State district guide
Virginia public school districts
Compare district systems across Virginia by enrollment scale, school count, county context, generated guide coverage, and the parent checks that matter before choosing where to live.
Direct answer for parents
What this district ranking can and cannot tell you
If you are searching for the best school districts in Virginia, start with the largest and most data-rich district systems below, then verify the specific school assigned to each address. SchoolsByCounty orders districts by reported enrollment and school count because those fields are consistent in NCES. It does not convert district size into a quality rating.
Start with scale
Fairfax County Public Schools
179,858 reported students
Check county context
Falls Church city
94/100 county score
Verify locally
Address fit
Attendance boundaries and transfers are not in NCES
District table
Largest public school districts in Virginia
The first 60 rows show the largest district systems by reported enrollment. Open district guides where available, or use the county profile when a detailed district page is not generated yet.
210 districts in state file
| Rank | District | County context | Students | Schools | Parent lens |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fairfax County 65/100 county score | 179,858 | 223 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 2 | Prince William County 47/100 county score | 91,101 | 98 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 3 | Loudoun County 90/100 county score | 81,678 | 99 | Elementary, middle, and high school records 2 charter Open district guide | |
| 4 | Virginia Beach city 55/100 county score | 65,456 | 87 | Elementary, middle, and high school records 1 charter Open district guide | |
| 5 | Chesterfield County 39/100 county score | 63,916 | 73 | Elementary, middle, and high school records 2 virtual Open district guide | |
| 6 | Henrico County 35/100 county score | 50,389 | 80 | Elementary, middle, and high school records 1 virtual Open district guide | |
| 7 | Chesapeake city 60/100 county score | 40,769 | 48 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 8 | Stafford County 65/100 county score | 31,105 | 34 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 9 | Arlington County 60/100 county score | 27,562 | 42 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 10 | Norfolk city 42/100 county score | 27,306 | 50 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 11 | Newport News city 44/100 county score | 26,531 | 43 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 12 | Spotsylvania County 44/100 county score | 24,201 | 34 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 13 | Richmond city 32/100 county score | 21,130 | 53 | Elementary, middle, and high school records 2 charter Open district guide | |
| 14 | Hampton city 45/100 county score | 19,796 | 33 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 15 | Hanover County 76/100 county score | 17,066 | 25 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 16 | Alexandria city 48/100 county score | 16,040 | 19 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 17 | Suffolk city 41/100 county score | 14,490 | 22 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 18 | Frederick County No county score | 13,960 | 19 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 19 | Albemarle County No county score | 13,937 | 25 | Elementary, middle, and high school records 1 charter Open district guide | |
| 20 | Roanoke County 62/100 county score | 13,811 | 29 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 21 | Roanoke city 37/100 county score | 13,597 | 26 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 22 | Portsmouth city 44/100 county score | 13,371 | 24 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 23 | York County 69/100 county score | 12,640 | 19 | Elementary, middle, and high school records 1 charter Open district guide | |
| 24 | Rockingham County No county score | 11,497 | 23 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 25 | James City County No county score | 11,375 | 16 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 26 | Fauquier County 70/100 county score | 10,837 | 20 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 27 | Augusta County 59/100 county score | 10,076 | 18 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 28 | Montgomery County 53/100 county score | 9,693 | 21 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 29 | Bedford County 39/100 county score | 9,084 | 22 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 30 | Culpeper County 42/100 county score | 8,352 | 11 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 31 | Pittsylvania County 37/100 county score | 7,918 | 21 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 32 | Campbell County 47/100 county score | 7,873 | 15 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 33 | Lynchburg city 41/100 county score | 7,856 | 18 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 34 | Manassas city 42/100 county score | 7,413 | 11 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 35 | Henry County 37/100 county score | 7,010 | 13 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 36 | Washington County 64/100 county score | 6,737 | 16 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 37 | Harrisonburg city 53/100 county score | 6,682 | 10 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 38 | Franklin County 