Madison County High

Madison County High is a small public high school in Madison, VA, serving 530 students in grades 9–12 as part of Madison County Public Schools. The school currently ranks in the lower-middle tier of Virginia high schools, sitting at the 31st percentile statewide in 2025-2026. While overall test scores are modest, the school's completion metrics tell a more encouraging story — one that sets it apart from several nearby schools.

Madison County High's greatest strengths are its graduation and dropout rates. The school boasts a 96.3% graduation rate and a 0.0% dropout rate, well above the state average and far better than Eastern View High (89.4% graduation, 6.2% dropout) and Culpeper County High (89.3% graduation, 5.8% dropout). Students also perform well in math and Earth Science. Geometry proficiency reached 90.4% in 2025-2026, and 10th-grade Algebra I proficiency (80%) was the highest among nearby schools. Earth Science proficiency (71%) dramatically exceeded the state rate of 45.2%.

The biggest challenges are Biology, history, and chronic absenteeism. Only 30.4% of 10th graders passed Biology in 2025-2026, compared to the state average of 68.9% and scores above 77% at Eastern View High, Culpeper County High, Orange County High, and William Monroe High. VA and US History proficiency (30.4%) also trailed the state average. Chronic absenteeism stands at 20.3% — lower than neighboring high schools, but nearly double the district's 11.8% average. Economic need is rising quickly, with 66.2% of students now eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, up from 46.5% in 2022-2023. Notably, William Monroe High serves a similar share of low-income students but ranks higher academically, suggesting poverty alone doesn't explain the gap.