Is University Elementary School a good school?

University Elementary School ranks in the bottom 14.6% of New Jersey elementary schools.

How many students attend University Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 349 students attended University Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of University Elementary School?

Students at University Elementary School are 86% African American, 13% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of University Elementary School attend?

Students who attend University Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Union Avenue Middle School Middle : University Middle School High : Irvington High School

University Elementary School

Summary:

University Elementary School is a public elementary school in Irvington, New Jersey, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 337 students. The school is part of the Irvington Public School District, which is ranked 590 out of 613 districts in the state.

University Elementary School consistently ranks in the bottom 15% of New Jersey elementary schools, with low academic proficiency rates across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 34.9% of 3rd graders, 37.7% of 4th graders, and 24.1% of 5th graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state averages of 43.6%, 50.8%, and 52.3%, respectively. The school's performance on student subgroup metrics is also concerning, with the school ranking in the bottom 25% or 50% for various subgroups. Additionally, the school has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 16.6% to 31.1% over the past few years.

While the nearby schools in the Irvington Public School District also perform poorly, the Burch Charter School of Excellence, a public charter school in the area, outperforms University Elementary School and the other district schools in academic proficiency rates, particularly in Mathematics. The spending per student at University Elementary School ($9,913 in 2018-2019) is comparable to the nearby district schools, but lower than the spending at Fourteenth Avenue School ($29,814 per student) in the Newark Public School District.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

1 University Place
Irvington, NJ 07111

(973) 399-6826

District: Irvington Public School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
1142^nd of 1,338 New Jersey Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,913

Students who attend University Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Union Avenue Middle School
	University Middle School
High:	Irvington High School

Student/teacher ratio: 9.9

Number of students: 349

Racial breakdown:

African American:

85.7%

Hispanic:

13.2%

Asian:

0.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 63.3%

See top rated New Jersey elementary schools

Compare University Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details University Elementary School ranks worse than 85.4% of elementary schools in New Jersey. It also ranks first among 8 ranked elementary schools in the Irvington Public School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 15.08. (See more...)

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 (85.7%), Hispanic (13.2%), American Indian (0.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 63.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at University Elementary School is 9.9, which is the lowest among 9 elementary schools in the Irvington Public School District! (See more...)

Compare University Elementary School employs 35 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at University Elementary School is $9,913, which is the 2^nd highest among 8 elementary schools in the Irvington Public School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

University Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks University Elementary School 1142^nd of 1338 New Jersey public elementary schools. (See University Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

Irvington Public School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Irvington Public School District 590^th of 613 New Jersey school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for University Elementary School.

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Rank History for University Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at University Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile
2009	12.66	1200^th	1346	10.8%
2010	16.07	1188^th	1354	12.3%
2011	10.42	1240^th	1360	8.8%
2012	20.30	1149^th	1363	15.7%
2013	7.15	1267^th	1367	7.3%
2014	8.35	1257^th	1363	7.8%
2015	9.45	1246^th	1357	8.2%
2016	3.78	1318^th	1346	2.1%
2017	2.66	1342^nd	1352	0.7%
2018	4.21	1316^th	1353	2.7%
2019	7.71	1270^th	1360	6.6%
2021	14.10	1140^th	1317	13.4%
2022	10.90	1226^th	1345	8.8%
2023	10.88	1229^th	1342	8.4%
2024	15.08	1142^nd	1338	14.6%

See the entire list of New Jersey Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at University Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	6.47	421^st	434	3.0%
2019	24.70	355^th	463	23.3%
2021	21.64	370^th	411	10.0%
2022	48.82	188^th	489	61.6%
2023	73.33	101^st	499	79.8%
2024	44.36	248^th	559	55.6%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at University Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	19.30	796^th	1001	20.5%
2019	20.90	789^th	1007	21.6%
2022	14.81	875^th	949	7.8%
2023	16.13	829^th	958	13.5%
2024	12.41	942^nd	989	4.8%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at University Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	12.65	892^nd	942	5.3%
2019	23.33	728^th	948	23.2%
2021	40.10	490^th	839	41.6%
2022	26.07	653^rd	863	24.3%
2023	18.57	749^th	910	17.7%
2024	28.39	691^st	939	26.4%

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

Rank History for Female students at University Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	4.37	1281^st	1333	3.9%
2019	7.79	1235^th	1331	7.2%
2021	16.64	1101^st	1290	14.7%
2022	10.26	1200^th	1326	9.5%
2023	10.47	1196^th	1318	9.3%
2024	22.21	996^th	1317	24.4%

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

Rank History for Male students at University Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	5.57	1273^rd	1334	4.6%
2019	9.21	1220^th	1335	8.6%
2021	12.37	1138^th	1297	12.3%
2022	13.86	1147^th	1324	13.4%
2023	13.53	1142^nd	1315	13.2%
2024	12.40	1160^th	1313	11.7%

