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South Lakes High

Q: Is South Lakes High a good school?

South Lakes High ranks 164 th of 331 Virginia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend South Lakes High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 2,434 students attended South Lakes High.

Q: What is the racial makeup of South Lakes High?

Students at South Lakes High are 40% White, 29% Hispanic, 13% African American, 10% Asian, 8% Two or more races.

Q: What schools feed into South Lakes High?

South Lakes High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Dogwood Elementary Elementary : Forest Edge Elementary Elementary : Fox Mill Elementary Elementary : Hunters Woods Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences Elementary : Lake Anne Elementary Elementary : Sunrise Valley Elementary Elementary : Terraset Elementary Middle : Hughes Middle

Public Grades 9-12

164^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 331 Virginia High Schools

Better than 50% of Virginia high schools

Summary

South Lakes High in Reston, VA, serves 2,434 students in grades 9–12 and is part of Fairfax County Public Schools, a district ranked 39th in Virginia. The school's overall rank of 164th out of 331 Virginia high schools places it close to Marshall High (156th) and Fairfax High (157th), well behind elite neighbors like Madison High (29th) and Woodson High (33rd), but ahead of Westfield High (221st) and Herndon High (243rd).

South Lakes has several notable strengths. Its graduation rate of 95.9% in 2024–2025 exceeded the district's 92.7%, and its dropout rate of 2.5% was less than half the district's 5.1%. The school also maintains a favorable 11.6 student-teacher ratio—lower than the 15.1 at Madison High or the 17.1 at Fairfax High. However, chronic absenteeism is a serious concern: 20.7% of students were chronically absent in 2024–2025, the highest among all nearby Fairfax high schools and well above the district's 11.9%. South Lakes also serves a more economically diverse student body than its top-ranked neighbors, with 34.3% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch compared to 11.1% at Madison High and 14.2% at Woodson High.

Academically, South Lakes shows strong 9th-grade math and reading results, with Algebra I proficiency at 87.7% in 2025–2026, but 12th-grade reading remains a persistent weakness (48% proficient vs. 67.6% district-wide). Subgroup results are mixed: White and multi-racial students perform near or above state medians, while Hispanic and low-income students have consistently scored lower. Encouragingly, English learners have made dramatic strides, jumping from the 13th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 52nd percentile in 2025–2026. Bottom line: South Lakes is a mid-performing school that effectively graduates its students, but chronic absenteeism and achievement gaps keep it from matching the performance of its top-tier neighbors.

2,434

Students ?

11.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,614

Per pupil spending ?

34.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

11400 South Lakes Dr
Reston, VA 20191-4199

(703) 715-4500

District: Fairfax County Public Schools

Feeder schools for South Lakes High:

Elementary:	Dogwood Elementary
	Forest Edge Elementary
	Fox Mill Elementary
	Hunters Woods Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences
	More...
	Lake Anne Elementary
	Sunrise Valley Elementary
	Terraset Elementary
Middle:	Hughes Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

39.9%

Hispanic:

29.2%

African American:

12.9%

See top rated Virginia high schools

Compare South Lakes High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 55th percentile in 2016 → 50th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Virginia average (85% vs 78% meeting standards)

✓96% graduate in 4 years — above the Virginia average (92%)

✓Above the Virginia median (50th 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 school85%

District avg84%

Virginia avg78%

164^th of 331

Virginia public high schools ?

Top 50%▼ down 4 pts since 2016

From top 45% (2016) to top 50% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

