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Douglas S. Freeman High

Public, Magnet Grades 9-12
225th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 331 Virginia High Schools
Better than 32% of Virginia high schools
Summary

Douglas S. Freeman High is a large suburban high school in western Henrico County, Virginia, serving about 1,881 students in grades 9–12 as part of Henrico County Public Schools. The school has historically been a solid mid-tier Virginia high school, but its statewide ranking has slipped sharply in recent years — from the 61st percentile in 2021–2022 down to the 32nd percentile in 2025–2026. Freeman sits in the middle of a socioeconomic spectrum among nearby Henrico schools: about 43.5% of its students qualified for free/reduced lunch in 2024–2025, higher than Deep Run High (13.4%), Mills E. Godwin High (27.1%), or Glen Allen High (30.4%), but lower than Hermitage High (90.0%) or John Randolph Tucker High (88.4%).

Freeman's test results follow an unusual "barbell" pattern. The school excels with strong students: 9th-grade Algebra II proficiency is 99.2%, and 9th-grade World History II proficiency is 86.7% — both well above state averages. But students who take or retake assessments in later grades struggle significantly. Earth Science proficiency for 9th graders is 51.7%, and for 10th graders just 30.2%. Only 55.2% of 12th graders passed English Reading, and just 20.5% of 11th graders passed VA/US History. The graduation rate is 90.6% (below the state's 92.3%), while the dropout rate of 7.9% is nearly double the state average of 5.0%. Chronic absenteeism sits at 17.2%, well above both district and state levels.

One significant finding is how unevenly outcomes vary across student groups. Freeman ranks in the 61st percentile for White students and the 53rd percentile for students with disabilities, but in only the 16th percentile for Black students, the 14th percentile for low-income students, and the 12th percentile for Hispanic students. The contrast with Deep Run High — where the graduation rate is 97.9%, the dropout rate is just 0.8%, and chronic absenteeism is 5.2% — shows what is possible in the same region. Freeman spends about $8,530 per student with a student-teacher ratio of 17.9, comparable to its neighbors, so the challenge appears to be less about resources and more about targeted support for the students who are struggling the most.

1,881
Students ?
17.9
Student/teacher ratio ?
$8,524
Per pupil spending ?
43.5%
Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?
 8701 Three Chopt Rd
       Richmond, VA  23229

(804) 673-3700

District: Henrico County Public Schools


Feeder schools for Douglas S. Freeman High:

Elementary:    Crestview Elementary
    Maybeury Elementary
    Ridge Elementary
    Tuckahoe Elementary
Middle:    Tuckahoe Middle
Racial breakdown:

White:
53.4%
Hispanic:
19.7%
African American:
13.2%
more
 See top rated Virginia high schools

 Compare Douglas S. Freeman High to nearby high schools!
At a glance
▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 62nd percentile in 2016 → 32nd in 2026
Worth a look
!Dropout rate above the Virginia average (8% vs 5%)
!Ranking has slipped — down 30 percentile points since 2016
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school79%
District avg79%
Virginia avg77%
225th of 331
Virginia public high schools ?
Bottom 32%▼ down 30 pts since 2016
From top 38% (2016) to bottom 32% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Virginia High Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
5th of 9High Schools in the Henrico County Public Schools
90th of 131Henrico 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
202645.1225 of 33132.0%★★☆☆☆
202542.2244 of 32825.6%★☆☆☆☆
202447.8210 of 32936.2%★★☆☆☆
202354.7170 of 32647.9%★★☆☆☆
202253.9128 of 32560.6%★★★☆☆
202149.5146 of 32755.4%★★★☆☆
201955.5122 of 32762.7%★★★☆☆
201852.7138 of 32657.7%★★★☆☆
201756.8114 of 32464.8%★★★☆☆
201654.5123 of 32161.7%★★★☆☆
201561.879 of 32275.5%★★★★☆
201463.968 of 32278.9%★★★★☆
201368.755 of 32182.9%★★★★☆
201268.146 of 32185.7%★★★★☆
201164.672 of 32077.5%★★★★☆
201068.547 of 31785.2%★★★★☆
200964.272 of 31377.0%★★★★☆
200866.758 of 31681.6%★★★★☆
200771.033 of 31389.5%★★★★☆
200665.955 of 31482.5%★★★★☆
200572.824 of 30892.2%★★★★★

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202628.9203 of 24216.1%★☆☆☆☆
202536.0176 of 24528.2%★☆☆☆☆
202434.4193 of 24922.5%★☆☆☆☆
202352.9111 of 24053.8%★★★☆☆

Asian

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202641.381 of 12032.5%★★☆☆☆
202529.4105 of 12516.0%★☆☆☆☆
202435.795 of 11819.5%★☆☆☆☆
202351.768 of 12043.3%★★☆☆☆

