Best Schools in Roanoke, Virginia
53 schools · 31 Elementary · 9 Middle · 7 High · 6 Other
Choosing a school in Roanoke?
Use this page to compare every school in Roanoke by level, neighborhood, and district — and find the right fit, not just the top of the list.
Shortlist starter
Start with these real page-level signals, then use the full table and map below.
Grandin Court Elementary
Elementary · Roanoke City Public Schools. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
Crystal Spring Elementary
Elementary · Roanoke City Public Schools. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
Bonsack Elementary
Elementary · Roanoke County Public Schools. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
The short answer
The top-rated schools in Roanoke for 2026 are Grandin Court Elementary (9.4/10), Crystal Spring Elementary (9.0/10), and Bonsack Elementary (8.8/10), based on MySchoolScout's analysis of real test data across 49 rated schools. Ratings blend student growth, poverty-adjusted academic achievement, and school environment (plus college readiness for high schools), with equity shown as context, not scored; schools with estimated (proxy) scores are excluded from this ranking.
Schools
53
41 public · 12 private
Avg Score
6.2
out of 10
Median Home
$202,988
home value · ACS
Districts
2
serving the city
Schools
53
41 public · 12 private
Avg Score
6.2
out of 10
Median Home
$202,988
home value · ACS
Districts
2
serving the city
Rates 9.4/10 despite 100% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 4.1 points higher than its student-poverty level predicts. Roughly as clean a case of strong results without an affluent-ZIP price tag as you'll find among Roanoke schools.
Top-Rated Schools in Roanoke
Ranked by MySchoolScout composite using only schools with real test data (49 of 53). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.
| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grandin Court Elementary | 9.4 / 10 |
| 2 | Crystal Spring Elementary | 9.0 / 10 |
| 3 | Bonsack Elementary | 8.8 / 10 |
| 4 | Back Creek Elementary | 8.4 / 10 |
| 5 | Penn Forest Elementary | 8.4 / 10 |
| 6 | Wasena Elementary | 8.2 / 10 |
| 7 | Cave Spring Middle | 8.2 / 10 |
| 8 | Hidden Valley High | 8.2 / 10 |
| 9 | Hidden Valley Middle | 8.0 / 10 |
| 10 | Cave Spring High | 7.8 / 10 |
See every school — including those with estimated data — in the full directory below. How we rate schools.
Family Snapshot
At a glance- Avg school rating
- 6.2/10
- Median household income
- $61,799
- Median home value
- $202,988
- Bachelor's degree or higher
- 31%
- Avg commute
- 20 min
- Owner-occupied homes
- 57%
41% of schools rated 7+
Census ACS, ZIPs in this city
Owner-occupied units
Adults 25+
Workers age 16+
Of occupied housing units
How Roanoke compares
Virginia rank
#104 of 182
cities by avg. school score
Vs. state average
+0.0
above Virginia avg (6.2)
Median household income
$62k
70% of Virginia median
Schools in this city
49
About Schools in Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke, Virginia has 41 ranked public schools spanning elementary, middle, and high school levels. The city's average school score is 5.9 out of 10, which reflects a wide spread of performance across the district. Parents should know that quality varies significantly depending on neighborhood and grade level — the gap between the top and bottom of the range is substantial.
The top performers skew elementary. Bonsack Elementary leads all 41 ranked schools with a score of 8.7 out of 10, making it the highest-rated public school in the city. Back Creek Elementary follows at 8.5, and Penn Forest Elementary rounds out the strong elementary tier at 8.1. Northside Middle earns an 8.4, standing out as one of the few high-scoring middle schools in the area. At the high school level, Cave Spring High scores 8.0 — the strongest rated secondary option in Roanoke. Taken together, 16 schools, or 39% of all ranked schools, score 7 or above, meaning parents have genuine options at each grade level if location allows flexibility.
The remaining 61% of schools fall below a 7, pulling the citywide average to 5.9. That figure signals meaningful unevenness: choosing a school by address alone could mean landing in a significantly below-average building or a top-tier one. School boundaries in this market carry real consequences for a child's academic environment, so verifying exact attendance zones before committing to a home or rental address is worth the extra step.
Practically speaking, parents prioritizing the strongest academics should focus their search on the southwest corridor, where several of the top-rated schools cluster. Families with middle schoolers have a clear standout in Northside Middle. Those approaching high school decisions should look closely at Cave Spring High, the only rated high school breaking the 8.0 threshold in the city. Running address-specific lookups on MySchoolScout will confirm which schools serve each specific street, since district boundary lines in Roanoke do not always follow intuitive geographic logic.
Elementary Schools
31 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 360 students · Pre-K–5th | 9.4 |
| 2 | 305 students · Pre-K–5th | 9.0 |
| 3 | 314 students · Pre-K–5th | 8.8 |
| 4 | 274 students · Pre-K–5th | 8.4 |
| 5 | 406 students · Pre-K–5th | 8.4 |
| 6 | 252 students · Pre-K–5th | 8.2 |
| 7 | 384 students · Pre-K–5th | 7.7 |
| 8 | 437 students · Pre-K–5th | 7.6 |
| 9 | 502 students · Pre-K–5th | 7.4 |
| 10 | 259 students · Pre-K–5th | 7.3 |
Show all 31 elementary schools in Roanoke
Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models, so scores are not directly comparable across school types.
