Dayton’s public schools beat 81% of New Jersey districts
The public schools Dayton’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 81% of New Jersey’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
The short version on Dayton’s schools
Strong results on a lean budget
Dayton spends 13% less per student than the state average. Even so, its schools beat 81% of New Jersey districts. Test scores ↓
Math is the standout
Reading proficiency is 60%, 13 points above the state. Math is 44%, 19 points above the state. Test scores ↓
Which school depends on your street
With seven elementary and two middle schools, the school a child attends depends on your address. Elementary grades range from B+ to A+, so it’s worth checking the specific school, not just the town. After that, everyone goes to South Brunswick High School. See the path ↓
This summary is written from the data on this page. Test scores are from 2020–21, a pandemic year, so treat small gaps with caution.
How Dayton compares
How the School Grade works
- Results, not inputs. Math and reading proficiency on New Jersey’s state tests against the state average, plus the four-year graduation rate. Spending and class size are shown but don’t count. Tests: 2020–21; graduation: class of 2020.
- The whole path. A town’s grade follows its kids through every district that serves it, weighted by students tested. Tests count 60%, graduation 40%.
- Graded within the state. Each state writes its own tests, so districts are compared with the rest of New Jersey only. A+ is the top 5%, A the next 10%, A− the next 10%, the B range the next 30%, the C range the next 30%, D the rest.
- What a grade can’t tell you. Test results track family income, so we also compare towns with similar incomes. Visit, ask other parents, and read neighbor reviews. It’s our own summary of U.S. Department of Education data, not an official rating.
Where will my kid go?
Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Dayton.
The district
Each district’s own page has its spending, test scores, enrollment and every school.
Well above the state in reading
Every school in Dayton
0 schools. Grades are based on state tests and graduation. Any other ratings are made by neighbors.
Parents talk
What Dayton families are saying about school.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Colleges near Dayton
There’s no college in Dayton, but 40 are within 30 miles. The closest is Chamberlain University-New Jersey in North Brunswick, 7.1 miles away.
Straight-line distance from the center of Dayton. Degree-granting colleges with students on campus · College Scorecard · IPEDS. 30 more within 30 miles.
School data: U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts, F-33 school finance). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within New Jersey. Stars are from neighbors.