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Nelson County High

Q: Is Nelson County High a good school?

Nelson County High ranks 107 th of 328 Virginia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

107^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 328 Virginia High Schools

Better than 67% of Virginia high schools

Summary

Nelson County High is a public high school located in Lovingston, Virginia, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 485 students. The school is part of the Nelson County Public Schools district, which is ranked 38 out of 129 districts in Virginia and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Nelson County High has consistently ranked in the top 30% of Virginia high schools in recent years, with a current ranking of 107 out of 328 schools. The school has maintained a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger for the past two school years, indicating strong overall academic performance. Nelson County High's students have demonstrated exceptional proficiency in several subject areas, including Algebra I, Algebra II, and Biology, with scores significantly higher than the state averages. The school's 11th-grade English Reading proficiency rates have also been consistently above the state average, showcasing the strength of its language arts program.

Interestingly, Amherst County High, a larger school located approximately 14 miles from Nelson County High, has a lower overall ranking and academic performance compared to Nelson County High. Amherst County High's proficiency rates in several subject areas, such as Algebra I, Biology, and English Reading, are significantly lower than those of Nelson County High. Additionally, the student-teacher ratio at Amherst County High is higher (14.8) compared to Nelson County High (10.6-11.3), which may contribute to the differences in academic performance. Despite these strong academic results, Nelson County High has experienced a relatively high chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 14.8% to 25.2% in recent years, which is higher than the state average.

486

Students ?

10.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,393

Per pupil spending ?

83.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6919 Thomas Nelson Hwy
Lovingston, VA 22949

(434) 263-8317

District: Nelson County Public Schools

Feeder schools for Nelson County High:

Elementary:	Rockfish River Elementary
	Tye River Elementary
Middle:	Nelson Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

69.5%

African American:

14.0%

Hispanic:

11.3%

See top rated Virginia high schools

Compare Nelson County High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 39th percentile in 2015 → 67th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 28 percentile points since 2015

✓Above the Virginia median (67th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school83%

District avg83%

Virginia avg81%

107^th of 328

Virginia public high schools ?

Top 33%▲ up 29 pts since 2015

From bottom 39% (2015) to top 33% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

38^th of 129Nelson 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	67.2	107 of 328	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.0	98 of 329	70.2%	★★★★☆
2023	69.0	93 of 326	71.5%	★★★★☆
2022	44.6	191 of 325	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.9	219 of 327	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.8	162 of 327	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.9	165 of 326	49.4%	★★★☆☆
2017	51.3	148 of 324	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	48.6	165 of 321	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2015	41.8	197 of 322	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2014	49.4	151 of 322	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2013	61.8	77 of 321	76.0%	★★★★☆
2012	59.6	93 of 321	71.0%	★★★★☆
2011	67.6	59 of 320	81.6%	★★★★☆
2010	58.7	101 of 317	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2009	51.2	142 of 313	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2008	55.6	122 of 316	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2007	37.0	238 of 313	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	32.0	255 of 314	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	37.7	236 of 308	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	42.0	162 of 245	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	68.3	62 of 249	75.1%	★★★★☆
2023	82.1	21 of 240	91.3%	★★★★★

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2024	77.1	36 of 253	85.8%	★★★★☆
2023	75.8	30 of 249	88.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	63.6	123 of 321	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.7	172 of 322	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	67.0	95 of 320	70.3%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	62.2	78 of 236	66.9%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	63.5	110 of 324	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	71.6	60 of 320	81.3%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	66.5	103 of 322	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	80.8	25 of 322	92.2%	★★★★★
2023	68.0	97 of 321	69.8%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	56.0	158 of 313	49.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.5	135 of 314	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.1	166 of 315	47.3%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Disabled (2024)86th percentile+16 vs school

Male (2025)68th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)67th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)66th percentile~ school

Female (2025)62nd percentile-6 vs school

White (2025)50th percentile-18 vs school

African American (2025)34th percentile-34 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2024-2025) ?

Algebra II100%+6 vs state

Algebra I88%+9 vs state

English Reading88%~ state avg

Biology83%+4 vs state

World History I70%+3 vs state

★

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Schools Near Nelson County High

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				SOL Writing (2025)	SOL Geometry (2025)	SOL Algebra I (2025)			SOL Algebra II (2025)	SOL Biology (2025)			SOL English Reading (2025)	SOL Geography (2025)	SOL VA and US History (2025)	SOL World History I (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 Writing 11th Grade	SOL Geometry 9th Grade	SOL Algebra I 9th Grade	SOL Algebra I 10th Grade	SOL Algebra I 11th Grade	SOL Algebra II 9th Grade	SOL Biology 9th Grade	SOL Biology 10th Grade	SOL Biology 11th Grade	SOL English Reading 11th Grade	SOL Geography 9th Grade	SOL VA and US History 11th Grade	SOL World History I 9th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Nelson County High	Public	9-12	6919 Thomas Nelson Hwy	Lovingston	22949	Nelson County	Nelson County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(434) 263-8317	486	46	10.4	83.3%	338 (69.5%)	68 (14.0%)	55 (11.3%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.5%)	67.2	107^th of 328 public high schools	67.4%		68	98^th of 329 public high schools	70.2%	9			89.8	85.2		100.0	100.0	75.9		88.1			69.8	$17,393	$1,332	$16,062
Amherst County High	Public	9-12	139 Lancer Lane	Amherst	24521	Amherst County	Amherst County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(434) 946-2898	1,240	86	14.3	80.2%	824 (66.5%)	229 (18.5%)	60 (4.8%)	3 (0.2%)	12 (1.0%)	2 (0.2%)	110 (8.9%)	15.9	317^th of 328 public high schools	3.4%		29.9	289^th of 329 public high schools	12.2%	28	67.8	68.5	60.9	61.8	78.6		63.8	35.3	65.2	81.9	26.7	14.1		$10,243	$436	$9,807

Frequently Asked Questions about Nelson County High

What district is Nelson County High in?

Nelson County Public Schools

What schools feed into Nelson County High?

Nelson County High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Rockfish River Elementary
Elementary : Tye River Elementary
Middle : Nelson Middle

How many students attend Nelson County High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 486 students attended Nelson County High.

Is Nelson County High a good school?

Nelson County High ranks 107^th of 328 Virginia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Nelson County High?

Students at Nelson County High are 70% White, 14% African American, 11% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

Rate Nelson County High!

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VAVirginia High School Rankings

VAVirginia District Rankings

Schools in Lovingston, VA

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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.