Is University Academy Charter High School a good school?

University Academy Charter High School ranks in the bottom 21.6% of New Jersey high schools.

How many students attend University Academy Charter High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 433 students attended University Academy Charter High School.

What is the racial makeup of University Academy Charter High School?

Students at University Academy Charter High School are 60% African American, 29% Hispanic, 7% Asian, 4% White.

University Academy Charter High School

Summary:

University Academy Charter High School is a public charter high school serving grades 9-12 in Jersey City, New Jersey, with a student population of 432. The school is part of the University Academy Charter High School District, which is ranked 543 out of 613 districts in New Jersey and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

University Academy Charter High School consistently ranks in the bottom quarter of New Jersey high schools, with academic performance significantly below the state average across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in 2023-2024, only 44.3% of 9th graders were proficient in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 58.1%, and only 14.4% were proficient in Algebra I, compared to the state average of 22.9%. The school's performance on science assessments is particularly low, with only 4.9% of 11th graders proficient in 2023-2024, compared to the state average of 28.1%. While the school has a slightly lower student-teacher ratio of around 13:1, its 4-year graduation rate of 91-95% is slightly below the state average, and its dropout rate of 1.2-1.4% is slightly higher.

Compared to nearby schools, such as Dr. Ronald McNair High School, Liberty High School, and County Prep High School, University Academy Charter High School generally underperforms in academic metrics, graduation rates, and test scores. However, the school's high percentage of students from low-income backgrounds, which is 62.96% in 2022-2023, and the achievement gaps among different subgroups suggest the need for targeted interventions and support to improve student outcomes.

Detail:

Public, Charter 9-12

275 West Side Avenue
Jersey City, NJ 07305

(201) 200-3200

District: University Academy Charter High School

SchoolDigger Rank:
334^th of 426 New Jersey High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,934

Student/teacher ratio: 12.0

Number of students: 433

Racial breakdown:

African American:

60.3%

Hispanic:

29.1%

Asian:

6.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 82.7%

See top rated New Jersey high schools

Compare University Academy Charter High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details University Academy Charter High School ranks worse than 78.4% of high schools in New Jersey. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 20.86. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at University Academy Charter High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (60.3%), Hispanic (29.1%), Asian (6.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 82.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at University Academy Charter High School is 12. (See more...)

Compare University Academy Charter High School employs 36 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at University Academy Charter High School is $12,934.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

University Academy Charter High School:

SchoolDigger ranks University Academy Charter High School 334^th of 426 New Jersey public high schools. (See University Academy Charter High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

University Academy Charter High School:

SchoolDigger ranks University Academy Charter High School 543^rd of 613 New Jersey school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for University Academy Charter High School

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Rank History for all students at University Academy Charter High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NJ State Percentile
2005	12.61	314^th	351	10.5%
2006	7.13	329^th	357	7.8%
2007	11.64	320^th	361	11.4%
2008	2.80	341^st	359	5.0%
2009	3.71	350^th	370	5.4%
2010	15.16	327^th	371	11.9%
2011	19.50	325^th	378	14.0%
2012	23.39	331^st	388	14.7%
2013	23.92	329^th	396	16.9%
2014	10.15	372^nd	411	9.5%
2015	24.85	325^th	406	20.0%
2016	27.86	302^nd	409	26.2%
2017	18.82	353^rd	411	14.1%
2018	17.00	361^st	415	13.0%
2019	13.34	365^th	416	12.3%
2021	19.47	326^th	405	19.5%
2022	14.12	375^th	415	9.6%
2023	16.72	353^rd	422	16.4%
2024	20.86	334^th	426	21.6%

