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Gunston Middle

Q: Is Gunston Middle a good school?

Gunston Middle ranks 181 st of 416 Virginia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

181^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 416 Virginia Middle Schools

Better than 56% of Virginia middle schools

Summary

Gunston Middle is a public school in Arlington, VA, serving 1,072 students in grades 6–8 as part of Arlington County Public Schools, a district ranked in the 80th percentile of Virginia districts. Gunston itself ranks in the middle of Arlington's six middle schools — 181st out of 416 Virginia middle schools (56th percentile) — placing it above Kenmore Middle and Jefferson Middle but well below Williamsburg Middle (99th percentile), Dorothy Hamm Middle (91st percentile), and Swanson Middle (79th percentile). About 32% of Gunston students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a moderate poverty rate that sits between the low-poverty northern Arlington schools and the higher-poverty schools in nearby districts.

Academically, Gunston's biggest strength is its accelerated math program: 100% proficiency in 8th-grade Geometry, 100% in 7th-grade Algebra I, and 98.3% in 8th-grade Algebra I. Reading is also a relative bright spot, with all three grade levels at or above state averages and 8th-grade reading (81.2%) topping the district average (80.5%). The challenge is grade-level math: only about 47–51% of students are proficient in on-grade-level math, roughly 10 points below the district in 6th grade and well below the 74–97% range at Williamsburg Middle. This suggests the school excels at accelerating a select group of students while many students in standard math classes are not yet on track.

Gunston also has areas of concern. Science (71.2%) and civics (75.2%) trail district averages by roughly 6–8 points, and chronic absenteeism has risen steadily from 8.3% in 2021–22 to 12.2% in 2024–25. The student-teacher ratio of 15.5:1 is the highest among all nearby middle schools, despite per-pupil spending ($14,879) that exceeds several higher-performing peers. Effectiveness rankings for low-income students (33rd percentile) and military-connected students (30th percentile) also trail the school's overall standing. Compared with nearby higher-poverty schools like Holmes Middle, Glasgow Middle, and Francis C. Hammond Middle, Gunston performs substantially better — a sign that the school is delivering reasonably strong results given its demographic profile.

1,072

Students ?

15.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,879

Per pupil spending ?

32%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2700 S Lang St
Arlington, VA 22206

(703) 228-6900

District: Arlington County Public Schools

Students who attend Gunston Middle usually attend:

High:

Wakefield High

Feeder schools for Gunston Middle:

Elementary:	Hoffman-Boston Elementary
	Oakridge Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

37.8%

White:

32.1%

African American:

15.2%

See top rated Virginia middle schools

Compare Gunston Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 61st percentile in 2016 → 56th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Virginia median (56th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 5 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school72%

District avg77%

Virginia avg69%

181^st of 416

Virginia public middle schools ?

Top 44%▼ down 5 pts since 2016

From top 39% (2016) to top 44% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 6Middle Schools in the Arlington County Public Schools

26^th of 131Arlington 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
2026	58.6	181 of 416	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	61.1	168 of 419	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.7	185 of 417	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.5	194 of 422	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.5	198 of 415	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	58.4	140 of 419	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.1	184 of 424	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.5	141 of 413	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2017	64.2	103 of 415	75.2%	★★★★☆
2016	57.0	159 of 409	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2015	50.9	193 of 412	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2014	55.2	159 of 416	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2013	59.1	131 of 416	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2012	41.3	272 of 413	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2011	39.1	286 of 413	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2010	26.8	349 of 408	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	34.7	293 of 390	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	30.0	328 of 391	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	30.1	333 of 387	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	23.5	352 of 383	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	36.7	267 of 340	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	52.8	145 of 297	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	53.4	138 of 297	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.0	146 of 299	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	43.6	179 of 298	39.9%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	41.1	92 of 137	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	50.1	80 of 136	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.1	92 of 128	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	47.2	82 of 132	37.9%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	49.5	128 of 292	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	43.4	144 of 281	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	56.0	103 of 278	62.9%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	42.3	65 of 134	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	40.5	72 of 135	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.5	50 of 122	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.1	37 of 100	63.0%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	55.6	197 of 409	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	58.7	177 of 403	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.0	185 of 407	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.9	180 of 411	56.2%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	51.1	142 of 283	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	54.6	127 of 279	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.2	145 of 272	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.0	159 of 275	42.2%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	39.6	269 of 401	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	38.8	267 of 403	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.8	273 of 402	32.1%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	59.9	162 of 410	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	61.7	153 of 404	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.6	177 of 407	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.3	188 of 409	54.0%	★★★☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	44.5	87 of 125	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	43.2	86 of 130	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.2	60 of 123	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.5	62 of 114	45.6%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	83.8	9 of 249	96.4%	★★★★★
2025	71.0	60 of 244	75.4%	★★★★☆
2024	76.8	32 of 237	86.5%	★★★★☆
2023	71.8	58 of 231	74.9%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	76.4	51 of 400	87.3%	★★★★☆
2025	78.3	40 of 400	90.0%	★★★★★
2024	78.1	44 of 396	88.9%	★★★★☆
2023	79.1	42 of 402	89.6%	★★★★☆

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 (2026)96th percentile+40 vs school

White (2026)87th percentile+31 vs school

Male (2026)60th percentile+4 vs school

Disabled (2026)56th percentile~ school

Female (2026)52nd percentile-5 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)51st percentile-5 vs school

African American (2026)51st percentile-5 vs school

Hispanic (2026)50th percentile-7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)33rd percentile-24 vs school

Asian (2026)33rd percentile-24 vs school

Military Connected (2026)30th percentile-26 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Geometry100%+3 vs state

