Can I use Wise County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Wise County 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 Wise County?

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 Wise County?

Start with the 14 listed public schools and 2 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Wise County Schools & Education

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

Wise County, Virginia

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

School Score

67/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

95.0%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

95.0%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 89.0%

Per-Pupil Spending

$7,319

National avg $13,239

State avg $7,941

School Score

67/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 54/100

State Score Position

#25

of 127 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Wise County

Measured School Summary

Wise County performs at an average level with a school score of 67/100 and a solid graduation rate of 95.0%.

Funding Context

At $7,319 per pupil, Wise County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 24% above the Virginia average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 6.0 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 8% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Wise County 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

14 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

67/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #25 of 127 Virginia counties with school score data.

Completion

95.0%

6.0 pts above the state average

Funding context

$7,319

$622 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

Wise County has 14 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 Wise County 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

Wise County Public Schools carries most of the listed public-school system, with 13 of 14 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#25

of 127 Virginia counties with school score data. The county score is 13 points above the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 79% 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.

Wise County Public Schools

Elementary to high school visible

5,913 students

Elementary 5Middle 3High 3Other 2

13 listed schools in this county slice.

REGIONAL LEARNING ACADEMY/WISE CO

Other grade structure

0 students

Elementary 0Middle 0High 0Other 1

1 listed school in this county slice.

District reality check

Wise County Public Schools is the largest listed district slice, with 13 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 Wise County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Wise County 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

Wise County Per-Pupil Spending Tracks Below State and National Averages

Education data brief for Wise County, Virginia.

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

Lead metric:Per-pupil spending

Wise County reports a per-pupil expenditure of $7,319, which is notably lower than the Virginia state average of $7,941 and significantly below the national average of $13,000. This spending occurs within a system of 14 schools serving 5,913 students. Wise County Public Schools is the dominant district, managing 13 schools, while Union Primary is the largest individual school with 861 students. Despite the lower expenditure, the county's graduation rate is 95.0%, which is higher than the state average of 89.0% and the national average of 87.0%. The composite school score for Wise County is 67.1, compared to a national median of 50.0 and a state average of 54.1. The school directory highlights a mix of town and rural locales, with 10 schools in town settings. There are no charter schools in the county, though two alternative schools are included in the directory. See the NCES Common Core of Data for school-level records.

Sources

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

School Overview

Total Schools

in Wise County

Reported Enrollment

5,913

11 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary5

Middle3

High3

Other3

2 School Districts in Wise County

Wise County Public Schools

REGIONAL LEARNING ACADEMY/WISE CO

1 school

0 students

14 Public Schools in Wise County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Every NCES public school remains listed here; no school-level profile pages are included in the current generated coverage for this county.

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

Search schools

Level

Sort

Showing 14 of 14 matching schools

Public schools in Wise County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
UNION PRIMARY	Record	Wise County Public Schools	Big Stone Gap, 24219Rural: Fringe	PK–4	Primary	861
CENTRAL HIGH	Record	Wise County Public Schools	Norton, 24273Town: Distant	9–12	High	674
WISE PRIMARY	Record	Wise County Public Schools	Wise, 24293Town: Distant	PK–4	Primary	607
UNION HIGH	Record	Wise County Public Schools	Big Stone Gap, 24219Town: Distant	9–12	High	601
UNION MIDDLE	Record	Wise County Public Schools	Big Stone Gap, 24219Rural: Fringe	5–8	Middle	583
J.W. ADAMS COMBINED	Record	Wise County Public Schools	Pound, 24279Rural: Distant	PK–8	Primary	504
St. Paul Elementary	Record	Wise County Public Schools	St Paul, 24283Rural: Distant	PK–8	Primary	469
COEBURN PRIMARY	Record	Wise County Public Schools	Coeburn, 24230Town: Distant	PK–4	Primary	466
L.F. ADDINGTON MIDDLE	Record	Wise County Public Schools	Wise, 24293Town: Distant	5–8	Middle	451
EASTSIDE HIGH	Record	Wise County Public Schools	Coeburn, 24230Town: Distant	9–12	High	390
COEBURN MIDDLE	Record	Wise County Public Schools	Coeburn, 24230Town: Distant	5–8	Middle	307
REGIONAL LEARNING ACADEMY/WISE CO	Record	REGIONAL LEARNING ACADEMY/WISE CO	Wise, 24293Town: Distant	—	Alternative	—
WISE CO. ALTERNATIVE ED. CTR.	Record	Wise County Public Schools	Wise, 24293Town: Distant	—	Alternative	—
WISE COUNTY CAREER-TECHNICAL CENTER	Record	Wise County Public Schools	Wise, 24293Town: Distant	—	Vocational	—

UNION PRIMARY

Wise County Public Schools

Big Stone Gap, 24219 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–4Primary861 students

CENTRAL HIGH

Wise County Public Schools

Norton, 24273 / Town: Distant

Record9–12High674 students

WISE PRIMARY

Wise County Public Schools

Wise, 24293 / Town: Distant

RecordPK–4Primary607 students

UNION HIGH

Wise County Public Schools

Big Stone Gap, 24219 / Town: Distant

Record9–12High601 students

UNION MIDDLE

Wise County Public Schools

Big Stone Gap, 24219 / Rural: Fringe

Record5–8Middle583 students

J.W. ADAMS COMBINED

Wise County Public Schools

Pound, 24279 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–8Primary504 students

St. Paul Elementary

Wise County Public Schools

St Paul, 24283 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–8Primary469 students

COEBURN PRIMARY

Wise County Public Schools

Coeburn, 24230 / Town: Distant

RecordPK–4Primary466 students

L.F. ADDINGTON MIDDLE

Wise County Public Schools

Wise, 24293 / Town: Distant

Record5–8Middle451 students

EASTSIDE HIGH

Wise County Public Schools

Coeburn, 24230 / Town: Distant

Record9–12High390 students

COEBURN MIDDLE

Wise County Public Schools

Coeburn, 24230 / Town: Distant

Record5–8Middle307 students

REGIONAL LEARNING ACADEMY/WISE CO

Wise, 24293 / Town: Distant

RecordAlternativeEnrollment not available

WISE CO. ALTERNATIVE ED. CTR.

Wise County Public Schools

Wise, 24293 / Town: Distant

RecordAlternativeEnrollment not available

WISE COUNTY CAREER-TECHNICAL CENTER

Wise County Public Schools

Wise, 24293 / Town: Distant

RecordVocationalEnrollment not available

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$7,319

State avg $7,941

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Wise County 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 Wise County?

Wise County has a school score of 67/100, 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 Wise County?

The high school graduation rate in Wise County is 95.0%, 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 Wise County spend per student?

Wise County spends $7,319 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

Southampton County

Virginia

-1 pts

67/100

School score

Page County

Virginia

+1 pts

69/100

School score

York County

Virginia

+2 pts

69/100

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.

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