Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
High· 14 schools in district

Union City High School

2500 Kennedy Blvd, Union City, NJ 07087Union City School District →
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades 09–12Non-Charter
3,025
Students
Total enrolled
87%
Grad Rate
Nat'l avg 87%
~avg
$30,641
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
↑ 114% vs nat'l
16.9 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
↑ 10% vs nat'l
44/100
Opportunity Score
Neighborhood outcomes
↓ 12% vs nat'l
⇄ Compare with another school
Large public school
Serves 3,025 students in grades 09–12 in Union City, New Jersey.
114% above average funding
District spends $30,641 per pupil, 114% more than the national average of $14,347.
Below-median opportunity
Children from this neighborhood historically reach the 44th income percentile as adults, per Harvard/Census Opportunity Atlas data.
About This School

Union City High School is a very large high in Union City, New Jersey, serving grades 09–12 with 3,025 students. The district invests $30,641 per student — 114% above the national average of $14,347, with a 16.9:1 student-teacher ratio near the national norm. About 83% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting significant economic challenges in the surrounding community.

Student Body & Demographics at Union City High School

3,025
Total Students
16.9 : 1
Student:Teacher
83%
Free Lunch
179
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (09–12) are served by this school
Gender Distribution1,625 male · 1,400 female
54%
46%
Male 54%Female 46%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility83%
National avg 52% · 2,507 students
Student Composition
96%
White1%
Hispanic / Latino96%
Black2%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 341638003059

Academic Outcomes at Union City High School

Graduation Rate (Adjusted Cohort)
87
Near avg
National avg 87%
Graduation Rate Comparison
This school
87%
State avg
92%
National avg
87%
Neighborhood Opportunity Score
44
/ 100
Below-median opportunity

Children from modest-income families in this neighborhood reach the 44th income percentile as adults. This school is in the 52th percentile nationally.

0 — Low50 — MedianHigh — 100
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census) · Census tract · ZIP 07087

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$30,641Above avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$30,641
State avg
$47,079
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$13,482
Student Support$5,822
Administration$3,677
Operations$4,596
Other$3,064
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $30,641 spent per student, an estimated $13,574 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
82%
State government
82.0%
Local (property tax)
5.0%
Federal programs
13.1%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • 87% graduation rate — near the national average of 87%
  • Above-average funding — $30,641/student vs $14,347 nationally
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Worth Considering
  • 83% of students on free or reduced lunch — a high share that can indicate resource pressure
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
K–12 Pathway in District
Elementary
Robert Waters Elementary SchoolTheodore Roosevelt Elementary SchoolThomas A Edison Elementary SchoolGeorge Washington Elementary School
+6 more
↓
Middle
Emerson Middle SchoolUnion Hill Middle School
↓
High School
Jose Marti STEM Academy
School Profile
TypeRegular School
LevelHigh
Grades09 – 12
Location—
CountyHudson County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
DistrictUnion City School District →
Phone: (201)330-8678
NCES ID: 341638003059
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in Union City seeking a public high school, especially those prioritizing above-average resources and classroom investment. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

More in Union City School District
Mid
Emerson Middle School
1,001 students · 06–08
● 44 opp87% FRL
Elem
Robert Waters Elementary School
976 students · PK–06
● 44 opp88% FRL
Elem
Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School
919 students · PK–06
● 44 opp89% FRL
Mid
Union Hill Middle School
849 students · 07–08
● 44 opp91% FRL
Elem
Thomas A Edison Elementary School
839 students · PK–06
● 44 opp92% FRL
Elem
George Washington Elementary School
779 students · PK–06
● 44 opp90% FRL
Elem
Colin Powell Elementary School
721 students · KG–05
● 44 opp85% FRL
High
Jose Marti STEM Academy
664 students · 09–12
● 44 opp76% FRL
District School Rankings
Location
2500 Kennedy Blvd, Union City, NJ 07087
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

High
1
What percentage of students take AP or dual enrollment courses?
Indicates academic rigor and college prep
2
What college counseling and application support is provided?
Ratio of students per counselor matters
3
What career and vocational pathways are offered?
CTE programs, internships, industry partnerships
4
How does the school support students at risk of not graduating?
Credit recovery, attendance intervention
5
What's the school's culture around attendance and behavior?
Discipline approach, restorative practices
6
What happens after graduation — where do students go?
Ask about college, career, military outcomes
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.