Can I use Cape May County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Cape May County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Cape May County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Cape May County?

Start with the 32 listed public schools and 16 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Cape May County Schools & Education

Name: Cape May County, New Jersey Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Cape May County, New Jersey

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

79/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Higher Signal

Graduation Rate

91.1%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

91.1%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 91.4%

Per-Pupil Spending

$14,220

National avg $13,239

State avg $13,088

School Score

79/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 80/100

State Score Position

#13

of 21 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Cape May County

Measured School Summary

Cape May County has a higher measured school signal with a school score of 79/100 and a graduation rate of 91.1%, based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-score inputs.

Funding Context

With $14,220 per pupil, Cape May County has adequate funding that generally covers core educational needs and some supplemental services.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 2% below the New Jersey average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 0.3 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 9% higher than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Cape May County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

32 public schools and 16 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

79/100

Higher measured signal. Ranks #13 of 21 New Jersey counties with school score data.

Completion

91.1%

0.3 pts below the state average

Funding context

$14,220

$1,132 above the state average

School coverage

16 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

This county screens well on the combined school metrics available here. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Cape May County has 32 public schools across 16 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Cape May County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Higher-signal county

Cape May County screens well on the measured county-level school signal. The next check is whether that strength is broad across districts or concentrated in a few school pathways.

State position

#13

of 21 New Jersey counties with school score data. The county score is 1 points below the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

Middle Township Public School District

Elementary to high school visible

2,577 students

Elementary 2Middle 1High 1Other 0

4 listed schools in this county slice.

Ocean City School District

Elementary to high school visible

1,865 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 1Other 0

3 listed schools in this county slice.

Lower Township Elementary School District

Elementary and middle visible

1,445 students

Elementary 3Middle 1High 0Other 0

4 listed schools in this county slice.

Upper Township School District

Elementary and middle visible

1,399 students

Elementary 2Middle 1High 0Other 0

3 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Lower Township Elementary School District is the largest listed district slice, with 4 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Cape May County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Cape May County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Data Story

Cape May County Spending Per Student Surpasses State Average

Education data brief for Cape May County, New Jersey.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Lead metric:Per-pupil spending

In Cape May County, per-pupil expenditure is $14,220, exceeding the New Jersey state average of $13,088 and the national average of $13,000. The county’s graduation rate stands at 91.1%, nearly matching the state average of 91.4% and exceeding the national rate of 87.0%. The composite school score for the county is 78.8, which is above the national median of 50.0. Cape May has a relatively small student population of 11,802 served by 32 schools, resulting in an average school size of 381 students—lower than many neighboring counties. The Middle Township Public School District is the largest by enrollment, serving 2,577 students across four schools. Ocean City High School is the largest individual facility with 1,215 students. The county has no charter schools and maintains a mix of 22 suburban and 7 rural school locales. See the NCES Common Core of Data for school-level records.

Sources

NCES Common Core of Data
U.S. Census Bureau ACS

School Overview

Total Schools

in Cape May County

Reported Enrollment

11,802

32 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary17

Middle8

High7

Other0

16 School Districts in Cape May County

Middle Township Public School District

4 schools

2,577 students

Ocean City School District

3 schools

1,865 students

Lower Township Elementary School District

4 schools

1,445 students

Upper Township School District

3 schools

1,399 students

Lower Cape May Regional School District

2 schools

1,190 students

Wildwood City School District

3 schools

831 students

Dennis Township School District

2 schools

659 students

Cape May County Technical High School District

1 school

553 students

Wildwood Crest Borough School District

1 school

243 students

Cape May County Special Services School District

2 schools

232 students

32 Public Schools in Cape May County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 1 high-enrollment school; every NCES public school remains listed here.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

