South Brunswick High School (SBHS) is a comprehensive community public high school serving students in grades nine through twelve at the school located in the Monmouth Junction section of South Brunswick, in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as the lone secondary school of the South Brunswick Public Schools. The school is accredited until January 2029 and has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1965.South Brunswick High School , Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed April 14, 2012.
As of the 2024–25 school year, the school had an enrollment of 2,666 students and 188.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.2:1. There were 217 students (8.1% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 223 (8.4% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for South Brunswick High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed January 15, 2026. Based on 2021-22 data from the New Jersey Department of Education, it was the fourth-largest high school in the state and one of 28 schools with more than 2,000 students.Kausch, Katie. "N.J.'s biggest high school has 3,350 students. See how your school compares.", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, August 31, 2023. Accessed August 31, 2023. "Another 28 New Jersey schools have at least 2,000 students, according to 2021-2022 enrollment data released by the state Department of Education.... 4. South Brunswick High School Number of students: 2,861"
History Until 1960, students from South Brunswick attended Jamesburg High School, a relationship that was ended after the Jamesburg Public Schools announced that students from South Brunswick would not be admitted after 1959. A new school building was designed to accommodate an eventual enrollment of 1,000 and be constructed with the proceeds of a $1.8 million bond issue (equivalent to $ million in )."Need for High School Told To Former Board Members", Daily Home News, January 24, 1958. Accessed April 22, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "South Brunswick-The need for a junior-senior high school here and the Board of Education's proposal for building it were outlined for a group of former board members last night at a meeting at the Dayton School. The high school, with an initial capacity of 600 but planned for ultimate expansion to 1,000, and a $1,800,000 bond issue to pay for it must be approved by the voters Feb. 11. Board presidents Rudolf Priepke told the group the school must be built because Jamesburg High School will not accept new pupils from South Brunswick in 1959 and others thereafter."
The first South Brunswick High School, located at the corner of Major Road and Kingston Lane, was dedicated in October 1960 with a crowd of 800 in attendance.Cook, Winnie. "Large Crowd Attends High School Dedication", The Daily Home News, October 31, 1960. Accessed April 22, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "'I have been privileged to attend many school dedications in my years as county superintendent of schools, but this is the first dedication I have attended where there was standing-room-only for the audience.' These were the words of Robert R. Blunt, Middlesex County schools head, speaking at dedication of the township's first high school building yesterday before 800 citizens who jammed the auditorium. Blunt remarked that 'this shows and illustrates the keen interest in good education among the citizens of South Brunswick Township.'"
The current building was built in 1997 on an campus at the corner of Stouts Lane and Ridge Road due to overcrowding issues and paid for as part of a $51 million project (the equal of $ million in ).Carr, Sean P. "Schools: Growing districts herald computer era", Home News Tribune, September 2, 1997. Accessed April 22, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "The new South Brunswick High School is a behemoth. At 360,000 square feet, it is nearly three times the size of its predecessor. Some 1,500 students will begin classes at the 80-acre campus at Ridge Road and Stouts Lane on Sept. 10.... South Brunswick High School's capacity of 2,400 students in core areas and 2,000 in classrooms is projected to be reached in three years, Kietrys said. The campus could accommodate up to 3,000 students, if township voters pay for an expansion in a future school referendum, he said.... South Brunswick taxpayers have a long way to go before paying off the 30-year, $51.3 million bond they approved in October 1994." With the opening of the new high school facility, the original building was repurposed for grades 6-8 and is now Crossroads South Middle School.Carr, Sean P. "Expansion options narrowed; Additions won't change grade-school structure", Home News Tribune, September 30, 1997. Accessed April 22, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "In the reorganization prompted by the opening of the new South Brunswick High School this year, the old high school became Crossroads School, grades seven and eight and some of grade six; the Crossroads became the Upper Elementary School, grades five and six; and the seven elementary schools became home to kindergarten through fourth grades." The annex which is connected by a two-level indoor bridge on levels 2 and 3 was built in 2003–04, on the side of Stouts Lane.
Awards, recognition and rankings For the 1990–91 school year, South Brunswick High School received the National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Award from the United States Department of Education, the highest honor that an American school can achieve.National Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982 Through 2019 (PDF), United States Department of Education. Accessed September 1, 2024.
For the 2000–01 school year, South Brunswick High School was named a "Star School" by the New Jersey Department of Education, the highest honor that a New Jersey school can achieve.New Jersey Department of Education Star School Award recipient detail 2000-01 school year, South Brunswick High School, accessed May 25, 2006.
In the 2010–11 school year, the South Brunswick High School was named the New Jersey School of Character, was ranked in the top 50 in the country and was selected as a final four finalist for being named the National School of Character of the 2010–11 school year.Timmis, Patrick. "St. John's alum leads New Jersey school to national award", Toledo Free Press, May 30, 2011. Accessed August 20, 2011. "The school, located in Monmouth Junction, won a National School of Character award this year from the Character Education Partnership based in Washington, D.C. The National School of Character award recognizes select schools for their 'outstanding character development of students,' according to the Character Education Partnership's website. South Brunswick was one of three high schools in the nation to receive the award."
The school was the 53rd-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 138th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 89th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed September 7, 2012. The magazine ranked the school 74th in 2008 out of 316 schools.Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed May 31, 2011. The school was ranked 75th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 316 schools across the state."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 118th out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (a decrease of 31 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (84.7%) and language arts literacy (96.6%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).School Overview; Click on "Rankings" for 2003-11 HSPA results, Schooldigger.com. Accessed March 12, 2012.
In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by The Washington Post, the school was ranked 40th in New Jersey and 1,333rd nationwide.Mathews, Jay. , The Washington Post. Accessed September 8, 2011.
In its 2013 report on "America's Best High Schools", The Daily Beast ranked the school 649th in the nation among participating public high schools and 51st among schools in New Jersey.Streib, Lauren. "America's Best High Schools", The Daily Beast, May 6, 2013. Accessed May 9, 2013. In the 2012 list of "America's Best High Schools", ranked by Newsweek, South Brunswick High School was ranked 683rd in the nation and 54th in the state, with criteria for ranking include graduation rate, AP/IB/AICE exams taken per student, average SAT/ACT scores and college matriculation rate.Staff. "America's Best High Schools 2012", Newsweek, May 20, 2012. Accessed May 20, 2012.
SBHS secured the 60th position among New Jersey high schools in the 2024–2025 rankings, highlighting its strong academic performance
Curriculum All students attending SBHS are encouraged to take a minimum of 16 units during the duration of their academic career. All students must also take a Practical Art (Such as Business, Technology) and Visual/Performing Art (such as Art I, II, Orchestra or Band). Students are also required to take a 2.5 credit class in Personal Financial Literacy.
The school offers around 20 Advanced Placement (AP) courses such as AP Chemistry, AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, etc.
Athletics The South Brunswick High School VikingsSouth Brunswick 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 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 2,189 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 football team competes in Division 5C 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 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.