These Are The Best Middle Schools In VA: U.S. News Ranking

VIRGINIA — 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 2025 ranking of the nation’s best public middle schools on publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Education. The researchers analyzed 59,128 middle schools for the report.

The top 25 public middle schools in Virginia are:

1. Old Donation School, Virginia Beach Public Schools

2. St. Paul Elementary (PreK-8), Wise County Public Schools

3. Longfellow Middle, Fairfax County Public Schools

4. Mary G. Porter Traditional, Prince William County Public Schools

5. Williamsburg Middle, Arlington County Public Schools

6. Rocky Run Middle, Fairfax County Public Schools

7. Carson Middle, Fairfax County Public Schools

8. Lake Braddock Secondary, Fairfax County Public Schools

9. Cooper Middle, Fairfax County Public Schools

10. Tabb Middle, York County Public Schools

11. Frost Middle, Fairfax County Public Schools

12. J.W. Adams Combined, Wise County Public Schools

13. Lylburn Downing Middle, Lexington City Public Schools

14. Stone Hill Middle, Loudoun County Public Schools

15. Oak Knoll Middle, Hanover County Public Schools

16. Grafton Middle, York County Public Schools

17. Chickahominy Middle, York County Public Schools

18. J.I. Burton High, Norton City Public Schools

19. Mary Ellen Henderson Middle, Falls Church City Public Schools

20. Great Neck Middle, Virginia Beach Public Schools

21. Stuart Elementary, Patrick County Public Schools

22. Honaker Elementary, Russell County Public Schools

23. L.F. Addington Middle, Wise County Public Schools

24. Joseph T Henley Middle, Albemarle County Public Schools

25. Thoreau Middle, Fairfax County Public Schools

Go here to see the full list of Virginia's best middle schools.

RELATED: These Are The Best Elementary Schools In VA: U.S. News Ranking

The methodology for the rankings focused on state assessments of students who were proficient or above proficient in math and reading/language arts, while also accounting for students’ background and their achievements in core subjects. Student-teacher ratios were applied to break ties.

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.