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What advice would you give to incoming students at James J Ferris High School?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
1,364
High
DISTRICT 765 · STATE 929
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·JERSEY CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS·NCES 340783002774
James J Ferris High School
35 COLGATE ST, JERSEY CITY, NJ 07302 · (201) 915-6660 · Hudson County
GRADES 09–12HIGH11-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL1,364 STUDENTS
C
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 32% of New Jersey public high schools
- C-Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- B-Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded New Jersey public high schools
Student : Teacher
13.7:1
100 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 11.5:1 · STATE 12.7:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
72%
984 students
DISTRICT 69% · STATE 41%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 347 | 25% |
| Grade 10 | 326 | 24% |
| Grade 11 | 351 | 26% |
| Grade 12 | 340 | 25% |
Student demographics
62%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 74% · STATE 71% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
NJSLA 2024-25 . % Meeting or Exceeding ExpectationsEnglish Language Arts
28.8%
NJ avg 53.1% . -28.2pp since 2023
Math
6.0%
NJ avg 41.6% . -8.9pp since 2023
What this means: On the NJSLA, New Jersey's statewide test, about 29 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 6 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all New Jersey schools, those numbers are about 53 and 42. Reading and writing scores are down about 28 points since 2023, while math scores are down about 9 points.
NJSLA results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 28.8% | 6.0% |
| 2023-24 | 57.0% | 14.9% |
% Meeting or Exceeding Expectations, all students and all tested grades.
Source: NJSLA. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
20.1%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
26.7%
based on NJ schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-6.5pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 20% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 27% typical for New Jersey schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among New Jersey's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like James J Ferris High School
James J Ferris High School's state test result (20.1% proficient) is higher than 2 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| James J Ferris High School this school | 1,364 | 72.1% | 20.1% |
| Pennsauken High School PENNSAUKEN | 1,588 | 74.2% | 17.2% |
| Dwight Morrow High School/Academies@Englewood ENGLEWOOD | 1,083 | 66.9% | 32.5% |
| William L Dickinson High School JERSEY CITY | 1,786 | 76.6% | 14.6% |
| Carteret High School CARTERET | 1,188 | 72.6% | 20.5% |
| North Plainfield High School North Plainfield | 1,141 | 75.7% | 24.2% |
Matched among New Jersey high schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where James J Ferris High School ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In New Jersey | In Hudson County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 20.1% | #318 of 397 | #16 of 21 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 6.0% | #358 of 400 ▼ 56 | #18 of 21 ▼ 3 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 28.8% | #312 of 395 ▼ 89 | #16 of 21 ▼ 3 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 1,364 | #95 of 442 | #7 of 22 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 13.7:1 | #296 of 388 | #13 of 19 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 62.5% | #119 of 389 | #10 of 20 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 72.1% | #57 of 405 | #9 of 22 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +2.8% | #144 of 173 | #11 of 12 |
Ranked against other public high schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
1,364
+154 (+13%) vs 2020
+5% since 1990-91, when it was 1,299
Student : Teacher
13.7:1
was 11.4:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 1,364 | 99.5 | 13.7:1 | 72% (984) |
| 2023-24 | 1,345 | 94.1 | 14.3:1 | 62% (833) |
| 2022-23 | 1,348 | 91.5 | 14.7:1 | 59% (798) |
| 2020-21 | 1,210 | 106 | 11.4:1 | 67% (807) |
| 2017-18 | 1,327 | 105.5 | 12.6:1 | 70% (934) |
| 2015-16 | 1,196 | 122 | 9.8:1 | 70% (832) |
| 2010-11 | 1,622 | 101 | 16.1:1 | 59% (961) |
| 2000-01 | 1,476 | 111 | 13.3:1 | 45% (657) |
| 1990-91 | 1,299 | 110 | 11.8:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for James J Ferris High School.
Since 2017-18: students up 3% (1,327 to 1,364); teachers down 6% (105.5 to 99.5).
About James J Ferris High School
James J Ferris High School is a mid-sized high school in JERSEY CITY, New Jersey, one of the schools in Jersey City Public Schools. The school offers grades 9 through 12 and enrolls 1,364 students. Across high schools in New Jersey, the average enrollment is about 929.
James J Ferris High School is part of a district of 39 schools: Jersey City Public Schools, with 24,151 students.
Of every 100 students at James J Ferris High School, about 55 are Hispanic. After that, the student body is 21% Black, 11% Asian, and 11% White. Among all residents of Hudson County, the Hispanic share is about 41%. Measured by the diversity index, the student body scores 62%.
James J Ferris High School lists 99.5 full-time-equivalent teachers; that is about 13.7 students per teacher. The gap from the 12.7:1 average for high schools in New Jersey is 1.0 students per teacher. About 72% of students at James J Ferris High School are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.
Among New Jersey public high schools, James J Ferris High School outscored 32%, which works out to a C on the allk12 Grade.
James J Ferris High School's average proficiency rate across its state test results of 20.1% is 6.5 points below the 26.7% the model predicts from its lunch-eligibility share.
The school is in Hudson County, where median household income comes to about $91,795, roughly 49% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 11%. Hudson County counts 130 public schools with about 86,216 students.
James J Ferris High School's closest public school neighbor is Dr. Michael Conti School, about 0.2 miles away. The five-mile area around James J Ferris High School holds at least 8 other public schools. Ranking the closest schools with test data puts James J Ferris High School at 8th of 9.
The school's federal locale classification is City: Large.
By 2024-25, enrollment had risen to 1,364, from 1,210 in 2020-21. The ratio was 11.4:1 in 2020-21 and 13.7:1 in 2024-25.
This page collects posts and questions about James J Ferris High School, such as open houses, carpools, and field trips. Current and former families are welcome to add their experience.
Hudson County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
718,323
Census ACS
Median income
$91,795
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
49%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
11%
Below federal line
Schools in county
130
86,216 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Jersey City Public Schools
- William L Dickinson High SchoolHigh · 1,786 students
- Cornelia F. Bradford SchoolElementary · 1,082 students
- Joseph H. Brensinger SchoolElementary · 926 students
- Christa McAuliffe SchoolElementary · 906 students
- Franklin L. Williams SchoolMiddle · 906 students
- Mahatma K. Gandhi SchoolElementary · 821 students
Other schools in JERSEY CITY
- William L Dickinson High SchoolHigh · 1,786 students
- BelovED Community Charter SchoolCombined · 1,573 students
- Empowerment Academy Charter SchoolCombined · 1,272 students
- Cornelia F. Bradford SchoolElementary · 1,082 students
- Joseph H. Brensinger SchoolElementary · 926 students
- Christa McAuliffe SchoolElementary · 906 students
Nearby schools
- Dr. Michael Conti School0.2 mi · 651
- Academy of Technology Design0.3 mi · 235
- County Prep High School0.3 mi · 892
- Middle School # 40.3 mi · 755
- BelovED Community Charter School0.4 mi · 1,573
- Frank R Conwell School0.4 mi · 605
Frequently asked questions
About James J Ferris High SchoolWhat is the total enrollment at James J Ferris High School?
James J Ferris High School enrolls approximately 1,364 students in grades 09-12.
What grades does James J Ferris High School serve?
James J Ferris High School serves grades 09-12.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James J Ferris High School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at James J Ferris High School is approximately 13.7:1 (100 FTE teachers).
What is the student diversity at James J Ferris High School?
Student demographics at James J Ferris High School are roughly 11% White, 55% Hispanic, 21% Black, 11% Asian, 1% Two or more.
What district is James J Ferris High School in?
James J Ferris High School is part of Jersey City Public Schools.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.