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Public middle school · Loudoun County Public Schools · Sterling, Virginia

Sterling Middle

Sterling Middle rates 3.9, below most Loudoun County Public Schools middle schools, whose rated median is 7.6.

Middle schools, 1 to 10This campus against public middle schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
3.9this school

3.9 on a one-to-ten scale; the Loudoun County Public Schools median is 7.6.

#1,637 of 1,854 schools in Virginia · Loudoun County Public Schools: 17 middle schools rated, median 7.6

The brief

A Loudoun County Public Schools middle school where students score 26 points below what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 1,637 of 1,854 schools in Virginia and 93 of 96 in Loudoun County Public Schools.

Sterling Middle is listed in Loudoun County Public Schools, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math34%32 points below the Virginia average of 66%2025 SOL
Reading46%28 points below the Virginia average of 74%2025 SOL
Proficiency has fallen 20 points since 2019, to 40% in 2025, across a 17-year record (2009–2025).2025 SOL; 33 test records from VA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
2.5
40% of the rating
Academics
1.7
35% of the rating
Resources & Environment
9.2
25% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2025

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 48% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 62% (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 SOL · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 SOL. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 SOL · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 SOL. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 20164; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Sterling Middle and the 20 nearest middle schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$132,067
Median home value
$526,700
Median rent
$2,031/mo
College educated
38.6%
Homeownership
77.4%
Poverty rate
6.7%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 20164; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
75
Very Walkable
Bike Score
48
Somewhat Bikeable
County reported crime
718/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 county residents, counting every city police department, sheriff's office and county police department that reported a full year to the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program. Shown only where those agencies cover at least 80% of the county's residents. Not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · county context, not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
82.9%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. 7.7Compare →
  2. 7.4Compare →
  3. 6.1Compare →
  4. 5.6Compare →
  5. 4.5Compare →
  6. Sterling Middlethis school
    3.9
Five grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and five rate higher than Sterling Middle.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Sterling Middle serve?

Sterling Middle serves students in grades 6th through 8th.

How many students attend Sterling Middle?

Sterling Middle has an enrollment of approximately 947 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Sterling Middle?

The student-teacher ratio at Sterling Middle is 9.6:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Sterling Middle rank in VA?

Sterling Middle ranks #1,637 of 1,854 schools in VA.

What is Sterling Middle's MySchoolScout rating?

Sterling Middle has a current MySchoolScout rating of 3.9 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Sterling Middle?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Sterling Middle has 48% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 62% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Sterling Middle a charter school?

No, Sterling Middle is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Sterling Middle a Title I school?

No, Sterling Middle is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Sterling Middle?

82.9% of students at Sterling Middle qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
6th – 8th
Enrollment
947
Student-teacher ratio
9.6:1
Teachers (FTE)
99
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Loudoun County
Rank in district
#93 of 96
Schools in district
100
District spending per student
$19,934
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
3.4%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 20164)
42,694
Area average commute
27.1 min
Area median age
35

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

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.