Is Union City High School a good school?

Union City High School ranks 293 rd of 422 New Jersey high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Union City High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 3,025 students attended Union City High School.

What is the racial makeup of Union City High School?

Students at Union City High School are 96% Hispanic, 2% African American, 1% White.

What schools feed into Union City High School?

Union City High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Colin Powell Elementary School Elementary : Eugenio Maria de Hostos Center for Early Childhood Education Elementary : George Washington Elementary School Elementary : Jefferson Elementary School Elementary : Robert Waters Elementary School Elementary : Sara M. Gilmore Academy Elementary : Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School Elementary : Thomas A Edison Elementary School Elementary : Veterans' Memorial Elementary School Middle : Emerson Middle School Middle : Union Hill Middle School

Union City High School

Summary:

Union City High School is a public high school serving 3,025 students in grades 9-12 in Union City, New Jersey, which is part of the Union City School District. While the school has a predominantly Hispanic student population, it has consistently underperformed compared to state and district averages on standardized tests, with only 46.5% of 9th graders proficient in English Language Arts and just 15.2% proficient in Algebra I.

Union City High School's graduation rate has improved in recent years, reaching 89.9% in 2021-2022, but this is still lower than the state average. The school also struggles with high chronic absenteeism, reaching 39.2% in 2021-2022. Compared to nearby high-performing schools like Jose Marti STEM Academy, High Technical High School, and Dr. Ronald McNair High School, Union City High School's academic performance, graduation rates, and attendance rates lag significantly.

The school's performance also varies greatly among different student subgroups, with English Language Learners and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds performing relatively better compared to their peers, while female, African American, and special education students lag behind. Addressing the needs of these specific subgroups, improving instructional quality, and tackling chronic absenteeism will be crucial for Union City High School to improve its outcomes and provide a high-quality education for its diverse student population.

Detail:

Public 9-12

2500 Kennedy Blvd
Union City, NJ 07087

(201) 330-8678

District: Union City School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
293^rd of 422 New Jersey High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,632

Feeder schools for Union City High School:

Elementary:	Colin Powell Elementary School
	Eugenio Maria de Hostos Center for Early Childhood Education
	George Washington Elementary School
	Jefferson Elementary School
	More...
	Robert Waters Elementary School
	Sara M. Gilmore Academy
	Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School
	Thomas A Edison Elementary School
	Veterans' Memorial Elementary School
Middle:	Emerson Middle School
	Union Hill Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.8

Number of students: 3,025

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

96.3%

African American:

1.9%

White:

1.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 82.9%

See top rated New Jersey high schools

Compare Union City High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Union City High School ranks worse than 69.4% of high schools in New Jersey. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 26.7. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Union City 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: Hispanic (96.3%), African American (1.9%), White (1.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 82.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Union City High School is 16.8. (See more...)

Compare Union City High School employs 179 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Union City High School is $9,632.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Union City High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Union City High School 293^rd of 422 New Jersey public high schools. (See Union City High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Union City School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Union City School District 283^rd of 615 New Jersey school districts. (See district ranking list.)

What do you think?

Your rating for Union City High School?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for Union City High School

Compare

Rank History for all students at Union City High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NJ State Percentile
2011	17.66	328^th	378	13.2%
2012	25.60	324^th	388	16.5%
2013	23.08	332^nd	396	16.2%
2014	33.92	326^th	411	20.7%
2015	53.80	115^th	406	71.7%
2016	52.94	139^th	409	66.0%
2017	46.79	181^st	411	56.0%
2018	44.74	186^th	415	55.2%
2019	46.67	183^rd	416	56.0%
2021	14.99	354^th	405	12.6%
2022	20.73	327^th	415	21.2%
2023	26.70	293^rd	422	30.6%

See the entire list of New Jersey High School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Union City High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	49.77	43^rd	146	70.5%
2019	57.06	39^th	138	71.7%
2021	33.15	62^nd	101	38.6%
2022	47.65	41^st	137	70.1%
2023	53.95	40^th	161	75.2%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Union City High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	45.20	151^st	355	57.5%
2019	44.70	154^th	349	55.9%
2021	15.20	323^rd	333	3.0%
2022	16.59	339^th	344	1.5%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Union City High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	60.30	84^th	345	75.7%
2019	65.40	69^th	347	80.1%
2021	32.03	238^th	326	27.0%
2022	34.86	191^st	324	41.0%
2023	42.36	145^th	344	57.8%

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

Rank History for Female students at Union City High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	41.59	219^th	403	45.7%
2019	47.06	183^rd	408	55.1%
2021	15.20	356^th	402	11.4%
2022	19.11	338^th	414	18.4%
2023	19.04	326^th	416	21.6%

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

Rank History for Male students at Union City High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	43.22	181^st	405	55.3%
2019	40.70	203^rd	407	50.1%
2021	17.77	340^th	402	15.4%
2022	18.72	328^th	410	20.0%
2023	25.71	274^th	414	33.8%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Union City High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NJ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	38.41	128^th	198	35.4%

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

Rank History for African American students at Union City High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	71.69	45^th	266	83.1%
2021	53.01	87^th	247	64.8%
2022	27.33	196^th	256	23.4%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Union City High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	56.01	116^th	368	68.5%
2019	59.07	110^th	364	69.8%
2021	27.22	298^th	374	20.3%
2022	29.95	253^rd	382	33.8%
2023	36.91	206^th	385	46.5%

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

Rank History for White students at Union City High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NJ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	31.16	226^th	340	33.5%
2019	24.70	244^th	339	28.0%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey High Schools for White 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

We're sorry, but no reviews have been submitted for Union City High School.

