Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Swanson Middle

Q: Is Swanson Middle a good school?

Swanson Middle ranks 74 th of 419 Virginia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

74^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 419 Virginia Middle Schools

Better than 82% of Virginia middle schools

Summary

Swanson Middle is a public middle school located in Arlington, Virginia, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 964 students. It is part of the Arlington County Public Schools district, which is ranked 28 out of 129 school districts in Virginia and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Swanson Middle consistently ranks among the top middle schools in Virginia, with a statewide ranking between 23 and 97 over the past 10 years. It has maintained a 4- or 5-star rating from SchoolDigger during this time. The school excels in the performance of certain student subgroups, such as White and Multi-racial students, who have ranked among the top in the state in recent years. Williamsburg Middle, another high-performing school in the Arlington district, is the only nearby middle school that outperforms Swanson Middle.

While Swanson Middle has strong overall academic performance, it faces equity challenges in addressing the performance gaps of African American, Hispanic, and English Language Learner students. The school spends more per student ($11,456 in 2020-2021) compared to the state average, which may contribute to its strong academic performance. Swanson Middle has a relatively diverse student population, which is a strength, but also presents challenges in ensuring equitable outcomes for all students.

993

Students ?

14.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,989

Per pupil spending ?

19.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5800 Washington Blvd
Arlington, VA 22205

(703) 228-5500

District: Arlington County Public Schools

Feeder schools for Swanson Middle:

Elementary:

Cardinal Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

53.4%

Hispanic:

23.4%

Two or more races:

8.7%

See top rated Virginia middle schools

Compare Swanson Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 94th percentile in 2015 → 82nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Virginia average (82% vs 69% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 18% of Virginia middle schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 12 percentile points since 2015

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school82%

District avg77%

Virginia avg69%

74^th of 419

Virginia public middle schools ?

Top 18%▼ down 12 pts since 2015

From top 6% (2015) to top 18% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 6Middle Schools in the Arlington County Public Schools

28^th of 129Arlington County Public Schools among Virginia 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	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	76.6	74 of 419	82.3%	★★★★☆
2024	72.5	97 of 417	76.7%	★★★★☆
2023	75.1	96 of 422	77.3%	★★★★☆
2022	75.6	61 of 415	85.3%	★★★★☆
2021	76.4	47 of 419	88.8%	★★★★☆
2019	78.8	40 of 424	90.6%	★★★★★
2018	78.5	36 of 413	91.3%	★★★★★
2017	83.4	23 of 415	94.5%	★★★★★
2016	79.5	42 of 409	89.7%	★★★★☆
2015	83.0	25 of 412	93.9%	★★★★★
2014	82.4	28 of 416	93.3%	★★★★★
2013	80.9	33 of 416	92.1%	★★★★★
2012	77.4	30 of 413	92.7%	★★★★★
2011	75.5	43 of 413	89.6%	★★★★☆
2010	66.0	89 of 408	78.2%	★★★★☆
2009	68.9	70 of 390	82.1%	★★★★☆
2008	71.4	65 of 391	83.4%	★★★★☆
2007	69.7	69 of 387	82.2%	★★★★☆
2006	67.4	79 of 383	79.4%	★★★★☆
2005	70.4	91 of 340	73.2%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	37.7	206 of 297	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	57.3	132 of 299	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.7	153 of 298	48.7%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	75.6	14 of 136	89.7%	★★★★★
2024	63.3	49 of 128	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.2	66 of 132	50.0%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2024	69.5	64 of 281	77.2%	★★★★☆
2023	65.1	80 of 278	71.2%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	42.0	68 of 135	49.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	33.9	72 of 122	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.6	42 of 100	58.0%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	72.9	91 of 403	77.4%	★★★★☆
2024	69.8	109 of 407	73.2%	★★★★☆
2023	74.7	89 of 411	78.3%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	40.8	173 of 279	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.8	184 of 272	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.6	190 of 275	30.9%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	37.3	275 of 403	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.9	265 of 402	34.1%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	78.7	59 of 404	85.4%	★★★★☆
2024	74.1	86 of 407	78.9%	★★★★☆
2023	75.1	91 of 409	77.8%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	75.5	15 of 130	88.5%	★★★★☆
2024	79.1	9 of 123	92.7%	★★★★★
2023	72.5	21 of 114	81.6%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	88.4	2 of 244	99.2%	★★★★★
2024	85.1	11 of 237	95.4%	★★★★★
2023	84.6	16 of 231	93.1%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	87.4	7 of 400	98.3%	★★★★★
2024	83.1	17 of 396	95.7%	★★★★★
2023	85.8	10 of 402	97.5%	★★★★★