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

Rank History for African American students at University Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	21.36	406^th	517	21.5%
2019	29.65	403^rd	522	22.8%
2021	36.62	297^th	456	34.9%
2022	32.29	349^th	494	29.4%
2023	34.26	317^th	463	31.5%
2024	44.59	254^th	469	45.8%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at University Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	9.25	922^nd	989	6.8%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey Elementary 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

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:
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Enrollment information for University Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2008	4	497	0	11	1	n/a	n/a	513
2009	0	526	0	16	2	0	0	544
2010	0	513	0	19	0	0	0	532
2011	0	519	1	32	0	0	1	553
2012	0	527	1	37	0	0	0	565
2013	0	505	9	50	0	0	0	564
2014	0	523	3	42	0	0	0	568
2015	0	547	1	30	0	0	0	578
2016	0	498	2	39	0	0	7	546
2017	0	464	2	46	0	0	7	519
2018	0	456	3	40	1	0	0	500
2019	3	406	2	48	0	0	0	459
2020	2	358	2	37	3	0	1	403
2021	4	325	1	33	2	0	1	366
2022	0	316	0	36	3	0	0	355
2023	0	305	0	30	1	0	1	337
2024	0	299	1	46	1	1	1	349

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 Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2008	513	38.0	13.5	76.6
2009	544	40.3	11.3	76.5
2010	532	40.0	13.3	70.1
2011	553	35.0	15.8	78.8
2012	565	36.5	15.4	79.6
2013	564	33.0	17.0	87.8
2014	568	36.0	15.7	85.4
2015	578	35.0	16.5	83.2
2016	546	n/a	n/a	85.9
2017	519	37.0	14.0	89.8
2018	500	37.5	13.3	86.4
2019	459	33.5	13.7	82.1
2020	403	29.0	13.8	65.3
2021	366	32.0	11.4	68
2022	355	31.0	11.4	71.3
2023	337	32.0	10.5	51.6
2024	349	35.0	9.9	63.3

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 Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2008	513	38.0	13.5	76.6
2009	544	40.3	11.3	76.5
2010	532	40.0	13.3	70.1
2011	553	35.0	15.8	78.8
2012	565	36.5	15.4	79.6
2013	564	33.0	17.0	87.8
2014	568	36.0	15.7	85.4
2015	578	35.0	16.5	83.2
2016	546	n/a	n/a	85.9
2017	519	37.0	14.0	89.8
2018	500	37.5	13.3	86.4
2019	459	33.5	13.7	82.1
2020	403	29.0	13.8	65.3
2021	366	32.0	11.4	68
2022	355	31.0	11.4	71.3
2023	337	32.0	10.5	51.6
2024	349	35.0	9.9	63.3

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 Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$193 (1.9%)	$9,720 (98.1%)	$9,913

Data source: New Jersey Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on University Elementary 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 1270^th of 1360 Elementary schools	Ranks 1229^th of 1342 Elementary schools	1.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (University Elementary School)	19.8	30	10.2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Irvington Public School District)	23.4	15.5	7.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)	50.2	42	8.2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (University Elementary School)	20.4	19.1	1.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Irvington Public School District)	31.8	15.2	16.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)	55.1	45.9	9.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (University Elementary School)	32.9	22.8	10.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Irvington Public School District)	30.5	23.1	7.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)	57.4	51.3	6.1%
4th Grade Mathematics (University Elementary School)	26.6	18	8.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Irvington Public School District)	21.1	14.6	6.5%
4th Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)	51	44.3	6.7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (University Elementary School)	22.6	14.8	7.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Irvington Public School District)	28.9	26.5	2.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)	57.9	53.2	4.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (University Elementary School)	10	1.8	8.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Irvington Public School District)	13	11	2%
5th Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)	46.8	40.1	6.7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	459	337	26.6%
African American	406	305	24.9%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	2	0	100%
Hispanic	48	30	37.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	3	0	100%
Two or More Races	0	1
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	82.1%	51.6%	30.5%