If you have first-hand knowledge about Union City High School, submit a rating!

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Union City High School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2010	48	23	28	2193	0	0	0	2292
2011	50	25	27	2324	0	2	0	2428
2012	49	28	31	2315	0	0	0	2423
2013	38	32	26	2353	0	0	0	2449
2014	36	29	28	2436	1	0	0	2530
2015	33	26	29	2540	1	0	0	2629
2016	43	25	35	2618	1	1	0	2723
2017	45	24	37	2757	0	1	0	2864
2018	54	26	33	2785	0	1	0	2899
2019	53	24	39	2766	0	0	0	2882
2020	49	27	18	2797	0	0	0	2891
2021	47	35	19	2780	0	2	1	2884
2022	40	50	16	2852	0	0	0	2958
2023	42	56	14	2913	0	0	0	3025

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 Union City High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2010	2292	147.0	15.5	88.7
2011	2428	143.4	16.9	89.3
2012	2423	181.1	13.3	93.4
2013	2449	173.0	14.1	91.7
2014	2530	161.0	15.7	94.2
2015	2629	174.0	15.1	94
2016	2723	178.0	15.2	83.8
2017	2864	179.6	15.9	84.4
2018	2899	185.0	15.6	85.4
2019	2882	184.5	15.6	88.4
2020	2891	175.4	16.4	81.9
2021	2884	179.0	16.1	n/a
2022	2958	181.0	16.3	80.8
2023	3025	179.0	16.8	82.9

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 Union City High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2010	2292	147.0	15.5	88.7
2011	2428	143.4	16.9	89.3
2012	2423	181.1	13.3	93.4
2013	2449	173.0	14.1	91.7
2014	2530	161.0	15.7	94.2
2015	2629	174.0	15.1	94
2016	2723	178.0	15.2	83.8
2017	2864	179.6	15.9	84.4
2018	2899	185.0	15.6	85.4
2019	2882	184.5	15.6	88.4
2020	2891	175.4	16.4	81.9
2021	2884	179.0	16.1	n/a
2022	2958	181.0	16.3	80.8
2023	3025	179.0	16.8	82.9

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 Union City High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$446 (4.6%)	$9,186 (95.4%)	$9,632

Data source: New Jersey Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Union City 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 183^rd of 416 High schools	Ranks 293^rd of 422 High schools	25.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
9th Grade English Language Arts (Union City High School)	79	46.5	32.5%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Union City School District)	42.2	53.9	11.7%
9th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)	55.9	52.1	3.8%
9th Grade Algebra I (Union City High School)	73.7	15.2	58.5%
9th Grade Algebra I (Union City School District)	29.4	22.8	6.6%
9th Grade Algebra I (New Jersey)	27.2	19.2	8%
9th Grade Geometry (Union City High School)	0	4.8	4.8%
9th Grade Geometry (Union City School District)	0	4.5	4.5%
9th Grade Geometry (New Jersey)	59.1	50	9.1%
End of Course Algebra I (Union City High School)	63	15.2	47.8%
End of Course Algebra I (Union City School District)	28.6	22.7	5.9%
End of Course Algebra I (New Jersey)	43.3	35.1	8.2%
End of Course Geometry (Union City High School)	13.1	4.3	8.8%
End of Course Geometry (Union City School District)	13.1	4.2	8.9%
End of Course Geometry (New Jersey)	32.2	51.2	19%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	2882	3025	5%
African American	24	56	133.3%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	39	14	64.1%
Hispanic	2766	2913	5.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	53	42	20.8%
Two or More Races	0	0
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	88.4%	82.9%	5.5%

