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

Thoreau Middle

Public Grades 7-8
61st
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 419 Virginia Middle Schools
Better than 85% of Virginia middle schools
Summary

Thoreau Middle is a public middle school located in Vienna, Virginia, serving grades 7-8 with a total enrollment of 1,246 students. It is part of the Fairfax County Public Schools district, which is ranked 45 out of 129 school districts in Virginia and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Thoreau Middle consistently ranks among the top middle schools in Virginia, ranking between 18-61 out of 400-425 schools over the past 10 years. The school's students perform exceptionally well on SOL (Standards of Learning) tests, with 100% proficiency in Geometry and Algebra I for 8th grade, and high proficiency rates in other subjects like Mathematics, Science, and English Reading. Thoreau Middle outperforms the Fairfax County Public Schools district and the state of Virginia in most academic areas, indicating strong academic achievement. The school has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 12.4 to 15.2 over the past few years, and its per-student spending is higher than the state average, suggesting a commitment to providing adequate resources for its students.

While Thoreau Middle excels academically overall, there are some equity concerns regarding the performance of certain student subgroups, such as African American, Hispanic, and economically disadvantaged students. The school's rankings and proficiency rates for these subgroups are generally lower than the overall school performance, suggesting the need for targeted interventions and support to ensure equitable outcomes. Thoreau Middle's academic performance is generally stronger than the nearby Poe Middle, Johnson Middle, and Kilmer Middle schools in the Fairfax County Public Schools district, but the nearby Arlington County Public Schools district has some exceptional middle schools, like Williamsburg Middle and Swanson Middle, which outperform Thoreau Middle in certain academic areas.

1,239
Students ?
11.3
Student/teacher ratio ?
$10,833
Per pupil spending ?
18.8%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 2505 Cedar Ln
       Vienna, VA  22180

(703) 846-8000

District: Fairfax County Public Schools


Students who attend Thoreau Middle usually attend:

High:    Madison High

Feeder schools for Thoreau Middle:

Elementary:    Archer Elementary
    Cunningham Park Elementary
    Flint Hill Elementary
    Marshall Road Elementary
    More...
Racial breakdown:

White:
49.6%
Hispanic:
18.7%
Asian:
18.6%
more
 See top rated Virginia middle schools

 Compare Thoreau Middle to nearby middle schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Declining — 96th percentile in 2015 → 85th in 2025
Strengths
Test scores above the Virginia average (84% vs 69% meeting standards)
Ranks in the top 15% of Virginia middle schools
Small classes — about 11 students per teacher
Worth a look
!Ranking has slipped — down 11 percentile points since 2015
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school84%
District avg76%
Virginia avg69%
61st of 419
Virginia public middle schools ?
Top 15%▼ down 10 pts since 2015
From top 4% (2015) to top 15% (2025)
See the entire ranking list of Virginia Middle Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
7th of 23Middle Schools in the Fairfax County Public Schools
45th of 129Fairfax 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202577.961 of 41985.4%★★★★☆
202480.951 of 41787.8%★★★★☆
202380.154 of 42287.2%★★★★☆
202279.047 of 41588.7%★★★★☆
202183.422 of 41994.7%★★★★★
201976.154 of 42487.3%★★★★☆
201881.823 of 41394.4%★★★★★
201781.333 of 41592.0%★★★★★
201683.023 of 40994.4%★★★★★
201585.218 of 41295.6%★★★★★
201487.416 of 41696.2%★★★★★
201390.07 of 41698.3%★★★★★
201288.03 of 41399.3%★★★★★
201189.22 of 41399.5%★★★★★
201088.15 of 40898.8%★★★★★
200986.35 of 39098.7%★★★★★
200886.65 of 39198.7%★★★★★
200787.03 of 38799.2%★★★★★
200689.07 of 38398.2%★★★★★
200587.89 of 34097.4%★★★★★

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202565.791 of 29769.4%★★★☆☆
202460.5116 of 29961.2%★★★☆☆
202376.154 of 29881.9%★★★★☆

Asian

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202569.830 of 13677.9%★★★★☆
202470.522 of 12882.8%★★★★☆
202361.455 of 13258.3%★★★☆☆

Disabled

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202484.824 of 28191.5%★★★★★
202389.218 of 27893.5%★★★★★

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202545.560 of 13555.6%★★★☆☆
202472.320 of 12283.6%★★★★☆
202369.416 of 10084.0%★★★★☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202578.247 of 40388.3%★★★★☆
202481.041 of 40789.9%★★★★★
202380.446 of 41188.8%★★★★☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202554.3129 of 27953.8%★★★☆☆
202457.8104 of 27261.8%★★★☆☆
202356.7106 of 27561.5%★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202535.2286 of 40329.0%★☆☆☆☆
202446.2223 of 40244.5%★★☆☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202576.672 of 40482.2%★★★★☆
202480.351 of 40787.5%★★★★☆
202378.865 of 40984.1%★★★★☆

Military Connected

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202573.922 of 13083.1%★★★★☆
202470.420 of 12383.7%★★★★☆
202366.230 of 11473.7%★★★★☆

Multi-racial

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202579.920 of 24491.8%★★★★★
202482.519 of 23792.0%★★★★★
202385.515 of 23193.5%★★★★★

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202578.935 of 40091.3%★★★★★
202481.825 of 39693.7%★★★★★
202378.146 of 40288.6%★★★★☆
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 (2025)92nd percentile+6 vs school
Disabled (2024)91st percentile+4 vs school
White (2025)91st percentile+6 vs school
Female (2025)88th percentile+3 vs school
Military Connected (2025)83rd percentile~ school
Male (2025)82nd percentile-3 vs school
Asian (2025)78th percentile-8 vs school
African American (2025)69th percentile-16 vs school
English Language Learner (2025)56th percentile-30 vs school
Hispanic (2025)54th percentile-32 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2025)29th percentile-56 vs school
By subject vs Virginia (2024-2025) ?
Geometry100%+3 vs state
Algebra I97%+3 vs state
English Reading87%+14 vs state
Science86%+20 vs state
Mathematics58%+6 vs state

5.0
1 rating
51
40
30
20
10
Rate Thoreau 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
Reviews
No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.



Schools Near Thoreau Middle

Ranking:
Map legend
E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private






Frequently Asked Questions about Thoreau Middle

Students at Thoreau Middle are 50% White, 19% Hispanic, 19% Asian, 7% Two or more races, 5% African American.

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,239 students attended Thoreau Middle.

Students who attend Thoreau Middle usually go on to attend Madison High

Thoreau Middle ranks 61st of 419 Virginia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Thoreau Middle!



Sign up for updates!

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


Latest Virginia data All new data »
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
2024–25 attendance dataSep 2, 2025


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.





Diagnostics