Freehold Township High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Freehold Township, in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, and is part of the Freehold Regional High School District.Annual Comprehensive Financial Report , Freehold Regional High School District, June 30, 2018. Accessed January 15, 2020. "Geographically, the District is comprised of the Townships of Colts Neck, Freehold, Howell, Manalapan and Marlboro and the Boroughs of Englishtown, Farmingdale and Freehold. Established in 1953, the District's total area is 198 square miles." The school serves students from portions of Freehold Township, and from parts of both Howell Township and Manalapan Township. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1976; the school's accreditation status extends to July 2025.Freehold Township High School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed December 19, 2024.
As of the 2024–25 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,813 students and 122.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.8:1. There were 315 students (17.4% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 38 (2.1% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for Freehold Township High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed January 15, 2026.
History Freehold Township High School and Manalapan High School, the district's fourth and fifth facilities, were constructed with identical designs. Groundbreaking for both schools took place in August 1969 and the two schools opened in September 1971, having been completed at a combined cost of $10.4 million (equivalent to $ million in ). Freehold High School was closed for a $300,000 renovation project during the 1971–72 school year, during which it operated with 1,600 students using the new building that had been completed for Freehold Township High School, which did not open as an independent school until September 1972, after the repair work at Freehold High School was completed."Freehold Regional Opening 2 New Schools Tomorrow", Asbury Park Press, September 7, 1971. Accessed July 6, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Manalapan Township High School (top) and Freehold Township High School, the two newest schools in the Freehold Regional High School District, will open for the first time tomorrow. The two schools were built at a cost of $10.4 million.... The two new schools will bring to five the number of buildings in the eight-municipality regional district. However, only four of the buildings will be operative this year. The Freehold High School building, built in 1925, will undergo year-long renovations at a cost of $300,000.... Manalapan Township and Englishtown students who formerly attended Marlboro High School will now attend the Manalapan High School. Estimated enrollments for this year are: Freehold High School, Freehold Township 1,600; Howell High School 1,750; Manalapan High School 900; and Marlboro High School 1,300. The two new schools are identical in structure."
Awards, recognition and rankings The school was the 66th-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 199th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 212th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed December 1, 2012. The magazine ranked the school 122nd in 2008 out of 316 schools.Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed February 12, 2011. The school was ranked 144th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state.Staff. "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008. Schooldigger.com ranked the school tied for 115th out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (a decrease of 32 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (85.9%) and language arts literacy (95.7%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2010-2011, Schooldigger.com. Accessed March 4, 2012.
In its 2021 rankings, U.S. News & World Report ranked the school 138th in New Jersey, 348th in the New York metropolitan area and 3628th nationwide, as well as fourth among the six high schools in the district. Schools are ranked on their performance on state-required tests, graduation rates and how well they prepare students for college.Freehold Township High School 2021 Rankings, U.S. News & World Report. Accessed February 14, 2012. "All Rankings #3,628 in National Rankings #138 in New Jersey High Schools #348 in New York, NY Metro Area High Schools #4 in Freehold Regional High School District High Schools"
Athletics The Freehold Township High School PatriotsFreehold Township High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. compete in Division A North of the Shore Conference, an athletic conference comprised of public and private high schools in Monmouth and Ocean counties along the Jersey Shore.Shore Conference Realignment for 2018-2019 and 2019-2020, Shore Conference. Accessed November 15, 2020.Member Schools, Shore Conference. Accessed November 15, 2020. The league operates under the jurisdiction 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 1,538 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group IV for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 1,060 to 5,049 students in that grade range.NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020. The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group V South for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 1,333 to 2,324 students.NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
The boys' soccer team finished the season with a 22–1–1 record and was the Group IV co-champion in 1982 together with Kearny High School, after a 1–1 tie in the championship game.NJSIAA History of Boys Soccer, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 1, 2022.LoGiudice, Daniel. "NJ boys soccer: 30 greatest Jersey Shore teams ever", Asbury Park Press, June 16, 2020. Accessed December 8, 2020, via Newspapers.com. "1982 Freehold Township (22-1-1).... Freehold Township won its first and only group title in an anticlimactic way: the Patriots had to share the title with Kearney after both teams made it through two overtime periods in a 1-1 deadlock."
