Arlington School Ranks 1st Among All Public Elementary Schools In VA

ARLINGTON, VA — Arlington Public Schools was ranked the second best school district in Virginia, according to the 2022 Best Schools and Districts Rankings in the U.S. released Monday by Niche. Nearby Falls Church City Public Schools was ranked first.

APS received straight A's in the Academics, Diversity, Teachers, Clubs & Activities, and Health & Safety categories, according to Niche's ranking. For College Prep, Niche gave APS an A+.

These numbers translated to high rankings at the state level too. Arlington County was ranked as the best place to teach and APS was the second safest school district in Virginia, according to Niche.

The 10 school districts sitting atop Niche's list were:

1. Falls Church City Public Schools
2. Arlington Public Schools
3. York County School Division
4. West Point Public Schools
5. Loudoun County Public Schools
6. Fairfax County Public Schools
7. Virginia Beach City Public Schools
8. Albemarle County Public Schools
9. Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools
10. Montgomery County Public Schools

An elementary school from Arlington also scored high in the state rankings. Arlington Traditional Elementary School received an overall A+ ranking, which earned it the top spot among 1,118 public elementary schools in Virginia.

This the eighth year in a row that Niche, a platform connecting students and their families with schools and colleges, has released its rankings of K-12 schools and districts nationwide.

For its 2022 rankings, Niche evaluated 94,491 public schools, 2,489 private schools, and 11,846 school districts across the country. The company relied on input from students, alumni and parents as well as U.S. Department of Education data to come up with its rankings.

READ: Niche's 2022 Best Schools and Districts Rankings in the U.S.

“Our 2022 rankings come at a time when so many parents are curious about the different options for their children’s education, including some they may never have considered before,” said Niche Founder and CEP Luke Skurman, in a release. “No matter where they are in their search process, we strive to be a reliable guide and resource. It is truly an honor to know our users trust us to play a key role in such a big life decision.”

Six Northern Virginia schools, both public and private, appeared among the top 10 high schools in the state, according to Niche. Maggie Walker Governor's School in Richmond was ranked first and Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology was second.

Here are the 10 high schools Niche ranked as the best in Virginia:

1. Maggie Walker Governor's School (Richmond)
2. Thomas Jefferson High School For Science & Technology (Fairfax County)
3. The Madeira School (McLean)
4. Cape Henry Collegiate (Virginia Beach)
5. Episcopal High School (Alexandria)
6. The Potomac School (McLean)
7. BASIS Independent McLean (McLean)
8. Woodberry Forrest School (Woodberry)
9. Pinnacle Academy (Chantilly)
10. Norfolk Academy (Norfolk)