Princeton Charter School, Princeton NJ

Original Research by School Decision on Princeton Charter School

Princeton Charter School serves kindergarten through eighth grade as a public charter school in Princeton, New Jersey. It operates as its own standalone district, separate from the Princeton Public Schools. The school sits on Bunn Drive, on the northern edge of the municipality, in a community that blends a historic downtown core with the campus of Princeton University and a mix of research and corporate employers.

This is a school with consistently high academic performance on state assessments. Across tested grades, students post proficiency rates that place the school in the top quartile of all districts in Mercer County. In English language arts, the school achieves proficiency rates at or near all students meeting the standard in several grades. Math proficiency is also very strong, though one grade level shows a softer spot relative to the school's own high baseline; a parent considering the school may want to ask how the school supports students in that grade. Science results, available for grades five and eight, are also well above typical rates for the county. The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report.

Enrollment is at a size typical of a K-8 school. A very small share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the broader affluence of Princeton, where median housing values are well above state and national benchmarks. The student body is racially and ethnically diverse, with a majority of students identifying as Asian, a substantial white population, and smaller shares of students who are two or more races, Hispanic, or Black. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the state data used here.

Princeton Charter School was renewed for a five-year term in 2021, its fifth consecutive renewal, which runs through the 2025-2026 school year. That means families enrolling now enter with a known timeline for the next renewal cycle. A campus expansion is underway that will add classrooms, a new cafeteria, additional parking, and outdoor amenities including amphitheaters and playground equipment. The school has been in operation long enough to have established a stable program and a track record that is publicly documented.

Princeton itself is a college town where the university campus and downtown are physically integrated along Nassau Street. The town has preserved extensive open space, including parks and woodlands, and offers rail service to New York City and Philadelphia. The population has been relatively stable since the 2013 consolidation of the former borough and township into a single municipality. The housing market is expensive, which shapes the economic profile of families who can live in the district.

For a family weighing this school, the picture is straightforward. Princeton Charter School produces academic results that are among the highest in Mercer County across the grades it serves. The school is physically expanding and has a renewed charter in place through the middle of the decade. The student population reflects a community with high educational attainment and financial resources. The school does not offer high school grades, so families will need to plan for a transition after eighth grade. The question for a parent is whether the school's strong academic profile and the trade-offs of a charter school setting align with what they want for their child. The evidence suggests a school that is executing well on its academic mission.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 394%

School 94% · District 94%

▲ 44 pts above state median · ▲ 49 pts above county median

Grade 488%

School 88% · District 88%

▲ 42 pts above state median · ▲ 51 pts above county median

Grade 580%

School 80% · District 80%

▲ 37 pts above state median · ▲ 45 pts above county median

Grade 696%

School 96% · District 96%

▲ 62 pts above state median · ▲ 77 pts above county median

Grade 774%

School 74% · District 74%

▲ 39 pts above state median · ▲ 49 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 390%

School 90% · District 90%

▲ 44 pts above state median · ▲ 51 pts above county median

Grade 490%

School 90% · District 90%

▲ 35 pts above state median · ▲ 35 pts above county median

Grade 596%

School 96% · District 96%

▲ 42 pts above state median · ▲ 50 pts above county median

Grade 6100%

School 100% · District 100%

▲ 46 pts above state median · ▲ 56 pts above county median

Grade 792%

School 92% · District 92%

▲ 35 pts above state median · ▲ 50 pts above county median

Grade 8100%

School 100% · District 100%

▲ 42 pts above state median · ▲ 55 pts above county median

Science

Grade 580%

School 80% · District 80%

▲ 53 pts above state median · ▲ 65 pts above county median

Grade 886%

School 86% · District 86%

▲ 73 pts above state median · ▲ 75 pts above county median

This schoolPrinceton Charter School, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.