Total enrollment
82,808
-2,176 (-3%) vs SY 2017-18
Passaic County
New Jersey · Public K-12
Passaic County operates 155 public K-12 schools across New Jersey, with a combined student body of roughly 83,237 and a county population near 521,012. By level, that breaks down as 100 elementary, 22 middle, and 24 high schools.
7-year change in Passaic County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
148
-8 (-5%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
23%
was 28%
% Hispanic
61%
was 56%
% Black
9%
was 11%
% Asian
5%
was 5%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Residents
521,012
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Schools
155
31 districts
Enrollment
83,237
students · NCES CCD
Median income
$87,522
Below New Jersey avg
Free/reduced lunch
61.0%
Above New Jersey avg
Elementary
100
40,381 students
Middle
22
11,391 students
High
24
24,564 students
Combined / other
9
6,901 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
Paterson Public School District
21,372 students · 31 districts in Passaic County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Passaic County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".
County residents
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
30.9%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
10.8%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
8.0%
civilian labor
Median age
38
23.6% under 18
Test scores in Passaic County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 131 schools ranked. New Jersey state average: 53.1%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passaic County Technical Institute | Wayne | High | 09-12 | 3,565 | · |
| Clifton High School | Clifton | High | 09-12 | 3,150 | · |
| Passaic High School No. 12 | Passaic | High | 09-12 | 2,484 | · |
| Passaic Arts and Science Charter School | Passaic | Combined | KG-12 | 2,175 | · |
| Eastside High School | Paterson | High | 09-12 | 2,073 | · |
| John F. Kennedy High School | Paterson | High | 09-12 | 1,846 | · |
| Paterson Charter School for Science and Technology | Paterson | Combined | KG-12 | 1,708 | · |
| College Achieve Paterson Charter School | Paterson | Combined | KG-12 | 1,688 | · |
| Paterson Arts and Science Charter School | Paterson | Combined | KG-12 | 1,330 | · |
| Woodrow Wilson Middle School | Clifton | Middle | 06-08 | 1,255 | · |
| Wayne Valley High School | Wayne | High | 09-12 | 1,201 | · |
| Wayne Hills High School | Wayne | High | 09-12 | 1,162 | · |
| Passaic Valley Regional High School | Little Falls | High | 09-12 | 1,093 | · |
| Christopher Columbus Middle School | Clifton | Middle | 06-08 | 1,092 | · |
| Passaic County Technical Institute STEM Academy | Wayne | High | 09-12 | 1,040 | · |
| Haledon Public School | Haledon | Elementary | PK-08 | 996 | · |
| Joseph A. Taub School | Paterson | Middle | 06-08 | 976 | · |
| West Milford High School | West Milford | High | 09-12 | 947 | · |
| Mahatma Gandhi School Number 25 | Passaic | Elementary | KG-03 | 903 | · |
| Community Charter School of Paterson | Paterson | Elementary | KG-08 | 896 | · |
| Lakeland Regional High School | Wanaque | High | 09-12 | 823 | · |
| School 16 | Paterson | Elementary | PK-08 | 813 | · |
| William B. Cruise Memorial School No. 11 | Passaic | Elementary | KG-08 | 805 | · |
| Passaic County-Manchester Regional High School | Haledon | High | 09-12 | 803 | · |
| John P. Holland Charter School | Woodland | Elementary | PK-08 | 787 | · |
| Mario Drago School No. 3 | Passaic | Elementary | PK-08 | 776 | · |
| Martin Luther King Jr. School No. 6 | Passaic | Elementary | PK-08 | 754 | · |
| School 5 | Paterson | Elementary | KG-05 | 753 | · |
| Passaic Gifted and Talented Academy School No. 20 | Passaic | Middle | 02-08 | 742 | · |
| Passaic Preparatory Academy | Passaic | High | 06-12 | 710 | · |
| Philip's Academy Charter School of Paterson | Paterson | Elementary | KG-08 | 683 | · |
| Charles J. Riley/ School 9 | Paterson | Elementary | PK-08 | 682 | · |
| Macopin Middle School | West Milford | Middle | 06-08 | 675 | · |
| School 24 | Paterson | Elementary | PK-08 | 668 | · |
| School 21 | Paterson | Elementary | PK-08 | 665 | · |
| International High School | Paterson | High | 09-12 | 650 | · |
| Passaic Academy for Science and Engineering | Passaic | High | 06-12 | 650 | · |
| Schuyler Colfax Middle School | Wayne | Middle | 06-08 | 650 | · |
| School 27 | Paterson | Elementary | PK-05 | 641 | · |
| Prospect Park School No. 1 | Prospect Park | Elementary | PK-06 | 620 | · |
| Anthony Wayne Middle School | Wayne | Middle | 06-08 | 617 | · |
| Ellen Ochoa School Number 22 | Passaic | Middle | 04-06 | 613 | · |
| Pompton Lakes High School | Pompton Lakes | High | 09-12 | 610 | · |
| Senator Frank Lautenberg School | Paterson | Elementary | KG-08 | 605 | · |
| School 18 | Paterson | Elementary | 01-08 | 601 | · |
| Daniel F. Ryan Elementary School No. 19 | Passaic | Elementary | 01-08 | 590 | · |
| School 15 | Paterson | Elementary | PK-05 | 577 | · |
| Dr. Hani Awadallah School | Paterson | Elementary | PK-08 | 575 | · |
| Hawthorne High School | Hawthorne | High | 09-12 | 569 | · |
| School #12 | Clifton | Elementary | PK-05 | 560 | · |
