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Walton High School

Public, Charter Grades 9-12

8^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 455 Georgia High Schools

Better than 98% of Georgia high schools

Summary

Walton High School in Marietta, GA, is a large, top-ranked public high school serving 2,705 students in grades 9-12 within the Cobb County School District. Known for its consistent academic excellence, Walton has ranked among the top 10 high schools in Georgia for nearly a decade, currently holding the #8 spot statewide (98th percentile) for the 2025-2026 school year.

Walton's academic performance is exceptional, with proficiency rates that far exceed district and state averages. On the 2025-2026 End of Course assessments, 81.8% of students were proficient in Algebra I (compared to 48.1% statewide), 86.3% in Biology (state: 47.2%), and 76.4% in U.S. History (state: 38.5%). While nearby Lassiter High School and Pope High School also perform well, Walton still outpaces them—by nearly 7 points over Lassiter in Algebra I and 14.5 points over Pope. The school also boasts a 97.9% graduation rate, well above the district (89.2%) and state (87.2%) averages, and a remarkably low chronic absenteeism rate of 8.6%—less than half the state rate of 17.7%.

What truly sets Walton apart is its success across all student groups. The school ranks in the 91st percentile or higher for every measured subgroup, including #1 in the state for multi-racial students, #2 for special education students, and top-10 rankings for Asian, Hispanic, White, male, and female students. This "inclusive excellence" means strong outcomes aren't limited to any one population. Notably, Walton achieves these results while spending less per student ($12,373) than every comparable school in the area—including Cobb Horizon High School ($14,189) and Wheeler High School ($13,905)—demonstrating both effectiveness and efficiency. With a decade of top-tier rankings and steady improvement, Walton offers families a proven track record of academic success.

2,705

Students ?

19.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,373

Per pupil spending ?

7.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1590 Bill Murdock Rd
Marietta, GA 30062

(770) 578-3225

District: Cobb County

Feeder schools for Walton High School:

Elementary:	East Side Elementary School
	Mount Bethel Elementary School
	Sope Creek Elementary School
	Timber Ridge Elementary School
Middle:	Dickerson Middle School
	Dodgen Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

57.9%

Asian:

24.1%

Hispanic:

7.7%

See top rated Georgia high schools

Compare Walton High School to nearby high schools!

Test scores delayed: 2026 rankings for Georgia do not yet include English Language Arts scores, which will not be released by the Georgia Department of Education until winter 2026.

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 95th percentile in 2016 → 98th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Georgia average (82% vs 45% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 2% of Georgia high schools

✓98% graduate in 4 years — above the Georgia average (87%)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school82%

District avg58%

Georgia avg45%

8^th of 455

Georgia public high schools ?

Top 2%▲ up 4 pts since 2016

From top 5% (2016) to top 2% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Georgia High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 17High Schools in the Cobb County

58^th of 201Cobb County among Georgia 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	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	91.8	8 of 455	98.2%	★★★★★
2025	93.5	9 of 451	98.0%	★★★★★
2024	94.5	7 of 454	98.5%	★★★★★
2023	94.6	6 of 448	98.7%	★★★★★
2022	95.0	6 of 431	98.6%	★★★★★
2021	92.5	6 of 410	98.5%	★★★★★
2019	93.9	6 of 438	98.6%	★★★★★
2018	95.2	3 of 428	99.3%	★★★★★
2017	94.4	6 of 420	98.6%	★★★★★
2016	85.5	23 of 426	94.6%	★★★★★
2015	93.1	5 of 435	98.9%	★★★★★
2014	87.4	10 of 425	97.6%	★★★★★
2013	89.4	6 of 425	98.6%	★★★★★
2012	90.0	8 of 396	98.0%	★★★★★
2011	90.2	6 of 402	98.5%	★★★★★
2010	86.7	21 of 384	94.5%	★★★★★
2009	92.6	4 of 372	98.9%	★★★★★
2008	92.4	3 of 370	99.2%	★★★★★
2007	92.1	5 of 358	98.6%	★★★★★
2006	91.5	4 of 335	98.8%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	81.5	34 of 376	91.0%	★★★★★
2025	89.9	22 of 391	94.4%	★★★★★
2024	91.3	16 of 382	95.8%	★★★★★
2023	93.9	11 of 384	97.1%	★★★★★
2022	93.3	16 of 372	95.7%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	82.7	3 of 65	95.4%	★★★★★
2025	84.2	6 of 83	92.8%	★★★★★
2024	81.4	9 of 84	89.3%	★★★★★
2023	80.5	12 of 83	85.5%	★★★★☆
2022	87.2	3 of 82	96.3%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2025	99.3	3 of 180	98.3%	★★★★★
2024	98.9	4 of 159	97.5%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	92.2	8 of 431	98.1%	★★★★★
2025	93.4	11 of 438	97.5%	★★★★★
2024	93.9	11 of 435	97.5%	★★★★★
2023	95.8	5 of 433	98.8%	★★★★★
2022	95.4	5 of 430	98.8%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	93.6	5 of 298	98.3%	★★★★★
2025	95.0	5 of 312	98.4%	★★★★★
2024	96.6	6 of 315	98.1%	★★★★★
2023	96.1	6 of 308	98.1%	★★★★★
2022	97.9	5 of 295	98.3%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	92.8	7 of 436	98.4%	★★★★★
2025	94.4	8 of 442	98.2%	★★★★★
2024	95.7	8 of 436	98.2%	★★★★★
2023	94.3	11 of 436	97.5%	★★★★★
2022	96.1	7 of 427	98.4%	★★★★★

