Upper Montclair’s public schools beat 68% of New Jersey districts
The public schools Upper Montclair’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 68% of New Jersey’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.
The short version on Upper Montclair’s schools
Strong statewide, typical for its income level
Statewide, Upper Montclair’s schools beat 68% of districts. Compared with the 91 towns that have similar household incomes, that drops to 8%. Some of the strong showing reflects who lives here, so families moving from a similar town shouldn’t expect a big step up. How it compares ↓
Which school depends on your street
With six elementary and three 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 Montclair High School. Montclair sends its kids to all the same schools. See the path ↓
The strongest schools in the area
Upper Montclair outscores all three towns that border it. The lowest nearby is Clifton (C). Compare ↓
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 Upper Montclair 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 Upper Montclair.
The district
Each district’s own page has its spending, test scores, enrollment and every school.
Well above the state in reading
Upper Montclair vs. its neighbors
Upper Montclair’s schools rank 1st of 4 among the towns that share its borders. School Grade, by percentile among New Jersey districts.
Every school in Upper Montclair
0 schools. Grades are based on state tests and graduation. Any other ratings are made by neighbors.
Parents talk
What Upper Montclair families are saying about school.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Colleges near Upper Montclair
There’s no college in Upper Montclair, but 40 are within 30 miles. The closest is Montclair State University in Montclair, 1.2 miles away.
Straight-line distance from the center of Upper Montclair. 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.