Can I use Harrisonburg city's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Harrisonburg city school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Harrisonburg city?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Harrisonburg city?

Start with the 12 listed public schools and 2 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Harrisonburg city Schools & Education

Name: Harrisonburg city, Virginia Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Harrisonburg city, Virginia

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

53/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

89.4%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

89.4%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 89.0%

Per-Pupil Spending

$7,859

National avg $13,239

State avg $7,941

School Score

53/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 54/100

State Score Position

#63

of 127 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Harrisonburg city

Measured School Summary

Harrisonburg city performs at an average level with a school score of 53/100 and a solid graduation rate of 89.4%.

Funding Context

At $7,859 per pupil, Harrisonburg city operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 1% below the Virginia average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 0.4 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 1% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Harrisonburg city before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

12 public schools and 2 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

53/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #63 of 127 Virginia counties with school score data.

Completion

89.4%

0.4 pts above the state average

Funding context

$7,859

$82 below the state average

School coverage

2 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Harrisonburg city has 12 public schools across 2 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Harrisonburg city school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Dominant-district county

Harrisonburg City Public Schools carries most of the listed public-school system, with 10 of 12 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#63

of 127 Virginia counties with school score data. The county score is roughly in line with the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 83% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

Harrisonburg City Public Schools

Elementary to high school visible

6,682 students

Elementary 6Middle 2High 1Other 1

10 listed schools in this county slice.

Massanutten Technical Center

Other grade structure

0 students

Elementary 0Middle 0High 0Other 1

1 listed school in this county slice.

District reality check

Harrisonburg City Public Schools is the largest listed district slice, with 10 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Harrisonburg city?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Harrisonburg city district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?

Which schools are missing enrollment or ratio fields, and does the district publish a newer local profile than the NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data?

Data Story

Harrisonburg high school accounts for nearly thirty percent of enrollment

Education data brief for Harrisonburg city, Virginia.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Lead metric:District structure

Harrisonburg city is characterized by a concentrated district structure where Harrisonburg High, with 1,951 students, accounts for nearly 30% of the city’s total public enrollment of 6,911. The city operates 12 schools, all within an urban city locale, primarily through the Harrisonburg City Public Schools district. The graduation rate in the city is 89.4%, which aligns closely with the state average of 89.0% and is higher than the national average of 87.0%. Per-pupil expenditure is reported at $7,859, just under the state average of $7,941 and below the national $13,000 benchmark. The composite school score of 53.4 is nearly identical to the state average of 54.1. Massanutten Technical Center also operates as a district within the city limits. Access the NCES website for detailed school-level characteristics.

Sources

NCES Common Core of Data
U.S. Census Bureau ACS

School Overview

Total Schools

in Harrisonburg city

Reported Enrollment

6,911

10 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary7

Middle2

High1

Other2

2 School Districts in Harrisonburg city

Harrisonburg City Public Schools

Massanutten Technical Center

1 school

0 students

12 Public Schools in Harrisonburg city

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 1 high-enrollment school; every NCES public school remains listed here.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

Sort

Showing 12 of 12 matching schools

Public schools in Harrisonburg city, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
HARRISONBURG HIGH	Profile	Harrisonburg City Public Schools	Harrisonburg, 22801City: Small	9–12	High	1,951
Smithland Elementary	Record	Harrisonburg City Public Schools	Harrisonburg, 22802City: Small	PK–5	Primary	730
SKYLINE MIDDLE	Record	Harrisonburg City Public Schools	Harrisonburg, 22802City: Small	6–8	Middle	697
THOMAS HARRISON MIDDLE	Record	Harrisonburg City Public Schools	Harrisonburg, 22801City: Small	6–8	Middle	693
Stone Spring Elementary	Record	Harrisonburg City Public Schools	Harrisonburg, 22801City: Small	PK–5	Primary	557
Bluestone Elementary	Record	Harrisonburg City Public Schools	Harrisonburg, 22801City: Small	KG–5	Primary	550
Waterman Elementary	Record	Harrisonburg City Public Schools	Harrisonburg, 22802City: Small	PK–5	Primary	530
Keister Elementary	Record	Harrisonburg City Public Schools	Harrisonburg, 22801City: Small	PK–5	Primary	526
Spotswood Elementary	Record	Harrisonburg City Public Schools	Harrisonburg, 22801City: Small	PK–5	Primary	448
Pleasant Valley Elementary	Record	Rockingham County Public Schools	Harrisonburg, 22801City: Small	PK–5	Primary	229
Harrisonburg H.S. Governor's STEM Academy	Record	Harrisonburg City Public Schools	Harrisonburg, 22801City: Small	—	Vocational	—
MASSANUTTEN TECH CTR	Record	Massanutten Technical Center	Harrisonburg, 22801City: Small	—	Vocational	—

HARRISONBURG HIGH

Harrisonburg City Public Schools

Harrisonburg, 22801 / City: Small

Profile9–12High1,951 students

Smithland Elementary

Harrisonburg City Public Schools

Harrisonburg, 22802 / City: Small

RecordPK–5Primary730 students

SKYLINE MIDDLE

Harrisonburg City Public Schools

Harrisonburg, 22802 / City: Small

Record6–8Middle697 students

THOMAS HARRISON MIDDLE

Harrisonburg City Public Schools

Harrisonburg, 22801 / City: Small

Record6–8Middle693 students

Stone Spring Elementary

Harrisonburg City Public Schools

Harrisonburg, 22801 / City: Small

RecordPK–5Primary557 students

Bluestone Elementary

Harrisonburg City Public Schools

Harrisonburg, 22801 / City: Small

RecordKG–5Primary550 students

Waterman Elementary

Harrisonburg City Public Schools

Harrisonburg, 22802 / City: Small

RecordPK–5Primary530 students

Keister Elementary

Harrisonburg City Public Schools

Harrisonburg, 22801 / City: Small

RecordPK–5Primary526 students

Spotswood Elementary

Harrisonburg City Public Schools

Harrisonburg, 22801 / City: Small

RecordPK–5Primary448 students

Pleasant Valley Elementary

Rockingham County Public Schools

Harrisonburg, 22801 / City: Small

RecordPK–5Primary229 students

Harrisonburg H.S. Governor's STEM Academy

Harrisonburg City Public Schools

Harrisonburg, 22801 / City: Small

RecordVocationalEnrollment not available

MASSANUTTEN TECH CTR

Massanutten Technical Center

Harrisonburg, 22801 / City: Small

RecordVocationalEnrollment not available

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$7,859

State avg $7,941

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Harrisonburg city against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Virginia counties have the highest graduation rates?

Alleghany County (97.0%), Clarke County (97.0%), and Falls Church city (97.0%) currently lead Virginia among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in Virginia?

Across Virginia counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $7,941. The highest current county values are Surry County ($12,490), Highland County ($12,429), and Arlington County ($11,425). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Harrisonburg city?

Harrisonburg city has a school score of 53/100, which is a midrange measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Harrisonburg city?

The high school graduation rate in Harrisonburg city is 89.4%, which is above the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Harrisonburg city spend per student?

Harrisonburg city spends $7,859 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Greene County

Virginia

-0 pts

53/100

School score

Russell County

Virginia

-0 pts

53/100

School score

Powhatan County

Virginia

+0 pts

54/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

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.

Explore more data for Harrisonburg city

Property Tax Cost of Living Crime Rate Income Health Disaster Risk Water Quality Weather County Score