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Virgil Grissom High School

Q: Is Virgil Grissom High School a good school?

Virgil Grissom High School ranks 85 th of 374 Alabama high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend Virgil Grissom High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,847 students attended Virgil Grissom High School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Virgil Grissom High School?

Students at Virgil Grissom High School are 52% White, 21% Hispanic, 17% African American, 6% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

Q: What schools feed into Virgil Grissom High School?

Virgil Grissom High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Challenger Elementary School Elementary : Farley Elementary School Elementary : McDonnell Elementary School Elementary : Mountain Gap Elementary School Elementary : Roger B Chaffee Elementary School Elementary : Weatherly Heights Elementary School Elementary : Whitesburg Elementary School Middle : Challenger Middle School Middle : Mountain Gap Middle School Middle : Whitesburg Middle School

Public Grades 9-12

85^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 374 Alabama High Schools

Better than 77% of Alabama high schools

Summary

Virgil Grissom High School is a public high school in Huntsville, Alabama, serving 1,885 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Huntsville City School District, which is ranked 79 out of 135 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Virgil Grissom High School consistently ranks among the top high schools in Alabama, with a statewide ranking between 33-85 over the past 10 years and a 4-star or 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's students outperform the Huntsville City and Alabama state averages in proficiency rates for the 11th grade Summative Assessments in Mathematics, Science, and English. Additionally, Virgil Grissom High School has maintained high four-year graduation rates, ranging from 88.2% to 93.6% over the past few years, consistently outperforming the district and state averages.

While Virgil Grissom High School has a strong academic reputation, its statewide ranking and SchoolDigger star rating have declined over the past few years, and the school has experienced an increase in chronic absenteeism rates. When compared to nearby schools, Virgil Grissom High School generally outperforms its peers in the Huntsville City School District, but lags behind the high-performing New Century Technology High School. Compared to schools in the neighboring Madison City School District, such as Bob Jones High School, Virgil Grissom High School's performance is mixed, with the latter surpassing Virgil Grissom High School in several key metrics.

1,847

Students ?

18.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$7,893

Per pupil spending ?

35%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1001 Haysland Road
Huntsville, AL 35802

(256) 428-8000

District: Huntsville City

Feeder schools for Virgil Grissom High School:

Elementary:	Challenger Elementary School
	Farley Elementary School
	McDonnell Elementary School
	Mountain Gap Elementary School
	More...
	Roger B Chaffee Elementary School
	Weatherly Heights Elementary School
	Whitesburg Elementary School
Middle:	Challenger Middle School
	Mountain Gap Middle School
	Whitesburg Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

51.7%

Hispanic:

20.8%

African American:

17.4%

See top rated Alabama high schools

Compare Virgil Grissom High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 96th percentile in 2015 → 77th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Alabama average (35% vs 29% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 23% of Alabama high schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 19 percentile points since 2015

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school35%

District avg31%

Alabama avg29%

85^th of 374

Alabama public high schools ?

Top 23%▼ down 19 pts since 2015

From top 4% (2015) to top 23% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Alabama High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 6High Schools in the Huntsville City