17^th of 28High Schools in the Fairfax County Public Schools

39^th of 131Fairfax 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	56.9	164 of 331	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.9	190 of 328	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	51.9	190 of 329	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	64.6	120 of 326	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	36.7	231 of 325	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	36.7	213 of 327	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	53.5	138 of 327	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.1	121 of 326	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2017	51.0	150 of 324	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2016	50.9	146 of 321	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	47.6	164 of 322	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2014	52.0	132 of 322	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	54.8	119 of 321	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2012	44.2	200 of 321	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2011	43.9	194 of 320	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2010	37.8	234 of 317	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	44.7	183 of 313	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2008	46.8	170 of 316	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2007	39.7	220 of 313	29.7%	★★☆☆☆
2006	32.3	253 of 314	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	40.6	219 of 308	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	58.9	91 of 242	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	49.1	137 of 245	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	52.1	128 of 249	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	53.7	110 of 240	54.2%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	37.8	87 of 120	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	51.5	74 of 125	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	68.9	30 of 118	74.6%	★★★★☆
2023	76.6	13 of 120	89.2%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	58.8	93 of 252	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.4	100 of 253	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.4	102 of 249	59.0%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	51.3	65 of 135	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	47.3	50 of 101	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	29.0	106 of 122	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	55.7	37 of 97	61.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	53.4	184 of 322	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	49.2	200 of 321	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.4	211 of 322	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	60.8	134 of 320	58.1%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	36.1	182 of 242	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	35.8	180 of 236	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.9	184 of 233	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	55.6	108 of 232	53.4%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	36.9	238 of 321	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	34.3	255 of 324	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.0	279 of 320	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	59.1	137 of 325	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	55.0	162 of 322	49.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.4	151 of 322	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	71.5	75 of 321	76.6%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	71.1	45 of 196	77.0%	★★★★☆
2025	74.0	38 of 198	80.8%	★★★★☆
2024	71.0	45 of 198	77.3%	★★★★☆
2023	74.1	35 of 193	81.9%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	69.7	70 of 312	77.6%	★★★★☆
2025	66.5	99 of 313	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.9	109 of 314	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	74.5	30 of 315	90.5%	★★★★★

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)

White (2026)78th percentile+27 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)77th percentile+27 vs school

Disabled (2026)63rd percentile+13 vs school

African American (2026)62nd percentile+12 vs school

Male (2026)58th percentile+7 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)52nd percentile~ school

Female (2026)43rd percentile-8 vs school

Asian (2026)28th percentile-23 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)26th percentile-25 vs school

Hispanic (2026)25th percentile-26 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Algebra II100%+12 vs state

English Reading87%~ state avg

Geometry87%+11 vs state

Algebra I83%+4 vs state

Biology82%+5 vs state

VA and US History67%+27 vs state

Earth Science56%-7 vs state

Chemistry55%+4 vs state

2.5

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

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1★1

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What people are saying

by a teacher
Friday, December 10, 2021

There is no accountability, massive attendance problems and very low academic standards where homework is not assigned because students won't do it. Close Quote

by a parent
Sunday, October 11, 2009

South Lakes HS has a phenomenal principal (Bruce Butler) at the helm who has been there for the last 4, almost 5 years. He is visible and engaged with parents and teachers and knows the kids! As a result I have seen a change in the attitude of the student body, the teachers and parents. The school boasts an incredible MYP (Middle Years Program) and IB (International Baccalaureate) program that prepared my older two children (classes of 2004 and 2006) extremely well for college -- with full ride scholarships! Each year the school sees more and more students stepping up to apply for the full IB diploma to include my last child (class of 2010)!

SLHS is one of the smaller schools in the area, but we are finishing up a renovation project that has expanded capacity by 800 kids. The additional student population will help with funding for additional programs (language, art, sports, other advanced programs). Go Seahawks! Close Quote