Schools Near University Elementary 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)						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 5th Grade	NJSLA-S Science 8th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 4th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 5th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 6th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 7th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 8th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 3rd Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 4th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 5th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 6th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 7th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
University Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1 University Place	Irvington	07111	Essex County	Irvington Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 399-6826	349	35	9.9	63.3%	0 (0.0%)	299 (85.7%)	46 (13.2%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	15.1	1142^nd of 1338 public elementary schools	14.6%		10.9	1229^th of 1342 public elementary schools	8.4%	87	4.9		34.9	37.7	24.1				23.7	15.1	6.5				$9,913	$193	$9,720
Berkeley Terrace Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	787 Grove Street	Irvington	07111	Essex County	Irvington Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 399-6852	443	43	10.3	72.7%	0 (0.0%)	258 (58.2%)	181 (40.9%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10.9	1222^nd of 1338 public elementary schools	8.7%		13.9	1173^rd of 1342 public elementary schools	12.6%	49	6.0		30.2	16.7	13.7				18.8	12.5	10.0				$9,122	$125	$8,997
Grove Street Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	602 Grove Street	Irvington	07111	Essex County	Irvington Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 399-6865	374	35	10.6	62.3%	2 (0.5%)	313 (83.7%)	57 (15.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	13.1	1181^st of 1338 public elementary schools	11.7%		12	1206^th of 1342 public elementary schools	10.1%	25	3.6		22.4	37.2	24.0				21.4	18.6	5.4				$9,455	$166	$9,289
Madison Avenue	Public	PK, KG-5	173 Madison Avenue	Irvington	07111	Essex County	Irvington Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 399-6871	483	29	16.6	64.6%	2 (0.4%)	300 (62.1%)	176 (36.4%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	6.3	1292^nd of 1338 public elementary schools	3.4%		11.3	1220^th of 1342 public elementary schools	9.1%	72	1.8		8.3	17.7	12.3				11.1	12.9	8.8				$10,223	$135	$10,088
Burch Charter School of Excellence	Public, Charter	K-5	100 Linden Ave	Irvington	07111	Essex County	Burch Charter School of Excellence	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 373-3223	318	14	22.7	81.8%	0 (0.0%)	300 (94.3%)	16 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	16.8	1118^th of 1338 public elementary schools	16.4%		23.4	1031^st of 1342 public elementary schools	23.2%	87	10.3		23.2	19.0	30.8				34.0	21.4	15.4				$8,329	$796	$7,533
South 17th Street School	Public	PK, KG-8	619 S Seventeenth St	Newark	07103	Essex County	Newark Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 374-2570	324	28	11.5	84.6%	5 (1.5%)	235 (72.5%)	81 (25.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	13.9	1167^th of 1338 public elementary schools	12.8%		14.1	1168^th of 1342 public elementary schools	13.0%	1	5.9	3.3	16.0	25.8	12.1	30.6	32.0	43.3	37.0	21.2	5.9	12.5	33.3	20.0	$11,770	$879	$10,891
Fourteenth Avenue School	Public	PK, KG-8	26 Speedway Ave	Newark	07106	Essex County	Newark Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 733-6940	94	16	5.8	85.1%	3 (3.2%)	62 (66.0%)	26 (27.7%)	3 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)															$29,814	$844	$28,970
Speedway Avenue School	Public	PK, KG-8	701 South Orange Avenue	Newark	07106	Essex County	Newark Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 374-2740	555	41	13.7	82.2%	0 (0.0%)	465 (83.8%)	72 (13.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.7%)	3 (0.5%)	11 (2.0%)	11.3	1219^th of 1338 public elementary schools	8.9%		8.4	1272^nd of 1342 public elementary schools	5.2%	53	1.9	1.4	25.0	27.1	16.7	19.3	27.1	28.5	23.7	20.3	9.3	3.5	10.4	12.8	$8,301	$622	$7,679
Thurgood Marshall Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	141 181 Montgomery Avenue	Irvington	07111	Essex County	Irvington Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 416-3824	414	33	12.5	54.3%	0 (0.0%)	313 (75.6%)	99 (23.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	13.9	1168^th of 1338 public elementary schools	12.7%		16.4	1134^th of 1342 public elementary schools	15.5%	34	12.9		18.9	28.6	33.3				7.7	23.7	9.7				$9,596	$184	$9,412
Lincoln Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	87 Richelieu Ter	Newark	07106	Essex County	Newark Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 374-2290	456	28	16.2	73.5%	10 (2.2%)	350 (76.8%)	86 (18.9%)	4 (0.9%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	7.5	1274^th of 1338 public elementary schools	4.8%		5.9	1305^th of 1342 public elementary schools	2.8%	31	1.8	4.7	17.9	13.9	18.8	14.0	13.7	28.6	18.2	5.1	8.1	3.9	2.2	10.6	$10,024	$340	$9,684

University Elementary School

University Elementary School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Irvington Public School District:

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for University Elementary School

Rank History for all students at University Elementary School

Rank History for English Language Learner students at University Elementary School

Rank History for Special Education students at University Elementary School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at University Elementary School

Rank History for Female students at University Elementary School

Rank History for Male students at University Elementary School

Rank History for African American students at University Elementary School

Rank History for Hispanic students at University Elementary School

Review counts

Enrollment information for University Elementary School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at University Elementary School

Student/Teacher Ratio University Elementary School

Per Pupil Expenditures for University Elementary School

Impact of COVID-19 on University Elementary School

Rankings

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Student Body

Schools Near University Elementary School

Frequently Asked Questions about University Elementary School

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