Enrollment
2,106
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Lorton, VA
South County High
Federal NCES profile for South County High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 510126002436
👥 S:T ratio 38
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 58
📋 Attendance 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South County High earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Virginia schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Virginia.
- #5 of 5
- public schools in Lorton · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.4:1
- large classes for Virginia
- 19.3%
- free-lunch eligible
South County High has class sizes larger than 74% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South County High ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Lorton, VA.
School address
District: Fairfax County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510126002436 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
137.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
19.3%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-66% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South County High compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at South County High
South County High is a lower-poverty, large high school in Lorton, Virginia, enrolling 2,106 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 19.3% free-meal eligibility runs 66% below the Virginia average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Virginia, bigger than 97% of state schools at 2,106 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Among 93 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #80, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (37%) and African American (23%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 75/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 24 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 211 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Fairfax County Public Schools spends $17,977 per pupil, 23% above the Virginia average, a better-resourced district than most.
Fairfax County Public Schools also operates Lake Braddock Secondary (4,411 students) and Robinson Secondary (3,710 students) alongside South County High.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How South County High compares
South County High on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.4:1 | ▲ 11% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.3% | ▼ 66% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,106 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
2,106
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
19.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 66% below the Virginia average of 57.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 74% in Virginia - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
24.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$17,977
per pupil, district-wide
- above Virginia avg of $14,649
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors10.0 FTE
Per 211 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
85
in-school suspensions + 57 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 36.7%
African American 22.6%
Asian 18.4%
Hispanic or Latino 15.2%
Two or More 6.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 36.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 75.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 75.3, South County High is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 24
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fairfax County Public Schools, which includes South County High.
$17,977
Per student
+23%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 66.6%
State 23.3%
Federal 10.1%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How South County High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Braddock Secondary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Robinson Secondary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hayfield Secondary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chantilly High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Springfield High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South County High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,411
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 3,710
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 3,256
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 2,937
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 2,799
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Virginia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~2,106 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South County High's federal record.
- Compare South County High against another school. Compare schools
- Fairfax County Public Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about South County High
How many students attend South County High?
South County High has 2,106 students enrolled. It is a high school in Lorton, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South County High?
The student-teacher ratio at South County High is 15.4:1, which is 11% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 2% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South County High?
19.3% of students at South County High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South County High?
The largest demographic group at South County High is White at 36.7% of enrollment, in Lorton, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 75.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South County High?
South County High has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does South County High rank among public schools in Lorton?
By Resource Investment Index, South County High ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Lorton, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Lorton on the city page.
Is South County High a good school?
South County High earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Virginia schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Virginia. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Fairfax County Public Schools?
Besides South County High, Fairfax County Public Schools also operates Lake Braddock Secondary (4,411 students), Robinson Secondary (3,710 students), and Hayfield Secondary (3,256 students). See the Fairfax County Public Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.