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)

Multi-racial (2025)99th percentile+17 vs school

White (2025)98th percentile+16 vs school

Asian (2025)90th percentile+7 vs school

Military Connected (2025)88th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2025)85th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2025)77th percentile-5 vs school

Disabled (2024)77th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2025)50th percentile-33 vs school

Hispanic (2025)38th percentile-44 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)32nd percentile-51 vs school

African American (2025)31st percentile-52 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2024-2025) ?

Geometry100%+3 vs state

Algebra I100%+6 vs state

English Reading85%+12 vs state

Civics and Economics84%+15 vs state

Science82%+16 vs state

Mathematics67%+11 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

Rate Swanson Middle

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, December 24, 2021

Swanson has a very toxic school culture violence has become all too common. Administrators refuse to honestly communicate with families. Meanwhile, real education has taken a backseat to ideological fads. Avoid this school if you can! Close Quote

Schools Near Swanson Middle

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				SOL Geometry (2025)	SOL Algebra I (2025)		SOL Algebra II (2025)	SOL Mathematics (2025)			SOL Science (2025)	SOL English Reading (2025)			SOL World History I (2025)	SOL Civics and Economics (2025)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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	SOL Geometry 8th Grade	SOL Algebra I 7th Grade	SOL Algebra I 8th Grade	SOL Algebra II 8th Grade	SOL Mathematics 6th Grade	SOL Mathematics 7th Grade	SOL Mathematics 8th Grade	SOL Science 8th Grade	SOL English Reading 6th Grade	SOL English Reading 7th Grade	SOL English Reading 8th Grade	SOL World History I 8th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 6th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 7th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Swanson Middle	Public	6-8	5800 Washington Blvd	Arlington	22205	Arlington County	Arlington County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 228-5500	993	70	14.1	19.9%	530 (53.4%)	64 (6.4%)	232 (23.4%)	80 (8.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	86 (8.7%)	76.6	74^th of 419 public middle schools	82.3%		72.5	97^th of 417 public middle schools	76.7%	23	100.0	100.0	99.4		79.3	48.8	57.3	81.9	84.3	86.7	82.7			84.3		$13,989	$04	$13,985
Kenmore Middle	Public	6-8	200 S Carlin Springs Rd	Arlington	22204	Arlington County	Arlington County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 228-6800	1,053	75	14.0	54.9%	285 (27.1%)	108 (10.3%)	500 (47.5%)	95 (9.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (6.1%)	49.7	222^nd of 419 public middle schools	47.0%		52.7	214^th of 417 public middle schools	48.7%	8	100.0	100.0	98.9		62.0	51.2	68.6	72.3	66.8	67.5	72.6			68.6		$15,296	$04	$15,293
Williamsburg Middle	Public	6-8	3600 N Harrison St	Arlington	22207	Arlington County	Arlington County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 228-5450	856	57	15.1	2.8%	620 (72.4%)	20 (2.3%)	75 (8.8%)	39 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	102 (11.9%)	91.8	5^th of 419 public middle schools	98.8%		91.4	7^th of 417 public middle schools	98.3%	2	100.0	100.0	99.4		95.6	88.0	80.6	93.4	96.0	96.7	97.0			96.6		$13,381	$00	$13,381
Dorothy Hamm Middle	Public	6-8	4100 N Vacation Lane	Arlington	22207	Arlington County	Arlington County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 228-2910	989	69	14.2	18.9%	517 (52.3%)	91 (9.2%)	151 (15.3%)	142 (14.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	87 (8.8%)	81.3	40^th of 419 public middle schools	90.5%		82.1	41^st of 417 public middle schools	90.2%	1	100.0	98.7	99.2		84.7	62.8	60.7	80.7	90.9	86.2	85.6			89.0		$13,436	$46	$13,390