| School 25 | Paterson | Elementary | PK-08 | 526 | · |
| Lincoln Middle School | Hawthorne | Middle | 06-08 | 522 | · |
| Roosevelt Elementary School | Hawthorne | Elementary | KG-05 | 521 | · |
| Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex | Paterson | Elementary | PK-08 | 513 | · |
| Wanaque Elementary School | Wanaque | Elementary | PK-08 | 506 | · |
| School #17 | Clifton | Elementary | PK-05 | 501 | · |
| School 13 | Paterson | Elementary | KG-08 | 499 | · |
| Sonia Sotomayor School #21 | Passaic | Elementary | KG-08 | 499 | · |
| George Washington Middle School | Wayne | Middle | 06-08 | 493 | · |
| Rev. Dr. Frank Napier Jr. School | Paterson | Elementary | 01-08 | 491 | · |
| Washington Park School | Totowa | Middle | 04-08 | 485 | · |
| School 10 | Paterson | Elementary | KG-08 | 474 | · |
| School 12 | Paterson | Elementary | KG-08 | 474 | · |
| New Roberto Clemente | Paterson | Middle | 06-08 | 473 | · |
| School 2 | Paterson | Elementary | KG-08 | 473 | · |
| School 28 | Paterson | Elementary | PK-08 | 463 | · |
| Theunis Dey Elementary School | Wayne | Elementary | KG-05 | 459 | · |
| School #13 | Clifton | Elementary | KG-05 | 443 | · |
| Muhammad Ali School Number 23 | Passaic | Middle | 07-08 | 442 | · |
| Alexander Hamilton Academy | Paterson | Elementary | KG-08 | 439 | · |
| Thomas Jefferson School No. 1 | Passaic | Elementary | KG-08 | 423 | · |
| School 26 | Paterson | Elementary | PK-08 | 419 | · |
| Memorial School | Totowa | Elementary | PK-03 | 413 | · |
| School 8 | Paterson | Elementary | KG-08 | 411 | · |
| Packanack Elementary School | Wayne | Elementary | KG-05 | 408 | · |
| Charles Olbon School | Woodland Park | Elementary | PK-02 | 404 | · |
| School #2 | Clifton | Elementary | KG-05 | 401 | · |
| School #5 | Clifton | Elementary | KG-05 | 398 | · |
| Little Falls Township Public School # 1 | Little Falls | Middle | 05-08 | 392 | · |
| John F. Kennedy Elementary School | Wayne | Elementary | KG-05 | 387 | · |
| Haskell Elementary School | Haskell | Elementary | PK-08 | 382 | · |
| Paterson STEAM High School | Paterson | High | 09-12 | 379 | · |
| School #11 | Clifton | Elementary | PK-05 | 376 | · |
| Memorial Middle School | Woodland Park | Middle | 06-08 | 374 | · |
| James Fallon Elementary School | Wayne | Elementary | KG-05 | 370 | · |
| Lakeside School | Pompton Lakes | Middle | 06-08 | 370 | · |
| Theodore Roosevelt School No. 10 | Passaic | Elementary | KG-06 | 369 | · |
| Brilla New Jersey Charter School | Paterson | Elementary | KG-06 | 362 | · |
| Beatrice Gilmore School | Woodland Park | Elementary | 03-05 | 359 | · |
| Pines Lake Elementary School | Wayne | Elementary | KG-05 | 356 | · |
| Lenox School | Pompton Lakes | Elementary | KG-05 | 355 | · |
| School #14 | Clifton | Elementary | PK-05 | 355 | · |
| Etta Gero School No. 9 | Passaic | Elementary | KG-06 | 352 | · |
| Randall Carter Elementary School | Wayne | Elementary | KG-05 | 351 | · |
| Memorial Elementary School | North Haledon | Elementary | PK-04 | 349 | · |
| Albert Payson Terhune Elementary | Wayne | Elementary | KG-05 | 347 | · |
| Martin J. Ryerson School | Ringwood | Middle | 06-08 | 345 | · |
| Lincoln School | Pompton Lakes | Elementary | PK-05 | 344 | · |
| Little Falls Township Public School # 2 | Little Falls | Elementary | PK-02 | 343 | · |
| School 20 | Paterson | Elementary | KG-08 | 343 | · |
Cities in Passaic County
Paterson44 schoolsPassaic21 schoolsClifton18 schoolsWayne15 schoolsPaterson6 schoolsWest Milford6 schoolsHawthorne5 schoolsLittle Falls4 schoolsPompton Lakes4 schoolsRingwood4 schoolsWoodland Park4 schoolsBloomingdale3 schoolsTotowa3 schoolsClifton2 schoolsHaledon2 schoolsNorth Haledon2 schoolsWanaque2 schoolsWayne2 schoolsHaskell1 schoolHaskell1 schoolHewitt1 schoolOak Ridge1 schoolPassaic1 schoolProspect Park1 schoolProspect Park1 schoolWoodland1 school
About Passaic County
Passaic County is a wide-reaching New Jersey county of about 521,012 residents, home to 155 public schools and roughly 83,237 students.
Zooming out, census numbers show median household income runs near $87,522, roughly 31% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate is around 11%. That income level is 15% meaningfully below the New Jersey median.
On the school-mix side, Passaic County is built around 100 elementary schools (40,381 students), 22 middle schools (11,391), 24 high schools (24,564), and 9 combined or other schools.
Paterson Public School District dominates the local landscape, accounting for roughly 21,372 students on its own.
Five-year track record. Across the same 7-year window, public-school enrollment declined 3%: 84,984 students in SY 2017-18 versus 82,808 in SY 2024-25. The school count fell from 156 to 148 across the same 7-year window. Demographically, the Hispanic share of enrollment increased from 56% to 61%.
Within the allk12 community for this area, the community for Passaic County discusses open enrollment windows, redistricting talk, and busing logistics. Members of the local community share what they see day-to-day.
Frequently asked questions
Passaic County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data