Schools Near South Lakes High

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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 Writing (2026)			SOL Geometry (2026)					SOL Algebra I (2026)				SOL Algebra II (2026)				SOL Chemistry (2026)				SOL Biology (2026)				SOL Earth Science (2026)				SOL English Reading (2026)			SOL Geography (2026)	SOL VA and US History (2026)			SOL World History I (2026)				SOL World History II (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 Writing 10th Grade	SOL Writing 11th Grade	SOL Writing 12th Grade	SOL Geometry 8th Grade	SOL Geometry 9th Grade	SOL Geometry 10th Grade	SOL Geometry 11th Grade	SOL Geometry 12th Grade	SOL Algebra I 9th Grade	SOL Algebra I 10th Grade	SOL Algebra I 11th Grade	SOL Algebra I 12th Grade	SOL Algebra II 9th Grade	SOL Algebra II 10th Grade	SOL Algebra II 11th Grade	SOL Algebra II 12th Grade	SOL Chemistry 9th Grade	SOL Chemistry 10th Grade	SOL Chemistry 11th Grade	SOL Chemistry 12th Grade	SOL Biology 9th Grade	SOL Biology 10th Grade	SOL Biology 11th Grade	SOL Biology 12th Grade	SOL Earth Science 9th Grade	SOL Earth Science 10th Grade	SOL Earth Science 11th Grade	SOL Earth Science 12th Grade	SOL English Reading 10th Grade	SOL English Reading 11th Grade	SOL English Reading 12th Grade	SOL Geography 9th Grade	SOL VA and US History 10th Grade	SOL VA and US History 11th Grade	SOL VA and US History 12th Grade	SOL World History I 9th Grade	SOL World History I 10th Grade	SOL World History I 11th Grade	SOL World History I 12th Grade	SOL World History II 9th Grade	SOL World History II 10th Grade	SOL World History II 11th Grade	SOL World History II 12th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
South Lakes High	Public	9-12	11400 South Lakes Dr	Reston	20191	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 715-4500	2,434	208	11.6	34.3%	971 (39.9%)	314 (12.9%)	710 (29.2%)	240 (9.9%)	4 (0.2%)	3 (0.1%)	192 (7.9%)	56.9	164^th of 331 public high schools	50.5%		51.9	190^th of 328 public high schools	42.1%	26			≥ 50%		89.4	58.3	356.0	< 50%	87.7	69.1	76.7	421.0	100.0	424.0	403.0			54.6	376.0	≥ 50%	87.9	58.7	50.0	92.3	411.0	56.3	384.0	396.0	398.0	89.3	48.0			≥ 50%	66.7		< 50%	< 50%	< 50%	≥ 50%	≥ 50%		≥ 50%	$11,614	$303	$11,312
Madison High	Public	9-12	2500 James Madison Dr	Vienna	22181	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 319-2300	2,090	138	15.1	11.1%	1,210 (57.9%)	42 (2.0%)	338 (16.2%)	337 (16.1%)	4 (0.2%)	3 (0.1%)	156 (7.5%)	79.5	29^th of 331 public high schools	91.2%		78	34^th of 328 public high schools	89.6%	5		< 50%			97.1	72.2	< 50%		94.2	90.0	433.0	≥ 50%	100.0	424.0	≥ 50%		≥ 50%	53.9	432.0		94.3	84.6	413.0	≥ 50%	≥ 50%	58.3	62.5	400.0		96.6	66.7													$11,258	$284	$10,975
Herndon High	Public	9-12	700 Bennett St	Herndon	20170	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 810-2200	2,261	194	11.6	49.5%	638 (28.2%)	139 (6.1%)	1,209 (53.5%)	171 (7.6%)	6 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	98 (4.3%)	40.6	243^rd of 331 public high schools	26.6%		29.5	288^th of 328 public high schools	12.2%	45			≥ 50%		80.1	17.1	365.0	376.0	83.6	55.2	58.6	84.6	100.0	461.0	360.0			412.0	380.0		85.2	41.4	62.5	87.8	< 50%	404.0	50.9	59.5	≥ 50%	86.4	63.8				≥ 50%									$12,294	$302	$11,993
Oakton High	Public	9-12	2900 Sutton Rd	Vienna	22181	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 319-2700	2,621	193	13.6	15.3%	1,083 (41.3%)	164 (6.3%)	329 (12.6%)	842 (32.1%)	3 (0.1%)	3 (0.1%)	197 (7.5%)	77.2	41^st of 331 public high schools	87.6%		78.1	32^nd of 328 public high schools	90.2%	9			< 50%		96.6	69.2	419.0	< 50%	91.7	81.8	87.5	≥ 50%	96.7	68.8	395.0	≥ 50%	≥ 50%	70.8	80.0		94.5	67.6	85.2	402.0		400.0	47.6	54.6	≥ 50%	96.9	69.6	≥ 50%												$9,680	$215	$9,464