Schools Near Union City High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				NJSLA-S Science (2023)		NJSLA English Language Arts (2023)			NJSLA Mathematics (2023)		NJSLA Algebra I (2023)					NJSLA Geometry (2023)			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 (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NJSLA-S Science 8th Grade	NJSLA-S Science 11th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 7th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 8th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 9th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 7th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 8th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I 7th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I 8th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I 9th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I 10th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I End of Course	NJSLA Geometry 8th Grade	NJSLA Geometry 9th Grade	NJSLA Geometry End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Union City High School	Public	9-12	2500 Kennedy Blvd	Union City	07087	Hudson County	Union City School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 330-8678	3,025	179	16.8	82.9%	42 (1.4%)	56 (1.9%)	2,913 (96.3%)	14 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26.7	293^rd of 422 public high schools	30.6%		20.7	327^th of 415 public high schools	21.2%	34		8.5			46.5					15.2		15.2		4.8	4.3	$9,632	$446	$9,186
Jose Marti STEM Academy	Public	9-12	1800 Summit Ave	Union City	07087	Hudson County	Union City School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 348-5400	664	55	12.0	76.2%	14 (2.1%)	5 (0.8%)	621 (93.5%)	23 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	84	34^th of 422 public high schools	91.9%		76.7	52^nd of 415 public high schools	87.5%	18		51.7			91.3					57.7		57.7				$12,231	$466	$11,765
Weehawken High School	Public	7-12	53 Liberty Place	Weehawken	07086	Hudson County	Weehawken Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 422-6130	570	49	11.6	42.3%	231 (40.5%)	29 (5.1%)	266 (46.7%)	30 (5.3%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	11 (1.9%)	30	275^th of 422 public high schools	34.8%		32.9	256^th of 415 public high schools	38.3%	19	13.4	27.5	57.3	46.9	36.1	10.8	3.3	94.7	56.0	12.5	0.0	35.5	69.2	15.2	30.4	$9,025	$112	$8,913
Memorial High School	Public	9-12	5501 Park Ave	West New York	07093	Hudson County	West New York School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 553-4110	2,251	146	15.4	80.2%	48 (2.1%)	18 (0.8%)	2,167 (96.3%)	14 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.2%)	23.1	319^th of 422 public high schools	24.4%		21.1	324^th of 415 public high schools	21.9%	5		11.8			42.5					10.6	0.0	9.8		30.2	27.1	$10,146	$323	$9,823
Hoboken High School	Public	9-12	Ninth & Clinton Sts	Hoboken	07030	Hudson County	Hoboken Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 356-3700	526	44	11.9	61.6%	112 (21.3%)	70 (13.3%)	319 (60.6%)	14 (2.7%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	7 (1.3%)	44	187^th of 422 public high schools	55.7%		42.3	195^th of 415 public high schools	53.0%	8		20.9			63.5					14.1		14.1		52.0	52.0	$19,451	$358	$19,093
Secaucus High School	Public	9-12	11 Mill Ridge Road	Secaucus	07094	Hudson County	Secaucus School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 974-2033	637	59	10.8	30.9%	205 (32.2%)	23 (3.6%)	265 (41.6%)	133 (20.9%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.5%)	7 (1.1%)	33.6	249^th of 422 public high schools	41.0%		47.2	167^th of 415 public high schools	59.8%	82		25.9			41.2					18.2		17.3				$12,407	$360	$12,047
North Bergen High School	Public	9-12	7417 Kennedy Blvd	North Bergen	07047	Hudson County	North Bergen School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(201) 295-2800	2,355	162	14.5	50.5%	162 (6.9%)	18 (0.8%)	2,110 (89.6%)	55 (2.3%)	3 (0.1%)	1 (0.0%)	5 (0.2%)	17.2	351^st of 422 public high schools	16.8%		21.3	323^rd of 415 public high schools	22.2%	28		7.3			28.3					10.5	3.9	8.6		20.7	20.2	$6,811		$6,811
High Technical High School	Public	9-12	One High Tech Way	Secaucus	07094	Hudson County	Hudson County Schools of Technology School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 662-6801	913	93	9.8	33.4%	239 (26.2%)	71 (7.8%)	415 (45.5%)	141 (15.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.5%)	42 (4.6%)	76.7	51^st of 422 public high schools	87.9%		79.9	45^th of 415 public high schools	89.2%	6		53.8			89.6					54.0		54.0		53.7	53.7	$11,480	$1,673	$9,807
Academy of Career and Technical Education	Public	9-12	One High Tech Way	Secaucus	07094	Hudson County	Hudson County Schools of Technology School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(201) 662-6800	198	2	99.0	44.4%	32 (16.2%)	14 (7.1%)	130 (65.7%)	12 (6.1%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.5%)	40.8	203^rd of 422 public high schools	51.9%		35.8	241^st of 415 public high schools	41.9%	38		8.7			64.4					22.0		22.0
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	2,024	125	16.2	59.3%	308 (15.2%)	329 (16.3%)	1,006 (49.7%)	326 (16.1%)	14 (0.7%)	22 (1.1%)	19 (0.9%)	19	337^th of 422 public high schools	20.1%		20	333^rd of 415 public high schools	19.8%	4		18.2			29.6					6.8		6.8		25.0	25.0	$11,534	$519	$11,015

Union City High School

Union City High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Union City School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Union City High School

Rank History for all students at Union City High School

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Union City High School

Rank History for Special Education students at Union City High School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Union City High School

Rank History for Female students at Union City High School

Rank History for Male students at Union City High School

Rank History for Asian students at Union City High School

Rank History for African American students at Union City High School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Union City High School

Rank History for White students at Union City High School

Enrollment information for Union City High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Union City High School

Student/Teacher Ratio Union City High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Union City High School

Impact of COVID-19 on Union City High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Union City High School

Frequently Asked Questions about Union City High School

Rate Union City High School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Sign up for updates!