Virginia · NCES CCD 2022-23

Best Public Schools in Virginia

Top 50 schools ranked by resource quality score, based on student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance.

75/100
Top score
B+
Top grade
66/100
Avg score (top 50)
50
Schools ranked

The ranking in one line

Dungannon Elementary School in Dungannon is Virginia's top-resourced public school, scoring 75/100 on the NCES resource index.

75/100
top score (grade B+)
1
schools at the top grade (B+)
66/100
average across the top 50
# School GradeScore
1 Dungannon Elementary School Dungannon B+ 75
2 Mary Ellen Henderson Middle Falls Church B 73
3 Francis C. Hammond Middle Alexandria B 72
4 Dearington Elementary/Innovation Lynchburg B 72
5 Lylburn Downing Middle Lexington B- 69
6 Community Lab School Charlottesville B- 69
7 Mount Airy Elementary Gretna B- 69
8 Dorothy Hamm Middle Arlington B- 68
9 Meriwether Lewis Elementary Charlottesville B- 68
10 Pemberton Elementary Richmond B- 68
11 Richmond Community High Richmond B- 68
12 Forest Hills Elementary Danville B- 68
13 Union Hall Elementary Chatham B- 68
14 Open High Richmond B- 68
15 Central Academy Middle Fincastle B- 67
16 Scottsville Elementary Scottsville B- 67
17 Sandston Elementary Sandston B- 67
18 Henry Elementary Henry B- 67
19 Northwood Middle Saltville B- 67
20 Craigsville Elementary Craigsville B- 67
21 Highland Elementary Monterey B- 67
22 George Washington Middle Alexandria B- 66
23 Jefferson Middle Arlington B- 66
24 Williamsburg Middle Arlington B- 66
25 Journey Middle Charlottesville B- 66
26 Jamestown Elementary Arlington B- 66
27 Warrenton Middle Warrenton B- 66
28 Callaway Elementary Callaway B- 66
29 Otter River Elementary Goode B- 66
30 Gunston Middle Arlington B- 65
31 Swanson Middle Arlington B- 65
32 Meridian High Falls Church B- 65
33 Lakeside Middle Charlottesville B- 65
34 Jackson P. Burley Middle Charlottesville B- 65
35 Taylor Elementary Arlington B- 65
36 Stony Point Elementary Keswick B- 65
37 Yuma Elementary Gate City B- 65
38 Hilton Elementary Hiltons B- 65
39 Elydale Middle Ewing B- 65
40 Kenmore Middle Arlington C+ 64
41 Colonial Heights High Colonial Heights C+ 64
42 Joseph T. Henley Middle Crozet C+ 64
43 Cardinal Elementary Arlington C+ 64
44 Bayside 6th Grade Campus Virginia Beach C+ 64
45 Nickelsville Elementary Nickelsville C+ 64
46 Snow Creek Elementary Penhook C+ 64
47 Fairview Elementary Galax C+ 64
48 Hickory High Chesapeake C+ 63
49 Brambleton Middle Ashburn C+ 63
50 Twain Middle Alexandria C+ 63

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best public schools in Virginia? ▼

The top-rated school in Virginia is Dungannon Elementary School in Dungannon with a quality score of 75/100 (grade B+). Rankings are based on student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, gifted programs, and attendance rates from NCES data.

How are school quality scores calculated? ▼

Quality scores (0-100) are computed from NCES data across 4 metrics: student-teacher ratio (lower is better, national avg ~16:1), counselor availability (ASCA recommends 250:1), gifted program availability, and chronic absenteeism rate (lower is better). This measures school resources, not test scores.

Explore More for Virginia

All Schools → Largest Schools → Absenteeism Data → Highest Spending → National Ranking →

Methodology

Quality scores (0-100) are computed from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 metrics: student-teacher ratio, school counselor availability, gifted program access, and chronic absenteeism rates. Schools must have at least 50 students and data for one or more metrics. This measures resource quality, not test scores. Higher scores indicate smaller class sizes, better counselor access, and lower absenteeism.

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.