The baseball team won the Group III state championship in 1986, defeating Indian Hills High School by a score of 6–0 in the tournament final played at Princeton University.Baseball Championship History: 1959–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated June 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.Zedalis, Joe. "Pats take title", Asbury Park Press, June 15, 1986. Accessed December 8, 2020, via Newspapers.com. "Goldwater celebrated his 53rd birthday yesterday, but at least until next April he, and Freehold Township, will be No. 1 as his Patriots fulfilled his only real birthday wish by scoring a 6-0 victory over Indian Hills in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Group III finals at Princeton University."
The field hockey team won the Central Jersey Group IV state sectional championships in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2014–2016.History of NJSIAA Field Hockey Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
The girls' soccer team was Group IV co-champion in 2015 and 2017 with Ridge High School both years.NJSIAA History of Girls Soccer, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 1, 2022. A scoreless tie after double overtime with Ridge gave the 2015 team a share of the Group IV title and a 20–4–2 record for the season.Deakyne, Brian. "Girls Soccer: No. 2 Ridge, No. 5 Freehold Township crowned co-champions after scoreless draw", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, November 21, 2015, updated August 24, 2019. Accessed March 11, 2021. "One team made program history, while another won its first state title in more than a decade as Freehold Township and Ridge played to a scoreless tie in the NJSIAA/Sports Authority Group 4 state final at Kean University on Saturday night. Ridge, No. 2 in the NJ.com Top 20, and No. 5 Freehold Township battled for 100 minutes in the final game of the high school season in New Jersey, but with no goals scored, the two programs were crowned co-champions."NJSIAA Group Tournament, Final Round, Group 4, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, November 21, 2015. Accessed March 11, 2021. "Freehold Township 20-4-2 • 9-2-1 Shore - A-North" The 2017 team finished the season with a 23–1–1 record and was co-champion with Ridge High School after the Group IV title game ended in a scoreless tie after regulation and two overtime periods.Christie, Sherlon. "Girls Soccer: Freehold Township wins second state title in school history", Asbury Park Press, November 18, 2017. Accessed October 1, 2020. "Over the last three years, the Freehold Township girls soccer team has made a habit of putting together solid postseason runs. At Kean University’s Alumni Stadium on Saturday evening, the Patriots also met a familiar opponent in Ridge and due to the overall strength of both squads, the game once again ended in a scoreless tie after 100 minutes of outstanding soccer by both teams.... And so Freehold Township (23-1-1) secured the school’s second state title in girls soccer and also the school’s second co-championship against the same squad."
The boys' bowling team won the Group IV state championship in 2015.History of NJSIAA Boys Bowling Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed July 1, 2022.
The girls' gymnastics team was the team state champion in 2017, 2018 and 2019. The three state titles are tied for third-most in New Jersey.History of NJSIAA Girls Gymnastics, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 1, 2022.
The 2019 girls' bowling team won the Group III state championship and was the runner-up in the Tournament of Champions to Toms River High School North.History of NJSIAA Girls Bowling Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.Tartaglia, Greg. "A 'great' day lifts Toms River North to second straight NJSIAA girls bowling crown", Asbury Park Press, February 11, 2019. Accessed December 30, 2020. "Toms River North scored a house-leading 2,858 to repeat in Group 4, then made it back-to-back Tournament of Champions crowns by topping Freehold Township, 3-0, in the best-of-5 Baker finals. The Shore Conference swept every trophy, with the runner-up Patriots (2,678) winning Group 3. They, Group 2 Colts Neck (2,500) and Group 1 St. John Vianney (2,207) all earned their first state titles."
Magnet programs