VA's Best Middle Schools Ranked In New Analysis

Old Donation School in Virginia Beach is the best public middle school in Virginia, according to a new ranking from U.S. News & World Report.

U.S. News researchers based the 2026 ranking of the nation’s best public middle schools on publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Education. The researchers ranked more than 23,000 middle schools in its 2026 report, which was released Tuesday.

The top 25 public middle schools in Virginia are:

1. Old Donation School, Virginia Beach
2. St. Paul Elementary, St. Paul
3. Mary G. Porter Traditional, Woodbridge
4. Williamsburg Middle, Arlington
5. Rocky Run Middle, Chantilly
6. Pennington Traditional, Manassas
7. Lake Braddock Secondary, Burke
8. J.W. Adams Combined, Pound
9. Tabb Middle, Yorktown
10. L.F. Addington Middle, Wise
11. Stuart Elementary, Stuart
12. Carson Middle, Herndon
13. Longfellow Middle, Falls Church
14. Grafton Middle, Yorktown
15. Francis W. Jones Middle, Hampton
16. Norton Elementary, Norton
17. J.I. Norton High, Norton
18. Cooper Middle, McLean
19. Oak Knoll Middle, Mechanicsville
20. Lylburn Downing Middle, Lexington City
21. Frost Middle, Fairfax
22. Central Academy Middle, Fincastle
23. Rural Retreat Middle, Rural Retreat
24. Queens Lake Middle, Williamsburg
25. Wallace Middle, Bristol

The ranking methodology considered student proficiency in math and reading/language arts state assessments, adjusting for student backgrounds and core subject achievements. In cases of ties, student-teacher ratios were used as a deciding factor.

Related: These Are The Top Elementary Schools In VA, U.S. News Says In New Ranking

The rankings are intended as an evaluation tool to give parents a snapshot of how well schools provide a high-quality education and prepare students for a successful future, LaMont Jones, managing editor for Education at U.S. News, said in a news release.