Carteret High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Carteret in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, as the lone secondary school of the Carteret School District. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1929 and is accredited through January 2027.Carteret High School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed December 23, 2022.
As of the 2024–25 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,188 students and 87.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.6:1. There were 749 students (63.0% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 114 (9.6% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for Carteret High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed January 15, 2026.
In 2019, 18% of students achieved proficiency in mathematics and 44% in reading. The graduation rate was 82%.Carteret High School, U.S. News & World Report. Accessed April 29, 2020.
Advanced Placement (AP) courses are offered in AP Biology, AP Calculus AB/BC, AP Computer Science A, AP Computer Science Principles, AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Human Geography, AP Physics 1, AP Psychology, AP Statistics, AP Spanish, AP US History. The Project Acceleration Program allows students to receive college credit from Seton Hall University and over 200 other colleges and universities. Schedule permitting, students may also dual enroll, allowing students to earn college credits by attending classes at Middlesex County College.District Information , Carteret School District. Accessed November 8, 2012.
Awards, recognition and rankings The school was the 261st-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 339 schools statewide in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2014 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", using a new ranking methodology.Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly, September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014. The school had been ranked 296th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 302nd in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed August 29, 2012. The magazine ranked the school 272nd in 2008 out of 316 schools.Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed November 2, 2011. The school was ranked 312th in the magazine's September 2010 issue, which surveyed 332 schools across the state."Top New Jersey High Schools 2010: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008. Schooldigger.com ranked the school 270th out of 367 public high schools statewide in its 2010 rankings (an increase of 17 positions from the 2009 rank) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the language arts literacy and mathematics components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2009-2010, Schooldigger.com. Accessed December 30, 2011.
Athletics The Carteret High School RamblersCarteret High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. compete in the Greater Middlesex Conference, which is comprised of public and private high schools located in the Middlesex County area and operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. With 770 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group III for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 761 to 1,058 students in that grade range.NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020. The football team competes in Division 3 of the Big Central Football Conference, which includes 60 public and private high schools in Hunterdon, Middlesex, Somerset, Union and Warren counties, which are broken down into 10 divisions by size and location.Kinney, Mike. "Big Central revises 2020 football schedule for its shortened inaugural season", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, August 12, 2020. Accessed April 18, 2021. "The newly formed Big Central Football Conference has released a revised 2020 schedule for its inaugural season.... the BCFC is comprised of schools from Middlesex, Union, Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren counties." The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group III North for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 700 to 884 students.NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
School colors are royal blue and white. Sports offered include softball, bowling (men and women), track and field spring (men and women), soccer (men and women), basketball (men and women), football, tennis (women), wrestling (men) and baseball (men).
The boys' basketball team won the Group III state championship in 1932 vs. Weehawken High School by a final score of 28-27Staff. "Trenton's Quintet Wins Jersey Title; Beats South Side of Newark, 36 to 30, to Take Class A High School Honors. Carteret Class B Victor; Downs Woodrow Wilson of Weehawken, 28 to 27 -- Class A Prep Crown to St. Benedict's.", The New York Times, March 20, 1932. Accessed October 28, 2015. and the Group II title in 1934 with a 42–38 victory over Ramsey High School in the tournament final.Staff. "Trenton High Five Keeps State Title; Halts Union Hill, 29-19, to Score Third Year in Row in New Jersey Tourney.", The New York Times, March 18, 1934. Accessed October 28, 2015. "Carteret conquered Ramsey, 42-28, for the Group 2 high school title."NJSIAA Boys Basketball Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
The boys track team won the indoor track Group III state championship in 1973 and the Group II title in 1987.Boys Winter Track and Field Championship History: 1922-2023, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated November 2023. Accessed February 1, 2024.
The boys track team won the Group III spring / outdoor track state championship in 1973.NJSIAA Spring Track Summary of Group Titles Boys, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed September 1, 2021.