79^th of 135Huntsville City among Alabama districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	74.5	85 of 374	77.3%	★★★★☆
2024	86.6	41 of 378	89.2%	★★★★☆
2023	79.9	60 of 371	83.8%	★★★★☆
2022	88.6	40 of 367	89.1%	★★★★☆
2021	87.5	40 of 371	89.2%	★★★★☆
2019	88.3	36 of 366	90.2%	★★★★★
2018	88.0	33 of 356	90.7%	★★★★★
2017	84.4	42 of 353	88.1%	★★★★☆
2016	74.8	61 of 351	82.6%	★★★★☆
2015	96.6	13 of 353	96.3%	★★★★★
2014	95.7	15 of 358	95.8%	★★★★★
2013	76.3	14 of 358	96.1%	★★★★★
2012	86.1	11 of 358	96.9%	★★★★★
2011	83.9	15 of 360	95.8%	★★★★★
2010	87.4	9 of 358	97.5%	★★★★★
2009	88.1	11 of 357	96.9%	★★★★★
2008	90.7	5 of 359	98.6%	★★★★★
2007	90.3	9 of 358	97.5%	★★★★★
2006	88.5	10 of 357	97.2%	★★★★★
2005	89.4	8 of 359	97.8%	★★★★★
2004	87.7	10 of 357	97.2%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	37.9	125 of 228	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	62.9	52 of 231	77.5%	★★★★☆
2023	47.2	93 of 224	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.1	55 of 222	75.2%	★★★★☆
2021	57.0	63 of 228	72.4%	★★★★☆
2019	70.5	44 of 224	80.4%	★★★★☆
2018	61.1	59 of 223	73.5%	★★★★☆
2017	47.7	80 of 189	57.7%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	5.5	18 of 18	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	59.7	8 of 17	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	12.3	13 of 15	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	65.9	8 of 16	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.2	9 of 18	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	54.7	8 of 18	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.8	12 of 18	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	60.4	8 of 17	52.9%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	37.8	40 of 75	46.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	26.3	48 of 63	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.1	23 of 43	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.9	37 of 39	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	33.8	18 of 28	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	75.4	5 of 29	82.8%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	70.6	99 of 359	72.4%	★★★★☆
2024	87.0	42 of 366	88.5%	★★★★☆
2023	78.5	66 of 358	81.6%	★★★★☆
2022	85.1	42 of 367	88.6%	★★★★☆
2021	82.3	49 of 359	86.4%	★★★★☆
2019	83.8	53 of 354	85.0%	★★★★☆
2018	84.8	45 of 347	87.0%	★★★★☆
2017	85.3	37 of 343	89.2%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	30.0	92 of 142	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	57.1	49 of 139	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.5	56 of 122	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	32.0	75 of 114	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	46.6	53 of 113	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	68.9	27 of 103	73.8%	★★★★☆
2018	62.3	30 of 95	68.4%	★★★★☆
2017	34.7	57 of 93	38.7%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	41.7	198 of 367	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	71.2	76 of 375	79.7%	★★★★☆
2023	54.8	130 of 349	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	40.1	210 of 361	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	68.6	82 of 361	77.3%	★★★★☆
2019	69.0	95 of 358	73.5%	★★★★☆
2018	79.8	53 of 349	84.8%	★★★★☆
2017	54.5	114 of 315	63.8%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	74.8	69 of 363	81.0%	★★★★☆
2024	81.9	47 of 368	87.2%	★★★★☆
2023	76.6	63 of 358	82.4%	★★★★☆
2022	88.6	36 of 366	90.2%	★★★★★
2021	88.8	32 of 366	91.3%	★★★★★
2019	89.6	28 of 357	92.2%	★★★★★
2018	87.8	38 of 350	89.1%	★★★★☆
2017	78.9	51 of 339	85.0%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	42.7	18 of 29	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.6	16 of 24	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	13.5	25 of 27	7.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	32.7	17 of 26	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.0	16 of 25	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	71.8	5 of 14	64.3%	★★★★☆
2018	25.7	13 of 18	27.8%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	65.5	19 of 66	71.2%	★★★★☆
2024	70.7	17 of 56	69.6%	★★★★☆
2023	48.6	19 of 45	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	66.5	16 of 40	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	55.5	17 of 43	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	51.9	20 of 37	45.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	72.5	6 of 24	75.0%	★★★★☆
2017	63.1	7 of 19	63.2%	★★★☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	57.5	18 of 57	68.4%	★★★★☆
2024	21.2	49 of 55	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	45.5	94 of 194	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	83.2	17 of 198	91.4%	★★★★★
2023	65.7	44 of 182	75.8%	★★★★☆
2022	83.1	17 of 169	89.9%	★★★★★
2021	85.7	16 of 196	91.8%	★★★★★
2019	37.5	105 of 171	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	78.4	23 of 160	85.6%	★★★★☆
2017	45.6	39 of 83	53.0%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	75.0	68 of 325	79.1%	★★★★☆
2024	78.7	58 of 325	82.2%	★★★★☆
2023	75.3	73 of 317	77.0%	★★★★☆
2022	84.3	38 of 326	88.3%	★★★★☆
2021	84.5	42 of 319	86.8%	★★★★☆
2019	85.1	38 of 313	87.9%	★★★★☆
2018	89.5	34 of 300	88.7%	★★★★☆
2017	82.1	33 of 230	85.7%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Male (2025)81st percentile+4 vs school

White (2025)79th percentile~ school

Female (2025)72nd percentile-5 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)71st percentile-6 vs school

Native American (2025)68th percentile-9 vs school

Special Education (2025)52nd percentile-26 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)47th percentile-31 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)46th percentile-31 vs school

African American (2025)45th percentile-32 vs school

Military Connected (2025)38th percentile-39 vs school

Hispanic (2025)35th percentile-42 vs school

Asian (2025)<1st percentile-77 vs school

By subject vs Alabama (2024-2025) ?

