Officials from Jersey City Public Schools (JCPS) announced that Liberty High School has been named one of nine schools in New Jersey nominated by the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) for the 2025 National Blue Ribbon Schools program.
The nomination places Liberty High School in the company of top-performing institutions recognized for academic excellence. The program is administered by the U.S. Department of Education and honors schools across the country in two categories: Exemplary High Performing Schools and Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools.
Each year, state education officials get to spotlight only a handful of schools for Blue Ribbon consideration. In New Jersey, the cap is nine public schools, and at least a third of those must serve a high share of disadvantaged students. Before moving forward, every nominee has to clear federal benchmarks to be eligible to submit a full application for the honor.
- Liberty High School in Jersey City is one of nine New Jersey schools nominated by the NJDOE for the 2025 National Blue Ribbon Schools program.
- The school was nominated in the Exemplary High Performing Schools category, which shows schools ranking in the top 15% statewide on academic measures.
- Liberty High School, founded in 1999, is the district’s second-smallest high school, and it maintains a 100% four-year graduation rate with consistently high proficiency scores.
Recognition in the Exemplary High Performing Schools Category
Liberty High School’s nomination falls under the Exemplary High Performing Schools category. To earn a place in this group, schools need to demonstrate results that put them within the top 15 percent statewide on benchmarks such as standardized assessments, graduation outcomes, and readiness for college or careers. Another requirement is that historically underserved student populations must perform within the top 40 percent across New Jersey on those same measures.
District officials said the recognition is important for Jersey City schools and pointed to Liberty’s strong academic results. The school has shown steady success over the year, and its commitment to high standards has made it one of the top schools in New Jersey.
Liberty High School’s Academic Performance and History
Founded in 1999, Liberty High School is the second-smallest high school in the Jersey City Public Schools district. Despite its size, the school has built a record of consistent success. It maintains a 100% four-year graduation rate and achieves high scores on the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment.
The district underscored Liberty’s well-rounded contributions in a statement, saying that “our students are among the finest in the country and consistently shine a light on their academic brilliance, artistry, and compassion through all the endeavors they pursue.”
Upcoming Recognition at the State Level
As part of the nomination process, Liberty High School will be formally recognized at a New Jersey State Board of Education meeting this fall. This acknowledgment serves as an official step before the U.S. Department of Education reviews the state’s nominees for final recognition as National Blue Ribbon Schools in 2025.