The football team won the NJSIAA state sectional championships in Central Jersey Group III in 1976 and in Central Jersey Group II in 1992, 1996, 2007 and 2012.NJSIAA Football History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 1, 2022. The 1976 team won the Central Jersey Group III sectional title in front of a hometown crowd of 4,500 with a 29–22 win against Long Branch High School in the championship game."Schoolboy Halfback Breaks New Jersey Scoring Record", The New York Times, December 5, 1976. Accessed December 26, 2020. "Carteret, beaten twice the last two years in playoff games, finally broke through and took the Central Jersey Group 3 championship, beating Long Branch, 29-22, before 4,500 in Carteret."Amsel, Michael. "Branchers Run Out of Time. Carteret Wins Title, 29-22", Asbury Park Press, December 5, 1976. Accessed January 9, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Frank Glazier will tell you that his Long Branch High School football team just ran out of time in it quest for the Central Jersey Group III championship. Carteret Coach Jim Gilrain will tell you that the only thing Long Branch ran out of yesterday was ways to contain his methodical Rambler offense. And the record books will tell you simply that on Dec. 4 at Walter Oberholt Field, Carteret topped Long Branch, 29-22, for its first NJSIAA Playoff championship." In 1992, the team became the first in program history to finish the season with no ties or losses, ending the season 11-0 after winning the Central Jersey Group II title with a 14–0 win against Princeton High School, one of the team's five shutouts that season; the 1991 team earned consideration from the Courier News as one of "the best in GMC history".Tufaro, Greg. "Which football team is the best in GMC history?", Courier News, August 15, 2018. Accessed November 20, 2020. "Carteret 1992 (Central Group II) According to the research of former colleague and venerable sports writer John Haley, the 1992 Ramblers were the first to finish undefeated and untied at Carteret, whose program commenced 67 years earlier under Sally McCarthy, a female head coach.... The defense allowed a total of 50 points and registered five shutouts including a 14-0 blanking of Princeton in the sectional final." The 2007 football team won the Central Jersey, Group II state sectional title by a score a 20–14 over Rumson-Fair Haven High School in the tournament championship game played at Rutgers Stadium; The win was Carteret's fourth sectional title, and its first since 1996.McKenzie, Doug. "Late drive by Bulldogs falls short in title game; Carteret hangs on to win CJ Group II, 20-14", Central Jersey Archives, December 6, 2007. Accessed November 12, 2020. "However, all the confidence they had for their senior quarterback wasn’t quite enough to bring RFH its first state championship, as the Bulldogs dropped a heartbreaking 20-14 ballgame to Carteret to finish the year 9-3." The 2012 football team went undefeated at 12-0 and were crowned Central Jersey Group II champions as well, defeating Weequahic High School by the score of 13–12 in the championship game played at Metlife Stadium.Moretti, Mike. "Lewin's TD lifts Carteret past Rumson", The Star-Ledger, December 3, 2007. Accessed December 3, 2007. "But with senior tailback Byron Lewin picking up 143 yards on 22 carries and scoring the winning touchdown with 2:18 to go, Carteret defeated Rumson, 20-14, in the NJSIAA/Gatorade Central Jersey, Group 2 championship game before 4,000 at Rutgers Stadium in Piscataway. It was Carteret's first state title since 1996 and fourth in six final appearances."2007 Football - Central, Group II, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 3, 2007. Dating back to 1927, Carteret has had a Thanksgiving Day football rivalry with Perth Amboy High School that was listed at 8th on NJ.com's 2017 list "Ranking the 31 fiercest rivalries in N.J. HS football". Perth Amboy lead the rivalry with a 46-42-2 overall record as of 2017.Stypulkoski, Matt. "Ranking the 31 fiercest rivalries in N.J. HS football", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, October 27, 2017, updated May 15, 2019. Accessed December 1, 2020. "8-Carteret vs. Perth Amboy... That's how bitter the longest-running Thanksgiving Day rivalry in Middlesex County is, with these two schools separated by a little more than seven miles having played since 1927. All-time series: Perth Amboy leads 46-42-2"
The boys track team won the indoor relay championship in Group II in 1987.History of the NJSIAA Indoor Relay Championships , New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.