6.2 avg / 10

Best Schools in Roanoke, Virginia

53 schools · 31 Elementary · 9 Middle · 7 High · 6 Other

Last updated: July 2026

Public: 41

Private: 12

Districts: 2

Avg Rating: 6.2/10

Move-ready shortlistcity map + schools

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.

Explore the map How we rate schools

Shortlist starter

Start with these real page-level signals, then use the full table and map below.

Elementary · Roanoke City Public Schools. Ranked from real test data; use the map and table below to check address fit.

Elementary · Roanoke County Public Schools. Ranked from real test data; use the map and table below to check address fit.

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.

Best value · beats the odds

Grandin Court Elementary

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	Level	Value	State %ile
1	Grandin Court Elementary	9.4 / 10	Elementary	+4.1	99th
2	Crystal Spring Elementary	9.0 / 10	Elementary	+3.7	96th
3	Bonsack Elementary	8.8 / 10	Elementary	+0.6	94th
4	Back Creek Elementary	8.4 / 10	Elementary	+0.2	89th
5	Penn Forest Elementary	8.4 / 10	Elementary	+0.3	89th
6	Wasena Elementary	8.2 / 10	Elementary	+3.0	85th
7	Cave Spring Middle	8.2 / 10	Middle	+0.2	85th
8	Hidden Valley High	8.2 / 10	High	+0.1	85th
9	Hidden Valley Middle	8.0 / 10	Middle	-0.1	81th
10	Cave Spring High	7.8 / 10	High	-0.2	77th

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%

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.

Filter by Level: All Levels (53) Elementary (31) Middle (9) High (7)

Filter by Type: All Types (53) Public (41) Private (12)

Filter by Rating: All Ratings (53) Academics (41) Growth (41) Diversity (41) Resources (41)

Filter by ZIP: 24018 (10) 24019 (10) 24015 (8) 24012 (7) 24016 (6) 24013 (4) 24014 (4) 24017 (4)

Elementary Schools

31 schools

#	School	Enrollment	Grades	Rating
1	Grandin Court Elementary 360 students · Pre-K–5th	360	Pre-K–5th	9.4
2	Crystal Spring Elementary 305 students · Pre-K–5th	305	Pre-K–5th	9.0
3	Bonsack Elementary 314 students · Pre-K–5th	314	Pre-K–5th	8.8
4	Back Creek Elementary 274 students · Pre-K–5th	274	Pre-K–5th	8.4
5	Penn Forest Elementary 406 students · Pre-K–5th	406	Pre-K–5th	8.4
6	Wasena Elementary 252 students · Pre-K–5th	252	Pre-K–5th	8.2
7	Highland Park Elementary 384 students · Pre-K–5th	384	Pre-K–5th	7.7
8	Glen Cove Elementary 437 students · Pre-K–5th	437	Pre-K–5th	7.6
9	Cave Spring Elementary 502 students · Pre-K–5th	502	Pre-K–5th	7.4
10	Virginia Heights Elementary 259 students · Pre-K–5th	259	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	Enrollment	Grades	Rating
1	Cave Spring Middle 751 students · 6th–8th	751	6th–8th	8.2
2	Hidden Valley Middle 568 students · 6th–8th	568	6th–8th	8.0
3	Northside Middle 611 students · 6th–8th	611	6th–8th	7.0
4	James Madison Middle 558 students · 6th–8th	558	6th–8th	5.1
5	Woodrow Wilson Middle 682 students · 6th–8th	682	6th–8th	4.6
6	Breckinridge Middle 595 students · 6th–8th	595	6th–8th	3.7
7	John P. Fishwick Middle 579 students · 6th–8th	579	6th–8th	3.7
8	Addison Aerospace Magnet Middle 483 students · 6th–8th	483	6th–8th	3.3
Private Schools 1 school Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types.
1	Roanoke Adventist Christian School Private 9 students · 1st–7th	9	1st–7th	—

High Schools

7 schools

#	School	Enrollment	Grades	Rating
1	Hidden Valley High 851 students · 9th–12th	851	9th–12th	8.2
2	Cave Spring High 1,075 students · 9th–12th	1,075	9th–12th	7.8
3	Northside High 923 students · 9th–12th	923	9th–12th	7.6
4	Patrick Henry High 2,016 students · 9th–12th	2,016	9th–12th	6.5
5	William Fleming High 1,909 students · 9th–12th	1,909	9th–12th	5.7
Private Schools 2 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types.
1	Community High School Private 64 students · 9th–12th	64	9th–12th	7.2
2	Eastern Appalachian Teen Challenge Private 12 students · 9th–12th	12	9th–12th	—

Other Schools

6 schools

#	School	Enrollment	Grades	Rating
1	Roanoke Catholic School Private 368 students · Pre-K–12th	368	Pre-K–12th	7.4
2	King's Christian Academy Private 170 students · Pre-K–12th	170	Pre-K–12th	6.9
3	North Cross School Private 514 students · Pre-K–12th	514	Pre-K–12th	6.8
4	Rivermont School - Roanoke Private 63 students · 2nd–12th	63	2nd–12th	6.5
5	Minnick Schools Private 55 students · Kindergarten–11th	55	Kindergarten–11th	6.0
6	Roanoke Valley Christian Schools Private 378 students · Pre-K–12th	378	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

Resources

🔍 Google "Roanoke schools" 🏫 GreatSchools Roanoke 📊 Niche Roanoke Rankings 📍 Google Maps: Schools

School Districts (2)

Roanoke City Public Schools

26 schools · 13,582 students

Roanoke County Public Schools

29 schools · 13,799 students

Nearby Cities

Vinton (5 schools)

6 mi

Cloverdale (2 schools)

Troutville (3 schools)

11 mi

Goodview (2 schools)

10 mi

Boones Mill (1 school)

13 mi

Fincastle (2 schools)

17 mi

Wirtz (2 schools)

16 mi

New Castle (2 schools)

Rocky Mount (7 schools)

20 mi

Other Major Cities in Virginia

Top metros statewide by school count.

Richmond 138 schools Virginia Beach 115 schools Alexandria 87 schools Norfolk 71 schools Chesapeake 65 schools

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 rate

Frequently 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.