Jefferson Middle	Public	6-8	125 S Old Glebe Rd	Arlington	22204	Arlington County	Arlington County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 228-5900	1,120	81	13.8	43.0%	320 (28.6%)	200 (17.9%)	444 (39.6%)	90 (8.0%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	63 (5.6%)	46.1	239^th of 419 public middle schools	43.0%		51.2	223^rd of 417 public middle schools	46.5%	16	100.0	100.0	98.8		62.7	41.3	48.8	64.1	70.6	68.1	72.1			72.5		$15,495	$44	$15,451
Longfellow Middle	Public, Magnet	7-8	2000 Westmoreland St	Falls Church	22043	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(703) 533-2600	1,226	116	10.5	10.6%	554 (45.2%)	43 (3.5%)	153 (12.5%)	366 (29.9%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.3%)	105 (8.6%)	83.6	30^th of 419 public middle schools	92.8%		81.5	45^th of 417 public middle schools	89.2%	15	100.0	100.0	98.1	100.0		65.3	30.9	90.4		94.5	93.6					$10,736	$208	$10,528
Mary Ellen Henderson Middle	Public	6-8	105 Mustang Alley	Falls Church	22043	Falls Church city	Falls Church City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 720-5700	632	45	13.9	10.1%	398 (63.0%)	22 (3.5%)	77 (12.2%)	53 (8.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	81 (12.8%)	87.8	11^th of 419 public middle schools	97.4%		88.9	9^th of 417 public middle schools	97.8%	2	100.0	100.0	100.0		85.5	75.5	84.9	90.7	92.9	89.4	94.9	95.9		88.0		$14,877	$247	$14,629
Glasgow Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	4101 Fairfax Pkwy	Alexandria	22312	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(703) 813-8700	1,702	123	13.8	85.8%	351 (20.6%)	152 (8.9%)	941 (55.3%)	209 (12.3%)	6 (0.4%)	2 (0.1%)	41 (2.4%)	16.4	383^rd of 419 public middle schools	8.6%		17.3	377^th of 417 public middle schools	9.6%	6	98.1	100.0	96.6		37.2	29.8	23.2	50.4	55.9	54.3	55.8					$12,567	$803	$11,764
Francis C. Hammond Middle	Public	6-8	4646 Seminary Road	Alexandria	22304	Alexandria city	Alexandria City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(703) 461-4100	1,597	120	13.3	83.8%	274 (17.2%)	423 (26.5%)	644 (40.3%)	186 (11.6%)	5 (0.3%)	7 (0.4%)	58 (3.6%)	9.8	396^th of 419 public middle schools	5.5%		13.8	382^nd of 417 public middle schools	8.4%	14	92.6	100.0	73.1		29.1	35.3	14.6	39.9	48.3	51.8	45.9				65.2	$13,351	$481	$12,871
Gunston Middle	Public	6-8	2700 S Lang St	Arlington	22206	Arlington County	Arlington County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 228-6900	1,072	69	15.5	32.0%	344 (32.1%)	163 (15.2%)	405 (37.8%)	68 (6.3%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	90 (8.4%)	61.1	168^th of 419 public middle schools	59.9%		58.7	185^th of 417 public middle schools	55.6%	17	100.0	100.0	100.0		65.5	52.9	55.7	69.5	78.6	77.5	78.7		90.0	72.1		$14,879	$71	$14,808

Frequently Asked Questions about Swanson Middle

Is Swanson Middle a good school?

Swanson Middle ranks 74^th of 419 Virginia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Swanson Middle?

Students at Swanson Middle are 53% White, 23% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 8% Asian, 6% African American.

What district is Swanson Middle in?

Arlington County Public Schools

How many students attend Swanson Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 993 students attended Swanson Middle.

Rate Swanson Middle!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

VAVirginia Middle School Rankings

VAVirginia District Rankings

Schools in Arlington, VA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Swanson Middle!

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