Migrant

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	88.3	1 of 12	91.7%	★★★★★
2025	97.1	1 of 10	90.0%	★★★★★
2024	96.8	1 of 10	90.0%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	97.3	1 of 123	99.2%	★★★★★
2025	88.4	11 of 149	92.6%	★★★★★
2024	97.1	2 of 158	98.7%	★★★★★
2023	97.2	2 of 141	98.6%	★★★★★
2022	96.8	2 of 126	98.4%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	99.0	2 of 338	99.4%	★★★★★
2025	99.5	4 of 347	98.8%	★★★★★
2024	99.1	6 of 344	98.3%	★★★★★
2023	100.0	1 of 343	99.7%	★★★★★
2022	99.8	4 of 331	98.8%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	87.7	9 of 334	97.3%	★★★★★
2025	90.3	11 of 341	96.8%	★★★★★
2024	90.8	9 of 346	97.4%	★★★★★
2023	91.8	9 of 343	97.4%	★★★★★
2022	92.3	6 of 339	98.2%	★★★★★

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)

Special Education (2026)99th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2026)99th percentile~ school

Male (2026)98th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2025)98th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)98th percentile~ school

Female (2026)98th percentile~ school

White (2026)97th percentile~ school

Asian (2026)95th percentile-3 vs school

Migrant (2026)92nd percentile-7 vs school

African American (2026)91st percentile-7 vs school

By subject vs Georgia (2025-2026) ?

Biology86%+39 vs state

Algebra I82%+34 vs state

United States History76%+38 vs state

3.1

12 ratings · 8 written reviews

5★6

4★0

3★0

2★1

1★5

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What people are saying

by a parent
Sunday, December 18, 2016

Petition to remove Ms. Judith McNeil as Principal of Walton High School:
https://www.change.org/p/superintendent-chris-ragsdale-remove-judith-mcneil-as-principal-of-walton-high-school-marietta-ga-30062 Close Quote

by a parent
Saturday, October 8, 2016

A detailed review is located at http://paddyrama.weebly.com/ Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, October 4, 2016

