Editing New Jersey (section)

===Educational standards===
New Jersey is known for the high quality of its education. In 2024, New Jersey spent the second-most per public school student among all states, behind [[New York (state)|New York]], amounting to $26,600 spent per pupil;<ref name=NJHighEducationExpenditurePerPupil>{{cite web|url=https://educationdata.org/public-education-spending-statistics|title=Public K-12 Spending Per Student|author=Melanie Hanson|publisher=Education Data Initiative|date=July 14, 2024|access-date=August 7, 2024}}</ref> Over 50% of the expenditure is allocated to student instruction.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.governing.com/gov-data/education-data/state-education-spending-per-pupil-data.html|title=Education Spending Per Student by State|publisher=GOVERNING—e.Republic|access-date=March 4, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702004654/http://www.governing.com/gov-data/education-data/state-education-spending-per-pupil-data.html|archive-date=July 2, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

New Jersey is home to several prestigious private universities, including [[Princeton University]] in [[Princeton, New Jersey|Princeton]] in [[Mercer County, New Jersey|Mercer County]], one of the world's most prominent [[research university|research universities]], which was ranked first for the ninth consecutive year among all national universities by ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]'' in 2024 and ranked first in comparable lists published the same year by ''[[Forbes]]'' and  ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'',<ref name=PrincetonTopUniversityUSNews>{{cite web|url=https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities|title=Best National University Rankings|work=U.S. News & World Report|access-date=August 7, 2024}}</ref><ref name=ForbesPrincetonTopUniversity>{{cite web|url=https://poetsandquants.com/2024/09/07/ranking-the-forbes-2024-2025-top-colleges-in-america/#:~:text=Princeton%2520University%2520was%2520ranked%2520the,%E2%80%9CAmerica's%2520Top%2520Colleges%E2%80%9D%2520ranking.|title=Ranking: The Forbes 2024-2025 Top Colleges in America|author=KRISTY BLEIZEFFER|publisher=Poets&Quants|date=September 7, 2024|access-date=September 20, 2024|quote=For the second straight year, [[Princeton University]] tops the list in Forbes’ “America’s Top Colleges” ranking.}}</ref><ref name=WSJPrincetonTopUniversity>{{cite web|url=https://poetsandquantsforundergrads.com/news/wall-street-journals-2025-best-colleges-in-america/|title=Wall Street Journal's 2025 Best Colleges In America|author=KRISTY BLEIZEFFER|publisher=Poets&Quants|date=September 5, 2024|access-date=September 20, 2024|quote=Another U.S. college ranking, another first for [[Princeton University]].  Princeton topped Wall Street Journal/College Pulse’s 2025 Best Colleges in the U.S ranking, released today (September 5). It’s the second straight year Princeton has been WSJ’s top school — and it continues an impressive winning streak for the private Ivy in New Jersey.}}</ref> and public universities such as [[Rutgers University]], headquartered in [[New Brunswick, New Jersey|New Brunswick]], [[Middlesex County, New Jersey|Middlesex County]], the state's flagship institution of higher education.<ref name="RutgersRef">{{cite web|url=http://www.northjersey.com/news/education/A_new_Rutgers_debuts_after_official_merger.html |title=Rutgers a 'world-class university', school president says at merger ceremony |author=Patricia Alex |date=July 2, 2013 |access-date=July 2, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130901190055/http://www.northjersey.com/news/education/A_new_Rutgers_debuts_after_official_merger.html |archive-date=September 1, 2013 }}</ref>

In 2014, New Jersey's school systems were ranked at the top of all fifty U.S. states by financial website [[WalletHub]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nj.com/education/2014/08/new_jersey_has_the_best_school_systems_in_us_report_says.html|title=New Jersey has the best school systems in U.S., report says|author=Alex Napoliello|publisher=New Jersey On-Line LLC|date=August 4, 2014|access-date=August 5, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140805010719/http://www.nj.com/education/2014/08/new_jersey_has_the_best_school_systems_in_us_report_says.html|archive-date=August 5, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2018, New Jersey's overall educational system was ranked second among all states to [[Massachusetts]] by ''U.S. News & World Report''.<ref name="U.S. News & World Report2"/> In 2019, 2020, and 2021, ''Education Week'' also ranked New Jersey public schools the best of all U.S. states.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/map-a-f-grades-rankings-for-states-on-school-quality/2021/09|title=Map: A-F Grades, Rankings for States on School Quality|newspaper=Education Week|date=September 1, 2021|access-date=August 7, 2024}}</ref><ref name="KellyHeyboer20202"/>

In 2016, nine New Jersey-based [[Secondary education in the United States|high schools]] were ranked among the top 25 in the nation, more than any other state, in "America's Top High Schools 2016", published by ''[[Newsweek]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newsweek.com/high-schools/americas-top-high-schools-2016|title=America's Top High Schools 2016|work=[[Newsweek]]|year=2016|access-date=August 12, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161223235147/http://www.newsweek.com/high-schools/americas-top-high-schools-2016|archive-date=December 23, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

In November 2023, New Jersey Governor [[Phil Murphy]] signed into law legislation eliminating testing for prospective teachers in reading, writing, and math, replacing it with an alternative certification process.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://13wham.com/news/nation-world/new-jersey-drops-basic-skills-requirement-for-new-teachers-caved-to-teacher-union-demands-education-association-reading-writing-math-proficiency-phil-murphy-crisis-in-the-classroom | title=New Jersey drops basic skills requirement for new teachers: 'Caved to ... union demands' | author=Watrobski, Kristina | publisher=[[WHAM-TV]] | accessdate=December 3, 2023 | date=November 29, 2023 | quote=Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law Monday the elimination of the state's basic skills test requirement. Passing the exam was previously required for teachers to become certified if they did not score in the top one-third percentile of the SAT, ACT or GRE. Under the new law, teachers can now skip the exam and instead receive an alternate teaching certificate. | archive-date=December 3, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231203000626/https://13wham.com/news/nation-world/new-jersey-drops-basic-skills-requirement-for-new-teachers-caved-to-teacher-union-demands-education-association-reading-writing-math-proficiency-phil-murphy-crisis-in-the-classroom | url-status=live }}</ref>