Total enrollment
19,579
+532 (+3%) vs SY 2020-21
Sussex County
New Jersey · Public K-12
Sussex County, New Jersey operates 46 public K-12 schools today, enrolling approximately 19,579 students (about 426 per school). That works out to 27 elementary, 9 middle, and 9 high schools.
4-year change in Sussex County
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
46
+1 (+2%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How Sussex County ranks
Among counties| Measure | This county | In New Jersey | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 43.3% | #7 of 21 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 19,579 | #17 of 21 | #494 of 2,745 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 46 | #18 of 21 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 10.6:1 | #7 of 21 | #218 of 2,655 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch share ranked highest first | 22.9% | #19 of 21 | #2,482 of 2,526 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 44.5% | #21 of 21 | #1,313 of 2,707 |
Counties need at least 3 schools and 1,000 students to be ranked. Test proficiency is ranked within the state only, since each state gives a different test. Each rank links to the full list.
Sussex County school rankings
Residents
145,807
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Schools
46
27 districts
Enrollment
19,579
students · NCES CCD
Median income
$116,186
Above New Jersey avg
Free/reduced lunch
22.9%
Below New Jersey avg
Elementary
27
9,568 students
Middle
9
3,406 students
High
9
6,561 students
Combined / other
1
44 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
Sparta Township Public School District
3,281 students · 27 districts in Sussex County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Sussex 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+
40.3%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
3.6%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
5.1%
civilian labor
Median age
44
19.5% under 18
Test scores in Sussex County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 40 schools ranked. New Jersey state average: 53.1%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- Long Pond School· 76.9%
- Marian E. McKeown Elementary School· 71.1%
- Stillwater Township School· 70.2%
- Byram Intermediate School· 65.4%
- Green Hills School· 65.3%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- Hopatcong High School· 22.6%
- Wantage Elementary School· 30.0%
- Merriam Avenue School· 31.9%
- Hopatcong Middle School· 39.8%
- Lounsberry Hollow School· 42.3%
Cities in Sussex County
Newton8 schoolsSparta6 schoolsVernon6 schoolsHopatcong4 schoolsStanhope4 schoolsFranklin2 schoolsHamburg2 schoolsSparta2 schoolsSussex2 schoolsWantage2 schoolsBranchville1 schoolGreendell1 schoolHardyston Township1 schoolLafayette1 schoolLayton1 schoolMontague1 schoolOgdensburg1 schoolStillwater1 school
About Sussex County
Sussex County is a mid-sized New Jersey county of about 145,807 residents, home to 46 public schools and roughly 19,579 students.
Looking at the wider area, census numbers show median household income runs near $116,186, roughly 40% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the federal-poverty share is near 4%. That income level is 12% noticeably above the New Jersey median.
In terms of grade levels, Sussex County covers 27 elementary schools (9,568 students), 9 middle schools (3,406), 9 high schools (6,561), and 1 combined or other schools.
The largest single district in Sussex County is Sparta Township Public School District, which alone enrolls about 3,281 students.
Five-year track record. Total public-school enrollment in Sussex County has climbed 3% since SY 2020-21, moving from about 19,047 students to 19,579. The school count climbed from 45 to 46 across the same 4-year window.
On this page, the community for Sussex County discusses comparison threads between local schools and program reviews. Parents, students, and educators in the area can post or comment.
Frequently asked questions
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data