The state education department said the latest statewide data show improvement in several school performance indicators, while chronic absenteeism and discipline remain above pre-pandemic levels.
MORRISTOWN, NJ – New Jersey schools reported improvements in graduation rates, dual enrollment, industry credentials and other college-and-career readiness measures in the latest statewide performance data, according to the New Jersey Department of Education. The department released the figures May 7, 2026, using data from the 2024-2025 school year, the most recent available.
The state’s 2025 graduation rate reached 91.8%, up from 90.9% four years earlier. Graduation rates also increased for students with disabilities, from 79% to 82.4%, and for economically disadvantaged students, from 84.8% to 88.9%, over the same period.
The department also reported growth in programs tied to college credit, language proficiency and career credentials. In 2024-2025, 30% of 11th and 12th graders took dual enrollment courses, up from 22.3% four years earlier. The number of students earning the Seal of Biliteracy rose by 155% over four years, while 12,741 students earned industry-valued credentials, a 244% increase.
New Jersey also ranked No. 1 nationally in AP course offerings, with 93.5% of public high schools offering at least one AP course and 86.2% offering five or more, according to the department. The state ranked sixth nationally for the 10-year increase in the percentage of Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino students taking AP exams while in high school.
The same data show challenges remain. New Jersey’s 14.4% chronic absenteeism rate for 2024-2025 was below the estimated national rate of 22%, but it has not returned to the state’s pre-pandemic level of 10.6% in 2018-2019. Schools also reported 56,564 in-school and out-of-school suspensions and 29,829 incidents involving violence, vandalism, substance abuse, harassment, intimidation or bullying.
The Department of Education said updated School Performance Reports with detailed school-level and district-level data will be posted online in the coming weeks. That release will give Morristown-area families and districts a clearer look at how local schools compare with the statewide trends.