Education (K-12) · 2024–25 school year
Essex County Public Schools
Public K-12 education statistics for Essex County, New Jersey — 144,268 students in 246 schools in 2024–25, 54.3% eligible for free/reduced-price lunch.
| Statistic | Value | School year |
|---|---|---|
| Student enrollment | 144,268 | 2024–25 |
| Public schools | 246 | 2024–25 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 10,548 | 2024–25 |
| Pupil-teacher ratio | 13.7 | 2024–25 |
| Free/reduced-price lunch students | 54.3% | 2024–25 |
| School poverty rate (MEPS) | 16.6% | 2022–23 |
| Charter school enrollment | 15.6% | 2024–25 |
| High school graduation rate | 86.6% | 2020–21 |
| Math proficiency (of tested) | 31.3% | 2021–22 |
| Reading proficiency (of tested) | 43.7% | 2021–22 |
| Chronically absent students | 20.5% | 2021–22 |
| White students | 19.5% | 2024–25 |
| Black students | 36.0% | 2024–25 |
| Hispanic students | 35.5% | 2024–25 |
| Asian students | 5.7% | 2024–25 |
Not every statistic is collected every year — each row shows its most recent available school year (amber when older than 2024–25). Blank/absent means not collected or below reliability floors, never zero. Some universal-meals states no longer report free/reduced-price lunch — school poverty (MEPS) is the better lens there. A 0% charter share in a state without a charter-school law is a true zero.
Essex County schools — FAQ
How many students attend public school in Essex County?+
144,268 students were enrolled across Essex County's 246 public K-12 schools in the 2024–25 school year (NCES Common Core of Data).
What share of Essex County students get free or reduced-price lunch?+
54.3% of Essex County public school students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024–25 — a common proxy for student economic need.
What is the high school graduation rate in Essex County?+
86.6% of Essex County's adjusted cohort graduated in the 2020–21 school year, the most recent federal ACGR vintage on this site (county-level reporting covers 2010–2020).
Where does this data come from?+
Figures come from the National Center for Education Statistics — the Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Civil Rights Data Collection. Full source and license details are on the methodology page. pumsdata is independent and not affiliated with NCES.
Data: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (CCD, EDFacts, CRDC) and ED Data Express. Full source and license details on the methodology page.