Algebra I99%+4 vs state

English Reading78%+5 vs state

Civics and Economics75%+5 vs state

Science71%+6 vs state

Mathematics49%-6 vs state

3.8

6 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★4

4★0

3★0

2★1

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, February 21, 2022

Too many resources allocated for behavior problems, good kids penalized staff and administration make promises they don't keep poor communication Close Quote

by a citizen
Friday, June 10, 2016

Exception made for some teachers which are dedicated to teach the Administration of this school seems out of touch with the community of families and children they are expected to serve. On top of that an assistant teacher is arrested for selling pot to a student.... Close Quote

by a parent
Sunday, February 16, 2014

Gunston is a great middle school with amazing diversity in its students and staff. Its partial immersion program in Spanish is top-notch and its Spanish for Fluent Speakers program allows students who speak Spanish at home but have never studied it the opportunity to become truly knowledgeable about their language. Excellent academic programs, dedicated teachers, an active PTA, and a principal who is always striving for the best make Gunston a perfect choice. Close Quote

Schools Near Gunston Middle

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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)				SOL Geometry (2026)		SOL Algebra I (2026)			SOL Algebra II (2026)	SOL Mathematics (2026)			SOL Science (2026)	SOL English Reading (2026)			SOL Civics and Economics (2026)		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 (2025)	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	SOL Geometry 7th Grade	SOL Geometry 8th Grade	SOL Algebra I 6th 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 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
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%)	58.6	181^st of 416 public middle schools	56.5%		61.1	168^th of 419 public middle schools	59.9%	13		100.0		100.0	98.3		50.0	47.2	51.3	71.2	75.6	78.6	81.2	75.2		$14,879	$71	$14,808
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%)	45.8	258^th of 416 public middle schools	38.0%		46.1	239^th of 419 public middle schools	43.0%	19		100.0		95.9	97.8		50.7	40.6	43.9	66.6	69.3	73.9	67.1	79.0		$15,495	$44	$15,451
George Washington Middle	Public	6-8	1005 Mount Vernon Avenue	Alexandria	22301	Alexandria city	Alexandria City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 706-4500	1,458	103	14.1	45.6%	538 (36.9%)	227 (15.6%)	591 (40.5%)	33 (2.3%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.2%)	65 (4.5%)	48.6	239^th of 416 public middle schools	42.5%		40.7	275^th of 419 public middle schools	34.4%	36	≥ 50%	100.0		99.0	93.6		61.8	54.6	22.5	66.4	68.4	71.6	74.1		76.7	$14,651	$11	$14,639
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%)	17.9	372^nd of 416 public middle schools	10.6%		9.8	396^th of 419 public middle schools	5.5%	24		100.0		95.0	89.8		43.3	42.2	24.1	45.3	54.6	54.6	49.1		72.1	$13,351	$481	$12,871
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%)	48.1	242^nd of 416 public middle schools	41.8%		49.7	222^nd of 419 public middle schools	47.0%	20	≥ 50%	100.0		100.0	96.0		55.6	48.4	58.1	71.1	62.5	70.4	70.9	72.5		$15,296	$04	$15,293
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%)	18.5	371^st of 416 public middle schools	10.8%		16.4	383^rd of 419 public middle schools	8.6%	12		100.0	100.0	100.0	97.7	≥ 50%	29.4	19.7	18.1	51.4	55.3	60.1	57.0			$12,567	$803	$11,764
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	38^th of 416 public middle schools	90.9%		81.3	40^th of 419 public middle schools	90.5%	2		100.0		100.0	100.0		70.9	68.9	59.0	82.3	86.3	86.4	85.6	90.4		$13,436	$46	$13,390
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%)	73.2	89^th of 416 public middle schools	78.6%		76.6	74^th of 419 public middle schools	82.3%	15		100.0		100.0	98.3	≥ 50%	73.2	35.8	56.3	80.5	85.6	78.0	84.8	83.3		$13,989	$04	$13,985
Twain Middle	Public, Magnet	7-8	4700 Franconia Rd	Alexandria	22310	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(703) 313-3700	1,026	84	12.1	35.3%	323 (31.5%)	172 (16.8%)	319 (31.1%)	136 (13.3%)	5 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	71 (6.9%)	58.8	180^th of 416 public middle schools	56.7%		63.6	154^th of 419 public middle schools	63.2%	26		100.0		100.0	91.6	≥ 50%		51.6	36.7	68.4		81.3	76.3			$13,239	$334	$12,905
Holmes Middle	Public	6-8	6525 Montrose St	Alexandria	22312	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 658-5900	881	81	10.9	72.0%	162 (18.4%)	162 (18.4%)	398 (45.2%)	130 (14.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	28 (3.2%)	25.9	347^th of 416 public middle schools	16.6%		22.9	356^th of 419 public middle schools	15.0%	9		100.0	≥ 50%	100.0	96.3		25.6	2.5	16.2	57.8	59.5	59.6	64.4			$14,180	$330	$13,850

Frequently Asked Questions about Gunston Middle

How many students attend Gunston Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,072 students attended Gunston Middle.

What high school do graduates of Gunston Middle attend?

Students who attend Gunston Middle usually go on to attend Wakefield High

What is the racial makeup of Gunston Middle?

Students at Gunston Middle are 38% Hispanic, 32% White, 15% African American, 8% Two or more races, 6% Asian.

Is Gunston Middle a good school?

Gunston Middle ranks 181^st of 416 Virginia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Gunston Middle in?

Arlington County Public Schools

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Latest Virginia data All new data »

2025–26 SOL test scoresAug 25, 2026

2021–22 school spending dataFeb 16, 2026

2022–23 through 2023–24 school spending dataFeb 10, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJan 6, 2026

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.