See the entire list of New Jersey High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at University Academy Charter High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	21.93	323^rd	355	9.0%
2019	20.51	302^nd	349	13.5%
2021	21.20	285^th	333	14.4%
2022	24.74	286^th	344	16.9%
2023	16.70	329^th	339	2.9%
2024	31.95	224^th	349	35.8%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at University Academy Charter High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	25.69	288^th	345	16.5%
2019	21.59	290^th	347	16.4%
2021	34.69	224^th	326	31.3%
2022	22.70	267^th	324	17.6%
2023	26.10	269^th	344	21.8%
2024	30.10	245^th	350	30.0%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at University Academy Charter High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	14.56	368^th	403	8.7%
2019	8.03	380^th	408	6.9%
2021	16.98	345^th	402	14.2%
2022	10.65	384^th	414	7.2%
2023	15.44	349^th	416	16.1%
2024	14.69	361^st	416	13.2%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at University Academy Charter High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	16.01	363^rd	405	10.4%
2019	13.52	349^th	407	14.3%
2021	23.74	305^th	402	24.1%
2022	13.77	360^th	410	12.2%
2023	14.68	346^th	414	16.4%
2024	24.08	300^th	415	27.7%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at University Academy Charter High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	31.12	144^th	198	27.3%
2019	15.50	172^nd	191	9.9%
2024	38.44	109^th	174	37.4%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at University Academy Charter High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	25.14	221^st	266	16.9%
2019	24.62	202^nd	254	20.5%
2021	29.51	188^th	247	23.9%
2022	27.31	197^th	256	23.0%
2023	24.75	197^th	250	21.2%
2024	29.41	186^th	260	28.5%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at University Academy Charter High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	22.00	317^th	368	13.9%
2019	17.57	323^rd	364	11.3%
2021	26.83	302^nd	374	19.3%
2022	14.69	363^rd	382	5.0%
2023	35.05	218^th	385	43.4%
2024	25.26	298^th	394	24.4%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: New Jersey Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: New Jersey Department of Education

Review counts

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Enrollment information for University Academy Charter High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2002	1	91	2	32	n/a	n/a	126
2003	1	91	2	32	n/a	n/a	126
2004	0	188	1	73	n/a	n/a	262
2005	2	248	9	82	n/a	n/a	341
2006	4	302	12	95	n/a	n/a	413
2007	4	299	18	74	n/a	n/a	395
2008	12	297	20	86	n/a	n/a	415
2009	14	279	24	102	0	0	419
2010	8	277	26	113	0	0	424
2011	8	268	28	125	0	1	430
2012	10	253	34	123	0	0	420
2013	9	257	39	114	0	0	419
2014	9	237	39	138	0	0	423
2015	9	228	48	138	0	0	423
2016	11	234	50	141	0	0	436
2017	14	233	48	133	0	0	428
2018	16	254	38	130	0	0	438
2019	14	258	32	132	0	0	436
2020	15	246	38	132	0	0	431
2021	18	240	39	142	0	0	439
2022	21	249	38	133	0	0	441
2023	17	273	30	112	0	0	432
2024	16	261	30	126	0	0	433

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at University Academy Charter High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	126	10.0	12.6	58.7
2003	126	10.0	12.6	58.7
2004	262	20.2	13.0	55.3
2005	341	26.0	13.1	n/a
2006	413	32.0	12.9	39.7
2007	395	33.0	12.0	31.1
2008	415	34.0	12.2	43.9
2009	419	37.0	11.3	70.4
2010	424	33.0	12.8	57.8
2011	430	31.0	13.8	49.8
2012	420	37.0	11.3	73.3
2013	419	39.0	10.7	74.5
2014	423	40.0	10.5	79.2
2015	423	37.0	11.4	76.4
2016	436	39.0	11.1	79.8
2017	428	36.0	11.8	72.9
2018	438	41.2	10.6	76
2019	436	41.0	10.6	76.4
2020	431	40.0	10.7	68.2
2021	439	40.0	10.9	63.1
2022	441	35.0	12.6	63.7
2023	432	33.0	13.0	63
2024	433	36.0	12.0	82.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio University Academy Charter High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	126	10.0	12.6	58.7
2003	126	10.0	12.6	58.7
2004	262	20.2	13.0	55.3
2005	341	26.0	13.1	n/a
2006	413	32.0	12.9	39.7
2007	395	33.0	12.0	31.1
2008	415	34.0	12.2	43.9
2009	419	37.0	11.3	70.4
2010	424	33.0	12.8	57.8
2011	430	31.0	13.8	49.8
2012	420	37.0	11.3	73.3
2013	419	39.0	10.7	74.5
2014	423	40.0	10.5	79.2
2015	423	37.0	11.4	76.4
2016	436	39.0	11.1	79.8
2017	428	36.0	11.8	72.9
2018	438	41.2	10.6	76
2019	436	41.0	10.6	76.4
2020	431	40.0	10.7	68.2
2021	439	40.0	10.9	63.1
2022	441	35.0	12.6	63.7
2023	432	33.0	13.0	63
2024	433	36.0	12.0	82.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for University Academy Charter High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$898 (6.9%)	$12,036 (93.1%)	$12,934

