The average SAT score in New Jersey was 1052 in 2024-25: 533 in reading and writing and 519 in math, per the New Jersey Department of Education's School Performance Reports. 60% of 12th graders had taken the SAT while in high school. Bergen County Academies posted the highest average of any high school with at least 100 seniors: 1458.
The figures come from the 2024-25 School Performance Reports database (released May 21, 2026). Because the SAT isn't New Jersey's required state test, the share of seniors taking it varies by school; we show that rate next to each average.
Top 25 New Jersey high schools by SAT average, 2024-25
High schools with at least 100 students in 12th grade.
| # | High school | District | County | 12th graders | Seniors who took the SAT | Reading/writing | Math | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bergen County Academies | Bergen County Vocational Technical Schools | Bergen | 273 | 93.8% | 721 | 737 | 1458 |
| 2 | Millburn High School | Millburn Township | Essex | 362 | 63.0% | 691 | 700 | 1391 |
| 3 | Bergen County Technical High School-Teterboro | Bergen County Vocational Technical Schools | Bergen | 156 | 85.9% | 675 | 695 | 1370 |
| 4 | Dr. Ronald McNair High School | Jersey City | Hudson | 172 | 100% | 676 | 688 | 1364 |
| 5 | West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South | West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional | Mercer | 395 | 87.7% | 668 | 688 | 1356 |
| 6 | West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North | West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional | Mercer | 375 | 84.8% | 660 | 681 | 1341 |
| 7 | Montgomery High School | Montgomery Township | Somerset | 421 | 85.7% | 658 | 672 | 1330 |
| 8 | Princeton High School | Princeton | Mercer | 387 | 72.9% | 662 | 658 | 1320 |
| 9 | Tenafly High School | Tenafly | Bergen | 297 | 74.2% | 652 | 658 | 1310 |
| 10 | Ridge High School | Bernards Township | Somerset | 438 | 67.4% | 654 | 652 | 1306 |
| 11 | John P. Stevens High School | Edison Township | Middlesex | 702 | 87.0% | 639 | 661 | 1300 |
| 12 | Cresskill High School | Cresskill | Bergen | 115 | 72.2% | 635 | 657 | 1292 |
| 13 | Somerset County Vocational Technical High School | Somerset County Vocational and Technical | Somerset | 108 | 34.3% | 647 | 645 | 1292 |
| 14 | Livingston High School | Livingston | Essex | 545 | 62.2% | 638 | 639 | 1277 |
| 15 | Summit High School | Summit | Union | 300 | 54.8% | 638 | 635 | 1273 |
| 16 | Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest | Northern Valley Regional | Bergen | 263 | 71.1% | 629 | 636 | 1265 |
| 17 | Ridgewood High School | Ridgewood | Bergen | 455 | 58.0% | 633 | 629 | 1262 |
| 18 | Robbinsville High School | Robbinsville | Mercer | 253 | 72.3% | 633 | 628 | 1261 |
| 19 | Chatham High School | School District of the Chathams | Morris | 308 | 63.1% | 633 | 626 | 1259 |
| 20 | Morris County School of Technology | Morris County Vocational | Morris | 320 | 51.6% | 635 | 617 | 1252 |
| 21 | Hopewell Valley Central High School | Hopewell Valley Regional | Mercer | 259 | 69.9% | 632 | 617 | 1249 |
| 22 | South Brunswick High School | South Brunswick | Middlesex | 673 | 79.9% | 619 | 628 | 1247 |
| 23 | New Providence High School | New Providence | Union | 154 | 77.9% | 629 | 617 | 1246 |
| 24 | Westfield Senior High School | Westfield | Union | 457 | 72.5% | 625 | 619 | 1244 |
| 25 | Glen Ridge High School | Glen Ridge | Essex | 119 | 84.9% | 631 | 609 | 1240 |
Source: New Jersey Department of Education, 2024-25 School Performance Reports (PSAT/SAT/ACT average scores, participation and enrollment by grade). "Seniors who took the SAT" is the share of 12th graders who took it while in high school. 341 high schools had at least 100 12th graders and a reported SAT average; their median was 1077.
Mercer County has 5 of the top 25 (including both West Windsor-Plainsboro high schools and Princeton), and Bergen County 6. 11 of the 341 schools averaged 1300 or higher; 196 were above the state's 1052, and 50 were below 900.
Smaller magnet schools with even higher averages
Several county vocational-technical magnet schools have fewer than 100 seniors, so they're not in the table, but they posted the highest averages in the state:
| School | County district | 12th graders | SAT average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edison Academy Magnet School | Middlesex County Vocational and Technical | 41 | 1539 |
| High Technology High School | Monmouth County Vocational | 69 | 1509 |
| Biotechnology High School | Monmouth County Vocational | 80 | 1461 |
| Woodbridge Academy Magnet School | Middlesex County Vocational and Technical | 70 | 1425 |
| Union County Magnet High School | Union County Vocational-Technical | 81 | 1394 |
| Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science | Ocean County Vocational Technical | 65 | 1390 |
Source: New Jersey Department of Education, 2024-25 School Performance Reports.
Reading these numbers
- Participation matters. At Somerset County Vocational Technical High School, 34% of seniors had taken the SAT; at McNair, 100%. Averages from schools where fewer students test aren't directly comparable.
- These are school averages, not superscores or individual best scores.
- Small schools swing more from year to year, which is why the main table requires at least 100 seniors.
What this means for you
- Compare your school against 1052 and its participation rate, not just the top of the list.
- Applying to Rutgers? Admitted students' middle-50% SAT ran from 1320 to 1520 by school for fall 2026, and tests are optional; see Rutgers admissions for New Jersey residents.
- State aid doesn't use test scores: New Jersey's TAG is need-based.