This school is a waste of tax payer money! The assistant principal for curriculum and the Math department are way over their heads. The assistant principal will often gloat about her GA Tech degree, but won't tell you about the other sub-par colleges she attended later! I had to withdraw my kid from this school because the Math department won't give partial credit. The kid who was a consistent 'A' student at Dickerson started failing in Math, 40's and 50's were all too common! Even the AP calculus exams give partial credit, but what is good for the college board is apparently not good enough for this school! In the 16 years that they have had this policy, their national rank has only gone lower, not higher. They will give you a boat load of crap about how it improves precision! We even talked to a recent GA Tech graduate. He mentioned that they do give partial credit at GA Tech, without which he said that he could not have graduated! If your kid is going thro' the same thing, fight the school. Have the kid take Math at Georgia Virtual School. They are allowed 1 course per semester online. The school will give you more crap about how bad GVA is. Granted that GVA is not for everyone, but ultimately if the kid can pass the AP calculus exam (from GVA or elsewhere), then that should be good enough for college. Their argument is that GA Tech knows that their grading is harsh. Granted that a lot of kids go to GA Tech from this school, but not all kids want to go to GA Tech. A 'C' in the transcript is a huge problem requiring a lot of explanation to schools outside of GA. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Really a terrible school. I have 2 students there. Both in advanced classes; both good students. The clubs are very cliquey and leadership is passed down among friends. Parents are over involved and if you are not involved, your child will not be treated well. The students do well but that's primarily because of they are from educated and wealthy families. The teachers are underpaid so I don't feel comfortable complaining. There is student parking for seniors only. Most of the clubs and activities require driving at 3:30. Walton students get out early on most Wednesdays. Walton is designed with the assumption that a parent or nanny will be able to chauffeur their student. When I mentioned this to a school board member during Walton's registration, he told me he had the perfect solution for working mothers -- "they should quit their jobs." That says it all. If I had it to do over, I would buy a house in a different school district. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Walton is a very challenging high school. There are numerous AP courses (32 last time I checked) available to students who want to be well prepared for college. This public high school is unlike most other schools, even in the immediate area. Since it is a charter school, the administration has more flexibility in class offerings, schedules and structure compared to other schools in the Cobb County District. The teachers and parents expect above average challenges and results, and most of the students deliver. A 4.0 will not get your student in the top 10% of his/her class. These students are motivated! It can be a pressure cooker. If your student needs a lot of nurturing and hand holding, this is probably not the school for him/her. Walton has high expectations in their extra circular activities, as well. Sports, fine arts, clubs, volunteering... everything is available to anybody that strives to be included. Under achievers and wall flowers can survive, but likely will not thrive at this school. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, July 11, 2012

If you want your children to be intellectually challenged, and well-prepared for college, this is the best high school and the best value available in the state of Georgia -- no private school tuition, reasonable property taxes, and an education equal or superior to any of the state's private schools. If you want your children to be able to coast along, graduate with decent grades, get into college, and return home after a couple of semesters due to inadequate preparation and poor study habits, Walton is not a good choice.

The teachers and facilities are excellent; the academic program is geared to be as rigorous as each student can and is willing to handle, with a full array of AP courses for those who choose that path; the athletic programs are broad, deep and very competitive; the other after-school offerings are as diverse as the students' interests. Graduates frequently report that they find college no more demanding, and in many cases easier, than their high school experience at Walton. It has been a Charter School for decades, and is routinely listed among the best public schools in the U.S. Close Quote

by a student
Sunday, February 19, 2012

I loved this school. I had the best time. It was certainly challenging, but it was well worth it. I had an easier time in college than my peers. I made my closest friends here. I loved almost all the teachers. Close Quote

by a parent
Saturday, September 24, 2011

Extremely stressful environment...all the school cares about is image and getting the best scores. Nothing about well-being, being a good person or just having fun high school memories to look back on.. Close Quote

