Education in State Constitution: Article VIII: Section IV
Education in State Code: Title 18A: Sections 1-66
State Board Members: 13 Members; Appointed; 6 year term
Education Authorities: DoEd; State Board; State Commissioner of Education
KNOW YOUR STATE
"Liberty and Prosperity"
New Jersey has a Department of Education, a State Board, and a State Commissioner of Education. The State Board consists of 13 members appointed to 6-year terms.
Every state sets its own school choice rules, and New Jersey is no exception. The NWEF School Choice Index scores New Jersey on 17 measures, from open enrollment to education savings accounts, then ranks it against all 50 states. Open any category below to see where New Jersey earns points and where it falls short.
New Jersey has room to grow, especially on charter school access, private-school options like ESAs and vouchers, and open enrollment.
Scored from state law · as of August 2026
Your state lawmakers wrote the rules behind this score. Most of them have never seen how New Jersey compares to other states.
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