56/100 county score | 6,252 | 14 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 39 | Prince George County 60/100 county score | 6,106 | 7 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 40 | Wise County 67/100 county score | 5,913 | 13 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 41 | Danville city 39/100 county score | 5,684 | 14 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 42 | Shenandoah County 65/100 county score | 5,630 | 10 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 43 | Isle of Wight County 45/100 county score | 5,627 | 9 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 44 | Tazewell County 32/100 county score | 5,416 | 14 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 45 | Louisa County 57/100 county score | 5,173 | 6 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 46 | Warren County 64/100 county score | 5,165 | 9 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 47 | Gloucester County 51/100 county score | 5,054 | 9 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 48 | Orange County 59/100 county score | 5,035 | 11 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 49 | Accomack County 37/100 county score | 4,726 | 13 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 50 | Halifax County 39/100 county score | 4,620 | 11 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 51 | King George County 59/100 county score | 4,521 | 5 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 52 | Botetourt County 75/100 county score | 4,492 | 12 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 53 | Charlottesville city 73/100 county score | 4,485 | 10 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 54 | Caroline County 33/100 county score | 4,337 | 5 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 55 | Petersburg city 36/100 county score | 4,272 | 7 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 56 | Winchester city 57/100 county score | 4,268 | 7 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 57 | Dinwiddie County 36/100 county score | 4,256 | 7 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 58 | Powhatan County 54/100 county score | 4,241 | 6 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide | |
| 59 | Scott County 43/100 county score | 4,024 | 15 | Elementary, middle, and high school records 1 virtual Open district guide | |
| 60 | Pulaski County 51/100 county score | 3,988 | 8 | Elementary, middle, and high school records No charter, magnet, or virtual flags reported Open district guide |
— = enrollment not reported in the district record. District rows are informational and must be paired with local assignment tools before a housing decision.
Methodology
How to use district rankings without overreading them
District-level data is useful because it shows the operating system around a public school search: how many schools exist, which county record anchors the district, how much enrollment is reported, and whether a detailed district guide is available. It is not enough to decide where a student should enroll.
Rows are ordered by reported enrollment, then school count. The method favors broad, data-rich systems because those are the districts parents most often need to research before relocation.
Each district is attached to a primary county record when available. County school scores are context signals, not district ratings, and nearby counties can still matter for commute and housing decisions.
Elementary, middle, and high school counts help parents spot whether a district looks like a full K-12 pathway or a narrower operating unit. Feeder patterns still require local verification.
The final decision happens at the address level. Confirm attendance zones, open-enrollment rules, magnet admissions, charter lotteries, and transfer windows with official district sources.
County context
Districts anchored in higher-scoring county contexts
These rows pair district records with the county-level SchoolsByCounty score. Treat this as a shortlist for deeper research, not a district quality ranking.
Falls Church City Public Schools
Falls Church city94
- Students
- 2,496
- Schools
- 5
Surry County Public Schools
Surry County91
- Students
- 681
- Schools
- 3
Rappahannock County Public Schools
Rappahannock County89
- Students
- 735
- Schools
- 2
Bath County Public Schools
Bath County87
- Students
- 504
- Schools
- 3
Northumberland County Public Schools
Northumberland County86
- Students
- 1,200
- Schools
- 3
Parent checklist before relying on a district ranking
Use this page to narrow the field, then answer these local questions before treating any district as a fit for a specific home.
Use the district address lookup and confirm edge cases near attendance-zone borders.
A strong elementary fit can split into several middle or high school paths.
Magnet, charter, virtual, and transfer options can involve lotteries, applications, or deadlines.
Pair school research with taxes, commute, home prices, and safety before choosing where to live.
Frequently Asked Questions About Virginia School Districts
What are the best school districts in Virginia?
How are Virginia districts ranked here?
Why do only 74 Virginia districts have district guide links?
Do these district pages show attendance boundaries?
Does a large district mean better schools?
How many districts are included for Virginia?
Data Sources
Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.
Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.