Schools Near Walton High School

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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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				Milestones Assessment Algebra I (2026)	Milestones Assessment Biology (2026)	Milestones Assessment United States History (2026)	Milestones Assessment Mathematics (2026)	Milestones Assessment Science (2026)	Milestones Assessment Social Studies (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Milestones Assessment Algebra I End of Course	Milestones Assessment Biology End of Course	Milestones Assessment United States History End of Course	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Science 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Walton High School	Public, Charter	9-12	1590 Bill Murdock Rd	Marietta	30062	Cobb County	Cobb County	Yes	No	No	No	(770) 578-3225	2,705	142	19.1	7.6%	1,565 (57.9%)	169 (6.2%)	208 (7.7%)	652 (24.1%)	5 (0.2%)	1 (0.0%)	105 (3.9%)	91.8	8^th of 455 public high schools	98.2%		93.5	9^th of 451 public high schools	98.0%	1	81.8	86.3	76.4				$12,373	$345	$12,028
Pope High School	Public	9-12	3001 Hembree Rd NE	Marietta	30062	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	No	(770) 578-7900	1,793	103	17.3	10.1%	1,266 (70.6%)	99 (5.5%)	194 (10.8%)	142 (7.9%)	4 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	88 (4.9%)	86.6	20^th of 455 public high schools	95.6%		91.3	19^th of 451 public high schools	95.8%	1	67.3	81.4	78.6				$13,459	$459	$13,000
Wheeler High School	Public	9-12	375 Holt Rd NE	Marietta	30068	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	No	(770) 578-3266	2,401	147	16.3	48.9%	556 (23.2%)	797 (33.2%)	626 (26.1%)	318 (13.2%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.0%)	101 (4.2%)	51.3	160^th of 455 public high schools	64.8%		66.2	97^th of 451 public high schools	78.5%	63	41.5	55.9	35.4				$13,905	$401	$13,505
Sprayberry High School	Public	9-12	2525 Sandy Plains Rd	Marietta	30066	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	No	(770) 578-3200	1,769	105	16.8	48.6%	537 (30.4%)	521 (29.5%)	490 (27.7%)	111 (6.3%)	9 (0.5%)	3 (0.2%)	98 (5.5%)	56	133^rd of 455 public high schools	70.8%		68	90^th of 451 public high schools	80.0%	43	41.8	46.1	57.7				$13,848	$383	$13,465
Lassiter High School	Public	9-12	2601 Shallowford Rd	Marietta	30066	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	No	(678) 494-7863	2,005	111	18.1	13.6%	1,336 (66.6%)	146 (7.3%)	234 (11.7%)	168 (8.4%)	6 (0.3%)	1 (0.0%)	114 (5.7%)	88.5	15^th of 455 public high schools	96.7%		91.9	18^th of 451 public high schools	96.0%	3	74.9	79.6	80.5				$13,092	$323	$12,769
Independence High School	Public	9-12	791 Mimosa Blvd	Roswell	30075	Fulton County	Fulton County	No	No	No	No	(470) 254-6339	129	12	10.7	62.0%	24 (18.6%)	45 (34.9%)	53 (41.1%)	2 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.9%)	16	386^th of 455 public high schools	15.2%		13.1	403^rd of 451 public high schools	10.6%	17	25.0	23.8	16.7
North Springs High School	Public	9-12	7447 Roswell Rd	Atlanta	30328	Fulton County	Fulton County	No	No	No	No	(470) 254-2490	1,195	90	13.3	53.7%	212 (17.7%)	586 (49.0%)	316 (26.4%)	19 (1.6%)	5 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	56 (4.7%)	53.7	146^th of 455 public high schools	67.9%		54.6	147^th of 451 public high schools	67.4%	1	35.3	54.5	43.8				$17,896	$585	$17,310
Riverwood International Charter School	Public	9-12	5900 Raider Dr	Atlanta	30328	Fulton County	Fulton County	No	No	No	No	(470) 254-1980	1,737	108	16.0	40.5%	594 (34.2%)	392 (22.6%)	635 (36.6%)	48 (2.8%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	65 (3.7%)	59.4	112^th of 455 public high schools	75.4%		66	99^th of 451 public high schools	78.0%	13	51.7	56.5	38.3				$15,815	$570	$15,245
George W. Hartmann Center	Public	6-12	729 Lawrence St NE	Marietta	30060	Cobb County	Marietta City	No	No	No	No	(770) 971-7801	4	1	4.0		1 (25.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (75.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Cobb Horizon High School	Public, Virtual	6-12	1765 The Exchange SE	Atlanta	30339	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	Yes	No	(678) 594-8240	927	73	12.7	92.1%	212 (22.9%)	327 (35.3%)	315 (34.0%)	19 (2.0%)	5 (0.5%)	2 (0.2%)	47 (5.1%)	11.3	407^th of 455 public high schools	10.5%		18.8	365^th of 451 public high schools	19.1%	42	13.1	22.6	12.0	18.6	24.4	11.6

Frequently Asked Questions about Walton High School

What is the racial makeup of Walton High School?

Students at Walton High School are 58% White, 24% Asian, 8% Hispanic, 6% African American, 4% Two or more races.

What district is Walton High School in?

Cobb County

How many students attend Walton High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 2,705 students attended Walton High School.

Is Walton High School a good school?

Yes! Walton High School is one of the best high schools in the state. It ranks 8^th of 455 Georgia high schools.

What schools feed into Walton High School?

Walton High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : East Side Elementary School
Elementary : Mount Bethel Elementary School
Elementary : Sope Creek Elementary School
Elementary : Timber Ridge Elementary School
Middle : Dickerson Middle School
Middle : Dodgen Middle School

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Latest Georgia data All new data »

2025–26 attendance dataNewAug 6, 2026

2025–26 Milestones Assessment scoresNewAug 6, 2026

2021–22 through 2024–25 Milestones Assessment scores (updated)NewAug 6, 2026

2024–25 dropout ratesFeb 19, 2026

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