Photo: Bruce Emmerling · CC BY-SA 4.0Norfolk’s public schools score below 96% of Virginia districts on tests and graduation
In Norfolk, 27% of tested students are proficient in math, below the Virginia average (54%). The grade covers the public school district serving Norfolk, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests and graduation. Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within Virginia, not nationally.
From Virginia state tests taken in spring 2021, when nearly all of students in the tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s four-year graduation rate, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education.
Norfolk’s schools, in brief
Spending, and where it came from
The district spent $16,790 per student in FY2024, against $17,169 across Virginia. 23% of its revenue that year was federal (Virginia 10%), in the last year of pandemic relief. Districts ↓
30 elementary schools, then ten middle and five high schools
Which school depends on the address at every step. See the path ↓
Choice beyond the district
Norfolk Academy (private), Norfolk Christian Schools (private), Norfolk Collegiate School (private), Norfolk Collegiate School (private), St. Patrick Catholic School (private), Christ the King Catholic School (private), Ocean View Christian Academy (private), St. Pius X School (private), First Baptist Ready Academy Christian School (private), The Williams School (private), Ghent Montessori School (private), First Presbyterian Preschool (private), Loch-Meadow Kindergarten (private), McDonald Montessori School (private), West Ghent School (private), Ryan Academy of Norfolk (private), Kempsville Center for Behavioral Health (private), The Hague School (private), Park Place School (private), St. Peter's Episcopal Day School (private), Dominion Academy (private), Roadstead Montesorri High School (private), Yeshiva Aish Kodosh Talmudical Academy (private), Bina High School (private) and St. John Lutheran School (private) are in town. Every school ↓
Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2020–21, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.
What’s behind Norfolk’s grade
D−: better than 4% of Virginia school districts, #246 of 250 Virginia towns. Both inputs trail the Virginia average; graduation is the closer of the two to typical.
Where will my kid go?
Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Norfolk, with each school’s own grade.
Norfolk’s public schools are run by Norfolk City Public Schools. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.
The district
Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.
How students score
Norfolk vs. its neighbors
Schools grades for the Virginia towns that share Norfolk’s borders.
| Town | Schools | Main districts |
|---|---|---|
| Norfolk | D− | Norfolk City |
| Virginia Beach | A | Virginia Beach City |
| Chesapeake | B+ | Chesapeake City |
| Hampton | B+ | Hampton City |
| Portsmouth | D | Portsmouth City |
Every school in Norfolk
69 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Virginia’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).
Left off: 9 public programs with fewer than 25 students (Kings Daughters Hosp. Ep., Norfolk Juvenile Detention Center, Tidewater Regional Alternative Ed Project, Governor's School for the Arts, Norfolk Technical Center, Madison Alternative Center, The Academy of International Studies at Rosemont, Norfolk Alternative High and Norfolk Alternative Middle).
Questions about Norfolk’s schools
Are Norfolk’s schools good?
On Virginia’s tests they score below most of the state: the public schools Norfolk children attend score below 96% of Virginia’s school districts on tests and graduation, a D− Schools grade, #246 of 250 Virginia towns. Tests are from 2020–21, graduation from the class of 2023.
What school district is Norfolk in?
Norfolk City Public Schools, which runs grades PK–12 and enrolls 26,807 students in 44 schools (2024–25).
Where do Norfolk kids go to high school?
One of 5 high schools, depending on your address: Granby High, Matthew Fontaine Maury High, Norview High, Lake Taylor High and Booker T Washington High.
What is Norfolk’s graduation rate?
79% of the class of 2023 in Norfolk City Public Schools graduated in four years, against 89% across Virginia.
How much does Norfolk spend per student?
$16,790 in Norfolk City Public Schools (FY2024), against $17,169 across Virginia. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.
Are there private schools in Norfolk?
Yes: Norfolk Academy (nonsectarian, grades 1–12, 1,207 students), Norfolk Christian Schools (religious, grades PK–12, 761 students), Norfolk Collegiate School (nonsectarian, grades PK–12, 548 students), Norfolk Collegiate School (nonsectarian, grades PK–12, 543 students), St. Patrick Catholic School (Catholic, grades PK–8, 409 students), Christ the King Catholic School (Catholic, grades PK–8, 254 students), Ocean View Christian Academy (religious, grades PK–12, 202 students), St. Pius X School (Catholic, grades PK–8, 190 students), First Baptist Ready Academy Christian School (religious, grades PK–5, 168 students), The Williams School (nonsectarian, grades PK–8, 167 students), Ghent Montessori School (nonsectarian, grades PK–8, 149 students), First Presbyterian Preschool (religious, grades PK–K, 126 students), Loch-Meadow Kindergarten (nonsectarian, grades PK–K, 93 students), McDonald Montessori School (nonsectarian, grades PK–3, 65 students), West Ghent School (nonsectarian, grades PK–1, 58 students), Ryan Academy of Norfolk (nonsectarian, grades K–8, 51 students), Kempsville Center for Behavioral Health (special education, grades 6–12, 51 students), The Hague School (nonsectarian, grades 9–12, 45 students), Park Place School (religious, grades 3–8, 39 students), St. Peter's Episcopal Day School (religious, grades PK–K, 35 students), Dominion Academy (special education, grades 4–12, 33 students), Roadstead Montesorri High School (nonsectarian, grades 8–12, 18 students), Yeshiva Aish Kodosh Talmudical Academy (religious · all-boys, grades 9–12, 14 students), Bina High School (religious · all-girls, grades 7–10, 9 students) and St. John Lutheran School (religious, grades PK–K, 9 students).
Parents talk
What Norfolk families are saying about school.
Looking for colleges? Colleges near Norfolk → They have their own page.
School data: state test results (2020–21, with participation) and four-year graduation rates (class of 2023) reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express); each school’s own letter uses its 2020–21 results (EDFacts via the Urban Institute); schools and enrollment from NCES (2024–25; private schools 2023–24); spending from the Census Bureau’s school finance survey (FY2024). The School Grade is our own summary, graded within Virginia. Stars are from neighbors.