Arlington Is Top School District In Virginia, Says New Ranking

ARLINGTON, VA — Arlington Public Schools is the top school district in Virginia for the second consecutive year, according to data compiler Niche, which ranked Virginia's best school districts for the 2019-2020 school year.

The rankings were released Monday as part of the website's 2020 K-12 rankings. Each Maryland school district received a letter grade in the following categories: Academics; Diversity; Teachers; College Prep; Clubs & Activities; Health & Safety; Administration; Sports; Food; and Resources & Facilities.

Niche gave Arlington an A or an A+ in every category. Last year, Arlington was also No. 1. (See last year's list as a comparison: Virginia's Best School Districts: New Rankings Released) The school district has 26,176 students in grades PK-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 14 to 1. According to state test scores, 77 percent of students are at least proficient in math and 86 percent in reading.

Comments from current students, alumni and parents are included in the analysis, as well as observations about things like academics, extracurricular activities, student life, college readiness and more.

One student summed up their experience at Arlington Public Schools with this review: "I have grown up in Arlington my entire life. This small town has taught me how to love home football games and holiday-themed parades. Every school, elementary, middle, and high school, has provided me with tools to grow as a student. The faculty has laid down the stepping stones for me to become a successful woman, and I cannot thank them enough. I would definitely recommend!"

To arrive at the rankings, Niche looked at data from the U.S. Department of Education as well as test scores, college data, and ratings collected from Niche users. (You can read more about the methodology here.)

Here the top 50 from the list of top school districts in Virginia as ranked by Niche.com:

1. Arlington Public Schools
2. Falls Church City Public Schools
3. West Point Public Schools
4. Loudoun County Public Schools
5. Albemarle County Public Schools
6. Fairfax County Public Schools
7. York County School Division
8. Charlottesville City Schools
9. Virginia Beach City Public Schools
10. Chesapeake Public Schools
11. Goochland County Public Schools
12. Roanoke County Public Schools
13. Rockingham County Public Schools
14. Poquoson City Public Schools
15. Salem City Schools
16. Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools
17. Montgomery County Public Schools
18. Hanover County Public Schools
19. Colonial Heights City Public Schools
20. Chesterfield County Public Schools
21. Wise County Public Schools
22. Powhatan County Public Schools
23. Henrico County Public Schools
24. Richmond County Public Schools
25. Stafford County Public Schools
26. Prince William County Public Schools
27. Louisa County Public Schools
28. King George County Public Schools
29. Botetourt County Public Schools
30. Fauquier County Public Schools
31. Pittsylvania County Public Schools
32. Washington County Public Schools
33. Franklin County Public Schools
34. Frederick County Public Schools
35. Winchester City Public Schools
36. Rockbridge County Public Schools
37. Appomattox County Public Schools
38. Fluvanna County Public Schools
39. Prince George County Public Schools
40. Charlotte County Public Schools
41. Carroll County Public Schools
42. Harrisonburg City Public Schools
43. Isle of Wight County Public Schools
44. New Kent County Public Schools
45. Alexandria City Public Schools
46. Patrick County Public Schools
47. Dinwiddie County Public Schools
48. Spotsylvania County Public Schools
49. Staunton City Public Schools
50. Clarke County Public Schools

Niche looked at more than 94,000 public schools, 4,100 private schools and nearly 11,000 school districts across the country. The rankings are meant to help parents and students find schools that best fit their needs.

"Unlike traditional school rankings, which rely almost exclusively on test scores and academic performance, Niche's rankings provide a real-life view of what it's like to attend a given school," the company said in a news release.