Total enrollment
21,372
-3,687 (-15%) vs SY 2017-18
44 schools in Paterson Public School District
New Jersey · 21,372 students · 2 cities
Of all public K-12 schools in New Jersey, 44 sit under Paterson Public School District, with combined enrollment of roughly 21,372 students (31 elementary, 3 middle, and 9 high).
7-year change in Paterson Public School District
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
43
-8 (-16%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
5%
was 5%
% Hispanic
72%
was 67%
% Black
16%
was 22%
% Asian
6%
was 6%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
About Paterson Public School District
Across 44 schools, Paterson Public School District serves about 21,372 students in New Jersey. By footprint it is an average-sized district.
On the school-mix side, Paterson Public School District consists of 31 elementary, 3 middle, 9 high schools, and 1 combined or other.
Per-school enrollment averages around 486 in this district, below the New Jersey typical of 540.
Five-year track record. Across the same 7-year window, public-school enrollment fell 15%: 25,059 students in SY 2017-18 versus 21,372 in SY 2024-25. Over that span, Paterson Public School District shed 8 schools, going from 51 to 43. Demographically, the Black share of enrollment declined from 22% to 16%.
On allk12, the community for Paterson Public School District discusses enrollment trends, district policy changes, and bus-route updates. Members of the local community share what they see day-to-day.