersey minus U.S. | Per-pupil difference | $9,615 | FY2024 | Calculated nominal difference |
| New Jersey minus Northeast | Per-pupil difference | $496 | FY2024 | Calculated nominal difference |
| New Jersey | Federal revenue share | 6.3% | FY2024 | Share of school-system revenue |
| United States | Federal revenue share | 11.6% | FY2024 | Share of school-system revenue |
Table analysis
- New Jersey's $27,234 figure was close to the Northeast weighted average of $26,738.
- The gap between New Jersey and the national amount was $9,615 per pupil.
- Federal sources supplied 6.3% of New Jersey school-system revenue, compared with 11.6% nationally.
- New Jersey's federal share was 5.3 percentage points below the national share.
- Current spending excludes capital outlay, debt service, and spending for programs outside public pre-K-12 education.
- None of the dollar values are adjusted for regional cost differences.
What the New Jersey Data Shows
The indicators describe different parts of the public education system and should retain their source definitions.
Enrollment Movement
The 2025-26 decline followed three annual increases. A single-year decrease does not establish a long-term projection.
School Structure
The 2,505-school total is a count of operating schools by NJDOE grade configuration. It differs from the number of districts and local educational agencies.
Spending Position
The fourth-place spending rank applies only to FY2024 current spending per pupil. It is not a ranking of school quality, efficiency, or student outcomes.
Reporting Periods
Enrollment and staffing use school-year collections. Census finance data use fiscal years, while graduation and dropout measures use cohort or outcome reporting periods.
Nominal Dollars
FY2024 spending values are reported in nominal dollars. Inflation, wages, housing costs, and other regional price differences are not incorporated.
State Aid
The rounded NJDOE state-aid total represents one funding source. It should not be treated as total school revenue or total current expenditure.
Source and Methodology
Statewide School Profile
New Jersey Public Schools Fact Sheet 2025-2026
Provides school, agency, classroom teacher, charter enrollment, state aid, graduation, and dropout statistics.
Enrollment Series
District-reported statewide enrollment totals for 1998-99 through 2025-26.
Certificated Staff
NJDOE Certificated Staff Reports
Supplies the 2025-26 statewide certificated staff FTE count.
School Finance
2024 Public Elementary-Secondary Education Finance Data
Final fiscal year 2024 revenue, expenditure, and per-pupil finance tables.
Finance Benchmarks
U.S. Census Bureau FY2024 School System Finances Release
Supplies national, regional, state-ranking, and federal revenue-share context.
District Spending Reference
2025 Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending
Documents NJDOE district expenditure definitions, enrollment inputs, and audited-versus-budgeted periods.
Method: Annual enrollment changes equal the published total minus the preceding school year's total. Percentage changes use the preceding year as the denominator. Charter share, school-type shares, student-to-teacher-FTE ratio, and spending differences are calculated from displayed official totals. Counts are shown as published; historical enrollment values ending in 0.5 are retained. Percentages are rounded to two decimal places where calculated.
Coverage: Enrollment, school, district, and staff measures cover New Jersey public education under the applicable NJDOE collection. Census finance statistics cover public elementary-secondary school systems. Private school enrollment and private school finances are outside these measures.
The 2026 title identifies the publication edition. It does not convert 2025-26 school-year statistics, FY2024 finance data, or 2023-24 outcome rates into a single reporting year. Current spending per pupil excludes capital outlay and debt service, uses nominal dollars, and does not measure instructional quality or establish a causal relationship with student outcomes.