Science38%+6 vs state

English37%+7 vs state

Mathematics29%+5 vs state

★

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Schools Near Virgil Grissom High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				Summative Assessment Mathematics (2025)				Summative Assessment Science (2025)		Summative Assessment English (2025)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Summative Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 11th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 8th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 11th Grade	Summative Assessment English 6th Grade	Summative Assessment English 7th Grade	Summative Assessment English 8th Grade	Summative Assessment English 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Virgil Grissom High School	Public	9-12	1001 Haysland Road	Huntsville	35802	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	No	(256) 428-8000	1,847	100	18.5	35.0%	955 (51.7%)	321 (17.4%)	385 (20.8%)	57 (3.1%)	6 (0.3%)	3 (0.2%)	120 (6.5%)	74.5	85^th of 374 public high schools	77.3%		86.6	41^st of 378 public high schools	89.2%	44				28.5		37.9				37.3	$7,893	$397	$7,494
Huntsville Center For Technology	Public	9-12	2800 Drake Ave SW	Huntsville	35805	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	No	(256) 428-7810																			(n/a)
Huntsville High School	Public	9-12	2304 Billie Watkins St SW	Huntsville	35801	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	No	(256) 428-8050	1,807	103	17.5	32.8%	1,068 (59.1%)	458 (25.3%)	149 (8.2%)	28 (1.5%)	13 (0.7%)	3 (0.2%)	88 (4.9%)	90.7	30^th of 374 public high schools	92.0%		96.6	15^th of 378 public high schools	96.0%	15				37.1		50.1				47.7	$7,531	$475	$7,055
Lee High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	2500 Meridian Street	Huntsville	35811	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	Yes	No	Yes	(256) 428-8150	877	49	18.0	59.7%	143 (16.3%)	576 (65.7%)	116 (13.2%)	3 (0.3%)	8 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	30 (3.4%)	40.9	207^th of 374 public high schools	44.7%		27.1	278^th of 378 public high schools	26.5%	71				13.9		23.8				25.0	$12,340	$1,764	$10,575
New Century Technology High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	2500 Meridian Street NW	Huntsville	35811	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	Yes	No	No	(256) 428-7800	366	27	13.5	20.8%	176 (48.1%)	106 (29.0%)	54 (14.8%)	12 (3.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.4%)	99.8	4^th of 374 public high schools	98.9%		99.1	7^th of 378 public high schools	98.1%	3				66.3		70.9				74.1
Columbia High School	Public	9-12	300 Explorer Boulevard	Huntsville	35806	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 428-7576	916	54	16.9	57.5%	117 (12.8%)	469 (51.2%)	264 (28.8%)	7 (0.8%)	5 (0.5%)	6 (0.7%)	48 (5.2%)	18.6	303^rd of 374 public high schools	19.0%		18	313^th of 378 public high schools	17.2%	10				5.5		14.9				11.3	$10,661	$882	$9,778
Jemison High School	Public	9-12	5000 Pulaski Pike	Huntsville	35810	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 428-8100	858	44	19.4	69.5%	47 (5.5%)	616 (71.8%)	158 (18.4%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	3 (0.3%)	31 (3.6%)	12.9	343^rd of 374 public high schools	8.3%		23.4	290^th of 378 public high schools	23.3%	53				4.1		8.2				7.9	$11,834	$2,162	$9,671
Madison County Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual	6-12	1275 Jordan Rd Building A	Huntsville	35811	Madison County	Madison County	No	No	Yes	No	(256) 852-2557	513	30	17.2	39.6%	347 (67.6%)	56 (10.9%)	37 (7.2%)	12 (2.3%)	31 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.8%)	62.7	120^th of 374 public high schools	67.9%		31.1	261^st of 378 public high schools	31.0%	141	28.6	16.7	26.8	21.5	43.9	32.2	85.7	54.2	61.0	35.0
Madison County Career Technical Center	Public	9-12	1275 Jordan Rd Bldg A	Huntsville	35811	Madison County	Madison County	No	No	No	No	(256) 852-2170	0	11	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Madison County High School	Public	9-12	174 Brock Rd	Gurley	35748	Madison County	Madison County	No	No	No	No	(256) 851-3270	451	26	17.3	35.0%	317 (70.3%)	38 (8.4%)	35 (7.8%)	2 (0.4%)	42 (9.3%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.8%)	95.9	12^th of 374 public high schools	96.8%		88.8	38^th of 378 public high schools	89.9%	26				47.6		55.3				51.0	$11,207	$1,075	$10,093

Frequently Asked Questions about Virgil Grissom High School

How many students attend Virgil Grissom High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,847 students attended Virgil Grissom High School.

What schools feed into Virgil Grissom High School?

Virgil Grissom High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Challenger Elementary School
Elementary : Farley Elementary School
Elementary : McDonnell Elementary School
Elementary : Mountain Gap Elementary School
Elementary : Roger B Chaffee Elementary School
Elementary : Weatherly Heights Elementary School
Elementary : Whitesburg Elementary School
Middle : Challenger Middle School
Middle : Mountain Gap Middle School
Middle : Whitesburg Middle School

What district is Virgil Grissom High School in?

Huntsville City

What is the racial makeup of Virgil Grissom High School?

Students at Virgil Grissom High School are 52% White, 21% Hispanic, 17% African American, 6% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

Is Virgil Grissom High School a good school?

Virgil Grissom High School ranks 85^th of 374 Alabama high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Virgil Grissom High School!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Alabama State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.