Data source: New Jersey Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on University Academy Charter High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 365^th of 416 High schools	Ranks 353^rd of 422 High schools	4.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
9th Grade English Language Arts (University Academy Charter High School)	26.5	30.1	3.6%
9th Grade English Language Arts (University Academy Charter High School)	26.5	30.1	3.6%
9th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)	55.9	52.1	3.8%
9th Grade Algebra I (University Academy Charter High School)	14.2	8	6.2%
9th Grade Algebra I (University Academy Charter High School)	14.2	8	6.2%
9th Grade Algebra I (New Jersey)	27.2	19.2	8%
End of Course Algebra I (University Academy Charter High School)	13.2	8	5.2%
End of Course Algebra I (University Academy Charter High School)	13.2	8	5.2%
End of Course Algebra I (New Jersey)	43.3	35.1	8.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	436	432	0.9%
African American	258	273	5.8%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	32	30	6.3%
Hispanic	132	112	15.2%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	14	17	21.4%
Two or More Races	0	0
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	76.4%	63%	13.4%

Schools Near University Academy Charter High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				NJSLA-S Science (2024)		NJSLA English Language Arts (2024)				NJSLA Mathematics (2024)		NJSLA Algebra I (2024)		NJSLA Geometry (2024)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NJSLA-S Science 8th Grade	NJSLA-S Science 11th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 6th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 7th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 8th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 9th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 6th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 7th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I 9th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I End of Course	NJSLA Geometry 9th Grade	NJSLA Geometry 10th Grade	NJSLA Geometry End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
University Academy Charter High School	Public, Charter	9-12	275 West Side Avenue	Jersey City	07305	Hudson County	University Academy Charter High School	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 200-3200	433	36	12.0	82.7%	16 (3.7%)	261 (60.3%)	126 (29.1%)	30 (6.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20.9	334^th of 426 public high schools	21.6%		16.7	353^rd of 422 public high schools	16.4%	19		4.9				44.3			14.4	14.4				$12,934	$898	$12,036
Henry Snyder High School	Public	9-12	239 Bergen Ave	Jersey City	07305	Hudson County	Jersey City Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 915-6600	747	69	10.8	59.4%	16 (2.1%)	456 (61.0%)	228 (30.5%)	29 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (1.9%)	4 (0.5%)	9.9	405^th of 426 public high schools	4.9%		11.2	397^th of 422 public high schools	5.9%	8		11.6				13.8			1.4	1.4				$12,551	$328	$12,223
Innovation High School	Public	9-12	239 Bergen Avenue	Jersey City	07305	Hudson County	Jersey City Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 915-1504	286	28	9.7	56.6%	54 (18.9%)	85 (29.7%)	84 (29.4%)	54 (18.9%)	2 (0.7%)	2 (0.7%)	5 (1.7%)	32.2	258^th of 426 public high schools	39.4%		31.1	266^th of 422 public high schools	37.0%	8		13.6				69.1			6.1	6.1	13.3		11.8	$9,809	$344	$9,465
Infinity Institute	Public	6-12	193 Old Bergen Road	Jersey City	07305	Hudson County	Jersey City Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 915-1404	288	26	11.0	57.6%	77 (26.7%)	33 (11.5%)	42 (14.6%)	122 (42.4%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.4%)	9 (3.1%)	97.2	2^nd of 426 public high schools	99.5%		96.8	2^nd of 422 public high schools	99.5%		85.7	72.3	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	90.9		90.9	$9,826	$349	$9,477