Middle Schools
9 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 751 students · 6th–8th | 8.2 | ||
| 2 | 568 students · 6th–8th | 8.0 | ||
| 3 | 611 students · 6th–8th | 7.0 | ||
| 4 | 558 students · 6th–8th | 5.1 | ||
| 5 | 682 students · 6th–8th | 4.6 | ||
| 6 | 595 students · 6th–8th | 3.7 | ||
| 7 | 579 students · 6th–8th | 3.7 | ||
| 8 | 483 students · 6th–8th | 3.3 | ||
Private Schools1 school Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types. | ||||
| 1 | 9 students · 1st–7th | Not Rated | ||
High Schools
7 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 851 students · 9th–12th | 8.2 | ||
| 2 | 1,075 students · 9th–12th | 7.8 | ||
| 3 | 923 students · 9th–12th | 7.6 | ||
| 4 | 2,016 students · 9th–12th | 6.5 | ||
| 5 | 1,909 students · 9th–12th | 5.7 | ||
Private Schools2 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types. | ||||
| 1 | Community High SchoolPrivate 64 students · 9th–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 2 | 12 students · 9th–12th | Not Rated | ||
Other Schools
6 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roanoke Catholic SchoolPrivate 368 students · Pre-K–12th | Not Rated |
| 2 | King's Christian AcademyPrivate 170 students · Pre-K–12th | Not Rated |
| 3 | North Cross SchoolPrivate 514 students · Pre-K–12th | Not Rated |
| 4 | Rivermont School - RoanokePrivate 63 students · 2nd–12th | Not Rated |
| 5 | Minnick SchoolsPrivate 55 students · Kindergarten–11th | Not Rated |
| 6 | 378 students · Pre-K–12th | Not Rated |
Schools in Roanoke
Roanoke, Virginia · 53 schools
Community Demographics
Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates across 8 ZIP codes
Median Income
$61,799
Median Home Value
$202,988
Median Rent
$1,027/mo
Population
169,466
College Educated
31%
Homeownership
57%
Avg Commute
20 min
Poverty Rate
16.2%
Community Profile
Roanoke has a median household income of $61,799. It is an area where 31% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The median home value in the area is $202,988, with a median rent of $1,027/month. The area has a poverty rate of 16.2%. The average commute for residents is 20 minutes. Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates.
Schools by Level
- State
- Virginia
- Elementary
- 31
- Middle
- 9
- High
- 7
- Other
- 6
Nearby Cities
Other Major Cities in Virginia
Top metros statewide by school count.
How we rate schools
A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.
See how we rateFrequently Asked Questions
Common questions about schools in Roanoke, Virginia
How many schools are in Roanoke, Virginia?
Roanoke has 53 schools, including 41 public and 12 private schools spanning elementary, middle, and high school levels.
What is the average school rating in Roanoke, Virginia?
The average MySchoolScout composite score for schools in Roanoke is 6.2 out of 10, built from student growth, poverty-adjusted academic achievement, and school environment — plus college readiness for high schools.
What is the top-ranked school in Roanoke, Virginia?
The top-ranked school in Roanoke on MySchoolScout is Grandin Court Elementary with a composite score of 9.4/10.
What is the best elementary school in Roanoke, Virginia?
The top-ranked elementary school in Roanoke on MySchoolScout is Grandin Court Elementary with a composite score of 9.4/10.
What is the best middle school in Roanoke, Virginia?
The top-ranked middle school in Roanoke on MySchoolScout is Cave Spring Middle with a composite score of 8.2/10.
What is the best high school in Roanoke, Virginia?
The top-ranked high school in Roanoke on MySchoolScout is Hidden Valley High with a composite score of 8.2/10.
How many school districts serve Roanoke, Virginia?
Roanoke is served by 2 school districts: Roanoke City Public Schools, Roanoke County Public Schools.
What is the education level in Roanoke, Virginia?
According to Census data, 31% of adults in Roanoke have earned a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the median income in Roanoke, Virginia?
The median household income in Roanoke is approximately $61,799 according to Census ACS 2022 estimates.
Are there private schools in Roanoke, Virginia?
Yes, Roanoke has 12 private schools alongside 41 public schools. The top-rated private school is Roanoke Catholic School with a score of 7.4/10.
What is the student-teacher ratio in Roanoke, Virginia?
The average student-teacher ratio across schools in Roanoke is 11.9:1. This ratio varies by school, so families should check individual school profiles for specific classroom sizes.
How does MySchoolScout rate schools in Roanoke, Virginia?
MySchoolScout rates schools using publicly available data from the NCES Common Core of Data and state education departments. Each school receives a 1-10 composite score built from Student Growth, Poverty-Adjusted Academic Achievement, and School Environment — plus College Readiness for high schools. Weights vary by school level, and equity data is shown for context but not scored.
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Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Virginia Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.