Disabled

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202651.4118 of 25253.2%★★★☆☆
202445.6146 of 25342.3%★★☆☆☆
202364.380 of 24967.9%★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202633.5103 of 13523.7%★☆☆☆☆
202432.3100 of 12218.0%★☆☆☆☆
202343.355 of 9743.3%★★☆☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202643.8221 of 32231.4%★★☆☆☆
202539.3243 of 32124.3%★☆☆☆☆
202450.1194 of 32239.8%★★☆☆☆
202356.5154 of 32051.9%★★★☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202627.1214 of 24211.6%★☆☆☆☆
202522.2217 of 2368.1%☆☆☆☆☆
202424.3212 of 2339.0%☆☆☆☆☆
202335.0177 of 23223.7%★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202628.8277 of 32113.7%★☆☆☆☆
202529.3279 of 32413.9%★☆☆☆☆
202429.6270 of 32015.6%★☆☆☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202645.8207 of 32536.3%★★☆☆☆
202542.6218 of 32232.3%★★☆☆☆
202447.1201 of 32237.6%★★☆☆☆
202353.3168 of 32147.7%★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202642.9129 of 19634.2%★★☆☆☆
202568.056 of 19871.7%★★★★☆
202453.1102 of 19848.5%★★☆☆☆
202354.990 of 19353.4%★★★☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202661.5122 of 31260.9%★★★☆☆
202554.5169 of 31346.0%★★☆☆☆
202460.0127 of 31459.6%★★★☆☆
202364.394 of 31570.2%★★★★☆
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)
White (2026)61st percentile+29 vs school
Disabled (2026)53rd percentile+21 vs school
Male (2026)36th percentile+4 vs school
Multi-racial (2026)34th percentile~ school
Asian (2026)32nd percentile~ school
Female (2026)31st percentile~ school
English Language Learner (2026)24th percentile-8 vs school
African American (2026)16th percentile-16 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2026)14th percentile-18 vs school
Hispanic (2026)12th percentile-20 vs school
By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?
Algebra II99%+8 vs state
World History II87%+46 vs state
English Reading84%~ state avg
Geometry82%+5 vs state
Algebra I80%~ state avg
Biology76%~ state avg
Earth Science45%-19 vs state

4.6
21 ratings · 6 written reviews
5★16
4★4
3★0
2★0
1★1
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What people are saying
by a student
Friday, March 5, 2010

Open Quote When I went to school there in 2001 we had the 3rd highest SOL scores in the state. The teachers are awesome for the most part and every single economic class is represented. Close Quote


Facebook Profile Picture by a parent on FaceBook
Thursday, March 4, 2010

Open Quote Both my husband and I are an alumni of Douglas S. Freeman High School and are parents and siblings of alumni of Freeman. There is no finer school in Henrico County and the Commonwealth of Virginia. The high standard of education offered there now is of the same high quality it was when I attended. It is one of the reasons we chose to relocate to that school district when we returned to Richmond. I hope my grandchildren are able to attend this fine school when the time comes! Close Quote


by a parent on FaceBook
Thursday, March 4, 2010

Open Quote As a graduate and a parent I have been very pleased with Freeman. Freeman has provided my children with an excellent education. My children have also had to learn that the world is a diversified place. Not everyone is the same color or has the same amount of money. My oldest is excelling at college and in the world and I am sure the others will too. Close Quote


Facebook Profile Picture by a citizen on FaceBook
Thursday, March 4, 2010

Open Quote I was a student at Freeman in the early '70's, and enjoyed the programs available to all students' aspirations! The school was overcrowded, and easy to get lost in the masses, but the teachers did the best they could! My only concern was the prevalent use of the confederate flag as a symbol for the school. But we were allowed to smoke our cigarettes, 5 min. between classes to socialize, had an administration who allowed girls to wear jeans when initially we couldn't, and hired teachers who taught us HOW to think, not WHAT to think. I Loved the art classes(Miss Kilvington and Mrs. Stratton rocked!), and the Distributive Eduction Department took us to Tyson's Corner when it first opened...yea, Mr. Gainous!) Miss Nause had us reading cutting-edge literture and analyze newspaper articles for bias in English. Mr. Devito, our history teacher, gave us global exposure to belief systems foreign to us. All of these teachers were crucial to the development of who I am, today. It was only when I reached the 11th grade, and the puritan ethic was being forced on us in English that I felt my rebelliousness coming-out in force. Freeman moved with the times, intellectually, on most levels, in spite of the conservative (read confd. flag)mindset that tried to impose itself on the student population. It was then I couldn't stand it anymore. Close Quote


by a parent
Thursday, March 4, 2010

Open Quote Very diverse student body with excellent commitment to academics and community service. Excellent faculty. While some parents are distinctly disengaged with the school, others are extremely active and take a strong interest in curriculum and academics. One of the toughest high schools in the state as rated by college admissions officers. Just ask James Madison University its opinion of DS Freeman's academic rigor. Close Quote


by a parent
Thursday, March 4, 2010

Open Quote Awesome school in a great area with diversified population of students!!! Close Quote





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Frequently Asked Questions about Douglas S. Freeman High

Students at Douglas S. Freeman High are 53% White, 20% Hispanic, 13% African American, 8% Asian, 5% Two or more races.

Douglas S. Freeman High ranks 225th of 331 Virginia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,881 students attended Douglas S. Freeman High.

Douglas S. Freeman High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Crestview Elementary
Elementary : Maybeury Elementary
Elementary : Ridge Elementary
Elementary : Tuckahoe Elementary
Middle : Tuckahoe Middle

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Latest Virginia data All new data »
2024–25 school spending dataNewOct 12, 2026
2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNewOct 12, 2026
2025–26 SOL test scoresAug 25, 2026
2021–22 school spending dataFeb 16, 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.

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