Chantilly High	Public	9-12	4201 Stringfellow Rd	Chantilly	20151	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 222-8100	2,937	229	12.8	20.7%	998 (34.0%)	175 (6.0%)	468 (15.9%)	1,134 (38.6%)	9 (0.3%)	3 (0.1%)	150 (5.1%)	75.4	49^th of 331 public high schools	85.2%		73.1	71^st of 328 public high schools	78.4%	22			≥ 50%		96.7	76.0	391.0	< 50%	93.4	66.7	78.6	≥ 50%	100.0	450.0	455.0	≥ 50%		86.4	427.0	< 50%	96.9	62.3	60.0	424.0	< 50%	50.0	42.5	50.0		94.4	50.0		< 50%	< 50%		≥ 50%		≥ 50%						$12,639	$288	$12,350
Fairfax High	Public	9-12	3501 Lion Run	Fairfax	22030	Fairfax city	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 219-2200	2,404	140	17.1	35.4%	819 (34.1%)	242 (10.1%)	631 (26.2%)	568 (23.6%)	7 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	135 (5.6%)	58.1	157^th of 331 public high schools	52.6%		48.4	208^th of 328 public high schools	36.6%	51		348.0		100.0	95.4	62.9	371.0	< 50%	81.9	68.8	73.3	91.7	97.1	436.0	411.0			9.5	378.0	< 50%	86.5	59.5	59.2	82.4	≥ 50%	38.1	40.6	69.2	≥ 50%	90.8	93.1	≥ 50%		< 50%	< 50%				≥ 50%	< 50%			≥ 50%	$11,752	$226	$11,527
Park View High	Public	9-12	400 W Laurel Ave	Sterling	20164	Loudoun County	Loudoun County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(571) 434-4500	1,409	145	9.6	82.3%	104 (7.4%)	65 (4.6%)	1,064 (75.5%)	133 (9.4%)	15 (1.1%)	2 (0.1%)	26 (1.8%)	28.3	290^th of 331 public high schools	12.4%		31.6	279^th of 328 public high schools	14.9%	11	< 50%	66.8	412.0		88.9	382.0			79.2	67.9	90.9	401.0	100.0	457.0	≥ 50%			≥ 50%	< 50%		58.1	64.6	71.2	65.0	≥ 50%	≥ 50%	415.0	≥ 50%	< 50%	80.1	33.3													$20,639	$301	$20,337
W.O. Robey High	Public	9-12	21328 Augusta Drive	Sterling	20164	Loudoun County	Loudoun County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(571) 434-4500	59	13	4.4		2 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (93.2%)	2 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23.7	306^th of 331 public high schools	7.6%					(n/a)										≥ 50%	407.0	400.0										≥ 50%	60.0	92.3			≥ 50%		< 50%	377.0	14.3													$62,059	$120	$61,939
Marshall High	Public	9-12	7731 Leesburg Pike	Falls Church	22043	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 714-5400	2,200	168	13.0	24.6%	879 (40.0%)	149 (6.8%)	525 (23.9%)	490 (22.3%)	8 (0.4%)	1 (0.0%)	148 (6.7%)	58.2	156^th of 331 public high schools	52.9%		68.2	103^rd of 328 public high schools	68.6%	53					90.8	60.4	369.0	< 50%	64.9	63.3	72.0	391.0	100.0	90.0	66.7			82.6	387.0	≥ 50%	91.1	68.6	76.2	437.0	< 50%	396.0	52.8	50.0	≥ 50%	89.9	50.0		≥ 50%	83.3	≥ 50%		< 50%			392.0		< 50%		$11,373	$215	$11,159
Woodson High	Public	9-12	9525 Main St	Fairfax	22031	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 503-4600	2,436	194	12.5	14.2%	1,135 (46.6%)	135 (5.5%)	360 (14.8%)	607 (24.9%)	5 (0.2%)	2 (0.1%)	192 (7.9%)	78.4	33^rd of 331 public high schools	90.0%		78.5	30^th of 328 public high schools	90.9%	3					97.9	82.4	≥ 50%		98.0	69.7	90.9	406.0	100.0	87.5	436.0			76.0	≥ 50%	≥ 50%	95.7	60.5	70.0	≥ 50%	≥ 50%	410.0	401.0	415.0	≥ 50%	94.8	73.1		≥ 50%	72.7	≥ 50%								< 50%	$11,221	$293	$10,928

Frequently Asked Questions about South Lakes High

Is South Lakes High a good school?

South Lakes High ranks 164^th of 331 Virginia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of South Lakes High?

Students at South Lakes High are 40% White, 29% Hispanic, 13% African American, 10% Asian, 8% Two or more races.

What district is South Lakes High in?

Fairfax County Public Schools

What schools feed into South Lakes High?

South Lakes High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Dogwood Elementary
Elementary : Forest Edge Elementary
Elementary : Fox Mill Elementary
Elementary : Hunters Woods Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences
Elementary : Lake Anne Elementary
Elementary : Sunrise Valley Elementary
Elementary : Terraset Elementary
Middle : Hughes Middle

How many students attend South Lakes High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 2,434 students attended South Lakes High.

Rate South Lakes High!

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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.