Sort

Showing 20 of 32 matching schools

Public schools in Cape May County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Ocean City High School	Profile	Ocean City School District	OCEAN CITY, 08226City: Small	9–12	High	1,215
Middle Township High School	Record	Middle Township Public School District	CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, 08210Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	790
Lower Cape May Regional High School	Record	Lower Cape May Regional School District	CAPE MAY, 08204Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	757
Middle Township Elementary #1	Record	Middle Township Public School District	CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, 08210Suburb: Small	PK–2	Primary	657
Middle Township Elementary #4	Record	Middle Township Public School District	CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, 08210Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	594
Cape May County Technical High School	Record	Cape May County Technical High School District	CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, 08210Suburb: Small	9–12	Vocational	553
Middle Township Elementary #2	Record	Middle Township Public School District	CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, 08210Suburb: Small	3–5	Primary	536
Upper Township Primary School	Record	Upper Township School District	MARMORA, 08223Suburb: Midsize	PK–2	Primary	493
Upper Township Middle School	Record	Upper Township School District	PETERSBURG, 08270Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	469
Carl T. Mitnick School	Record	Lower Township Elementary School District	CAPE MAY, 08204Suburb: Small	1–2	Primary	463
Upper Township Elementary School	Record	Upper Township School District	MARMORA, 08223Suburb: Midsize	3–5	Primary	437
Richard M. Teitelman Middle School	Record	Lower Cape May Regional School District	CAPE MAY, 08204Rural: Fringe	7–8	Middle	433
Glenwood Avenue Elementary School	Record	Wildwood City School District	WILDWOOD, 08260Suburb: Small	PK–5	Primary	396
Ocean City Intermediate School	Record	Ocean City School District	OCEAN CITY, 08226City: Small	4–8	Middle	370
Dennis Township Elementary/Middle Schools	Record	Dennis Township School District	CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, 08210Suburb: Midsize	3–8	Middle	363
Sandman Consolidated School	Record	Lower Township Elementary School District	CAPE MAY, 08204Suburb: Small	5–6	Middle	347
Maud Abrams School	Record	Lower Township Elementary School District	CAPE MAY, 08204Suburb: Small	3–4	Primary	334
David C. Douglass Memorial School	Record	Lower Township Elementary School District	VILLAS, 08251Suburb: Small	PK–KG	Primary	301
Dennis Township Primary School	Record	Dennis Township School District	CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, 08210Suburb: Midsize	PK–2	Primary	296
Ocean City Primary School	Record	Ocean City School District	OCEAN CITY, 08226City: Small	PK–3	Primary	280

Ocean City High School

Ocean City School District

OCEAN CITY, 08226 / City: Small

Profile9–12High1,215 students

Middle Township High School

Middle Township Public School District

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, 08210 / Rural: Fringe

Record9–12High790 students

Lower Cape May Regional High School

Lower Cape May Regional School District

CAPE MAY, 08204 / Rural: Fringe

Record9–12High757 students

Middle Township Elementary #1

Middle Township Public School District

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, 08210 / Suburb: Small

RecordPK–2Primary657 students

Middle Township Elementary #4

Middle Township Public School District

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, 08210 / Rural: Fringe

Record6–8Middle594 students

Cape May County Technical High School

Cape May County Technical High School District

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, 08210 / Suburb: Small

Record9–12Vocational553 students

Middle Township Elementary #2

Middle Township Public School District

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, 08210 / Suburb: Small

Record3–5Primary536 students

Upper Township Primary School

Upper Township School District

MARMORA, 08223 / Suburb: Midsize

RecordPK–2Primary493 students

Upper Township Middle School

Upper Township School District

PETERSBURG, 08270 / Rural: Fringe

Record6–8Middle469 students

Carl T. Mitnick School

Lower Township Elementary School District

CAPE MAY, 08204 / Suburb: Small

Record1–2Primary463 students

Upper Township Elementary School

Upper Township School District

MARMORA, 08223 / Suburb: Midsize

Record3–5Primary437 students

Richard M. Teitelman Middle School

Lower Cape May Regional School District

CAPE MAY, 08204 / Rural: Fringe

Record7–8Middle433 students

Glenwood Avenue Elementary School

Wildwood City School District

WILDWOOD, 08260 / Suburb: Small

RecordPK–5Primary396 students

Ocean City Intermediate School

Ocean City School District

OCEAN CITY, 08226 / City: Small

Record4–8Middle370 students

Dennis Township Elementary/Middle Schools

Dennis Township School District

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, 08210 / Suburb: Midsize

Record3–8Middle363 students

Sandman Consolidated School

Lower Township Elementary School District

CAPE MAY, 08204 / Suburb: Small

Record5–6Middle347 students

Maud Abrams School

Lower Township Elementary School District

CAPE MAY, 08204 / Suburb: Small

Record3–4Primary334 students

David C. Douglass Memorial School

Lower Township Elementary School District

VILLAS, 08251 / Suburb: Small

RecordPK–KGPrimary301 students

Dennis Township Primary School

Dennis Township School District

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, 08210 / Suburb: Midsize

RecordPK–2Primary296 students

Ocean City Primary School

Ocean City School District

OCEAN CITY, 08226 / City: Small

RecordPK–3Primary280 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$14,220

State avg $13,088

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Cape May County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which New Jersey counties have the highest graduation rates?

Hunterdon County (95.8%), Salem County (95.3%), and Bergen County (95.1%) currently lead New Jersey among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in New Jersey?

Across New Jersey counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $13,088. The highest current county values are Hunterdon County ($15,445), Sussex County ($14,659), and Cape May County ($14,220). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Cape May County?

Cape May County has a school score of 79/100, which is a higher measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Cape May County?

The high school graduation rate in Cape May County is 91.1%, which is above the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Cape May County spend per student?

Cape May County spends $14,220 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Atlantic County

New Jersey

-4 pts

75/100

School score

Middlesex County

New Jersey

+4 pts

83/100

School score

Gloucester County

New Jersey

+5 pts

84/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

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