Best Elementary Schools in Virginia (2026 List)

Virginia's focus on high-quality education places it among the best school districts for elementary students. The state ranks in the top ten for NAEP assessment results, and students outperform their peers nationwide on average. The state also offers 14:1 student-teacher ratios-better than the national average-which allows for more personalized learning for families. Families of elementary-aged children have access to 1,100+ elementary schools across 132 districts. Virginia's visionary initiatives, for example the Virginia Literacy Act, have extended the best practices for K-8 students across all districts to support reading instruction based in science during reading instruction. There are also local programs such as Readers Rise, which support individual students with literacy, further enhancing the foundation for schooling across Virginia.