By Adam Clark | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

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TRENTON — U.S. News and World Report released its annual ranking of America's best high schools Tuesday, and 25 New Jersey schools made the top 500, including three in the top 100.

High Technology High School in Monmouth County, a small academy with selective enrollment, led New Jersey, placing 16th in the nation. It also ranked as the nation's best specialized school for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) for the third-straight year.

New Jersey schools with selective enrollment, including specialized high schools run by county vocational districts, typically rank ahead of many of the state's traditional high schools.

Small academies within school districts also fared well. Elizabeth Public Schools, which divided its high school into six different academies, placed two high schools in the state's top 25.

See the list of New Jersey's 25 best high school below and visit U.S. News and World Report for more information and the full list of America's best high schools.

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How were the schools ranked?

U.S. News' ranking is one of the many lists that attempt to identify the best high schools in the country, and each has its own methodology.

A school's graduation rate, performance on state math and English tests and scores and level of participation on Advanced Placement exams are the primary factors in the U.S. News ranking.

Schools with the highest ranking demonstrated strong performance among all students, including minority and low-income students.

The list is based on an analysis of more than 28,000 public schools, according to U.S. News. The 25 New Jersey schools ranked in the top 500 each earned a gold medal from U.S. News, meaning their students have the highest level of college readiness.

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(Andrew Miller | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

25. Montgomery High School

Location: Montgomery Township, Somerset County

National ranking: 493

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24. North Star Academy Charter School of Newark

Location: Newark, Essex County

National ranking: 472

(Enrollment is based on lottery)

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23. Northern Highlands Regional High School

Location: Allendale, Bergen County

National ranking: 470

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22. Academy for Information Technology

Location: Scotch Plains Township, Union County

National ranking: 459

(Requires exam for admission)

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21. Middlesex County Academy for Allied Health

Location: Woodbridge Township, Middlesex County

National ranking: 446

(Requires exam for admission)

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(Courtesy of Tenafly Public Schools)

20. Tenafly High School

Location: Tenafly, Bergen County

National ranking: 437

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19. Mountain Lakes High School

Location: Mountain Lakes, Morris County

National ranking: 407

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18. West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South

Location: West-Windsor Township, Mercer County

National ranking: 400

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17. Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy

Location: Elizabeth, Union County

National ranking: 393

(Requires application and essay for admission)

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16. Academy of Allied Health and Science

Location: Neptune Township, Monmouth County

National ranking: 378

(Requires exam for admission)

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(Courtesy of Bernards Township School District)

15. Ridge High School

Location: Bernards Township, Somerset County

National ranking: 318

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14. Glen Ridge High School

Location: Glen Ridge, Essex County

National ranking: 317

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13. Millburn High School

Location: Millburn Township, Essex County

National ranking: 316

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12. Summit Senior High School

Location: Summit, Union County

National ranking: 305

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11. Livingston High School

Location: Livingston Township, Essex County

National ranking: 296

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(Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

10. West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North

Location: Plainsboro Township, Middlesex County

National ranking: 276

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9. Marine Academy of Science and Technology

Location: Middletown Township, Monmouth County

National ranking: 206

(Requires exam for admission)

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8. Academy for Allied Health Sciences

Location: Scotch Plains Township, Union County

National ranking: 200

(Requires exam for admission)

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7. Chatham High School

Location: Chatham Township, Morris County

National ranking: 189

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6. Princeton High School

Location: Princeton, Mercer County

National ranking: 155

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(Marisa Iati | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

5. Elizabeth High School

Location: Elizabeth, Union County

National ranking: 154

(Requires application and essay for admission)

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4. Union County Magnet High School

Location: Scotch Plains Township, Union County

National ranking: 105

(Requires exam for admission)

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3. Bergen County Technical High School - Teterboro

Location: Teterboro, Bergen County

National ranking: 63

(Requires exam for admission)

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2. Dr. Ronald E. McNair High School

Location: Jersey City, Hudson County

National ranking: 49

(Requires exam for admission)

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(Courtesy of High Technology High School)

1. High Technology High School

Location: Middletown Township, Monmouth County

National ranking: 16

(Requires exam for admission)

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(Star-Ledger file photo)

What about other schools?

To see how schools from other states fared and find out which New Jersey schools just missed the top 500, visit the full rankings.

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Read more about New Jersey schools

The 51 N.J. high schools with the best SAT scores

Compare the median teacher salary in every N.J. district

See how much every N.J. school district spends per student

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Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.