Lincoln High School	Public	9-12	60 Crescent Ave	Jersey City	07304	Hudson County	Jersey City Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 915-6700	877	63	13.9	60.0%	39 (4.4%)	514 (58.6%)	271 (30.9%)	36 (4.1%)	3 (0.3%)	3 (0.3%)	11 (1.3%)	10.2	402^nd of 426 public high schools	5.6%		12.2	390^th of 422 public high schools	7.6%	12		6.1				21.4			3.6	3.6			0.0	$14,645	$514	$14,131
Liberty High School	Public	9-12	299 Sip Avenue	Jersey City	07306	Hudson County	Jersey City Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 714-4373	188	26	7.2	54.8%	54 (28.7%)	37 (19.7%)	50 (26.6%)	46 (24.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	76.6	60^th of 426 public high schools	85.9%		69.8	74^th of 422 public high schools	82.5%	14		26.8				90.4			78.2	78.2	71.4		66.7	$14,454	$356	$14,098
County Prep High School	Public	9-12	525 Montgomery Street	Jersey City	07306	Hudson County	Hudson County Schools of Technology School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 631-6302	917	95	9.6	53.1%	219 (23.9%)	57 (6.2%)	327 (35.7%)	257 (28.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.5%)	49 (5.3%)	74.6	68^th of 426 public high schools	84.0%		82.6	41^st of 422 public high schools	90.3%	27		43.7				89.5			58.1	58.1	56.6		56.6	$16,033	$2,637	$13,396
Academy of Technology Design	Public	9-12	525 Montgomery Street	Jersey City	07302	Hudson County	Hudson County Schools of Technology School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 631-6331	203	4	48.9	43.3%	39 (19.2%)	17 (8.4%)	109 (53.7%)	25 (12.3%)	1 (0.5%)	2 (1.0%)	10 (4.9%)	62	116^th of 426 public high schools	72.8%		31.8	262^nd of 422 public high schools	37.9%	146		2.9				89.2			49.2	49.2	0.0		0.0
James J Ferris High School	Public	9-12	35 Colgate St	Jersey City	07302	Hudson County	Jersey City Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 915-6660	1,345	94	14.2	61.9%	153 (11.4%)	302 (22.5%)	738 (54.9%)	133 (9.9%)	2 (0.1%)	5 (0.4%)	11 (0.8%)	25.4	307^th of 426 public high schools	27.9%		20.8	329^th of 422 public high schools	22.0%	22		8.2				57.0			13.8	13.7	26.3		20.8	$14,071	$548	$13,523
William L Dickinson High School	Public	9-12	2 Palisade Ave	Jersey City	07306	Hudson County	Jersey City Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 714-4400	1,856	129	14.3	66.6%	294 (15.8%)	308 (16.6%)	932 (50.2%)	273 (14.7%)	14 (0.8%)	14 (0.8%)	21 (1.1%)	14.3	376^th of 426 public high schools	11.7%		19	337^th of 422 public high schools	20.1%	39		14.2				24.6			4.0	4.2	6.7	19.2	14.6	$11,534	$519	$11,015

University Academy Charter High School

University Academy Charter High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

University Academy Charter High School:

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Rank History for University Academy Charter High School

Rank History for all students at University Academy Charter High School

Rank History for Special Education students at University Academy Charter High School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at University Academy Charter High School

Rank History for Female students at University Academy Charter High School

Rank History for Male students at University Academy Charter High School

Rank History for Asian students at University Academy Charter High School

Rank History for African American students at University Academy Charter High School

Rank History for Hispanic students at University Academy Charter High School

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Enrollment information for University Academy Charter High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at University Academy Charter High School

Student/Teacher Ratio University Academy Charter High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for University Academy Charter High School

Impact of COVID-19 on University Academy Charter High School

Rankings

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Student Body

Schools Near University Academy Charter High School

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