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

Salem High

Q: Is Salem High a good school?

Salem High ranks 78 th of 328 Virginia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

78^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 328 Virginia High Schools

Better than 76% of Virginia high schools

Summary

Salem High is a public high school in Salem, Virginia, serving 1,213 students in grades 9-12. It is part of the Salem City Public Schools district, which is ranked 35 out of 129 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating.

Salem High consistently ranks among the top high schools in Virginia, with strong academic performance. The school excels in subjects like Algebra II, Geometry, and English Reading, with proficiency rates well above state averages. Its four-year graduation rates, ranging from 91.9% to 95.9%, are also higher than the state and district averages. The school's performance is particularly impressive for its English Language Learner and Multi-racial student populations, which rank 1st and 19th in the state, respectively.

Compared to nearby schools, Lord Botetourt High and the schools in the Roanoke County Public Schools district generally perform at a high level, similar to Salem High. In contrast, the schools in the Craig County Public Schools district and the Roanoke City Public Schools district tend to have lower academic performance and higher dropout rates. While Salem High faces some challenges, such as high chronic absenteeism rates and an increasing population of economically disadvantaged students, it remains a standout institution in the region.

1,202

Students ?

9.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,987

Per pupil spending ?

40.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

400 Spartan Dr
Salem, VA 24153-3296

(540) 387-2437

District: Salem City Public Schools

Feeder schools for Salem High:

Elementary:	East Salem Elementary
	G.W. Carver Elementary
	South Salem Elementary
	West Salem Elementary
Middle:	Andrew Lewis Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

65.2%

African American:

16.6%

Hispanic:

10.2%

See top rated Virginia high schools

Compare Salem High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 89th percentile in 2015 → 76th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Virginia average (89% vs 82% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 24% of Virginia high schools

✓Small classes — about 9 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 13 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school89%

District avg88%

Virginia avg82%

78^th of 328

Virginia public high schools ?

Top 24%▼ down 12 pts since 2015

From top 11% (2015) to top 24% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

35^th of 129Salem City 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
2025	71.8	78 of 328	76.2%	★★★★☆
2024	64.8	117 of 329	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	69.8	89 of 326	72.7%	★★★★☆
2022	66.0	72 of 325	77.8%	★★★★☆
2021	65.1	57 of 327	82.6%	★★★★☆
2019	51.7	153 of 327	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.4	107 of 326	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2017	69.6	43 of 324	86.7%	★★★★☆
2016	68.2	52 of 321	83.8%	★★★★☆
2015	72.1	37 of 322	88.5%	★★★★☆
2014	69.2	53 of 322	83.5%	★★★★☆
2013	65.0	69 of 321	78.5%	★★★★☆
2012	69.4	39 of 321	87.9%	★★★★☆
2011	67.4	62 of 320	80.6%	★★★★☆
2010	66.3	58 of 317	81.7%	★★★★☆
2009	65.0	68 of 313	78.3%	★★★★☆
2008	70.6	40 of 316	87.3%	★★★★☆
2007	69.6	39 of 313	87.5%	★★★★☆
2006	67.1	45 of 314	85.7%	★★★★☆
2005	66.3	47 of 308	84.7%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	63.3	82 of 245	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	69.8	55 of 249	77.9%	★★★★☆
2023	66.2	72 of 240	70.0%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2024	57.1	98 of 253	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	77.6	25 of 249	90.0%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	96.7	1 of 101	99.0%	★★★★★
2023	85.0	14 of 97	85.6%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	64.0	119 of 321	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.4	115 of 322	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	70.1	80 of 320	75.0%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	65.9	64 of 236	72.9%	★★★★☆
2024	58.6	87 of 233	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.1	129 of 232	44.4%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	72.3	60 of 324	81.5%	★★★★☆
2024	68.2	71 of 320	77.8%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	75.5	54 of 322	83.2%	★★★★☆
2024	61.9	128 of 322	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	67.1	107 of 321	66.7%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2023	79.3	19 of 193	90.2%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	66.2	103 of 313	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.7	172 of 314	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	63.9	96 of 315	69.5%	★★★★☆

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)

English Language Learner (2025)99th percentile+23 vs school

Multi-racial (2023)90th percentile+17 vs school

Male (2025)83rd percentile+7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)81st percentile+5 vs school

Hispanic (2025)73rd percentile-3 vs school

White (2025)67th percentile-9 vs school

African American (2025)67th percentile-10 vs school

Female (2025)63rd percentile-13 vs school

Disabled (2024)61st percentile-3 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2024-2025) ?

Algebra II99%+5 vs state

Geometry97%+13 vs state

English Reading92%+5 vs state

Algebra I89%+8 vs state

Biology86%+8 vs state

Earth Science80%+7 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Salem High and help other families decide.

Rate Salem High

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 Salem High

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				SOL Writing (2025)			SOL Geometry (2025)		SOL Algebra I (2025)				SOL Algebra II (2025)	SOL Biology (2025)				SOL Earth Science (2025)				SOL English Reading (2025)			SOL Geography (2025)	SOL VA and US History (2025)	SOL World History I (2025)		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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SOL Writing 10th Grade	SOL Writing 11th Grade	SOL Writing 12th Grade	SOL Geometry 9th Grade	SOL Geometry 10th 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 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 11th Grade	SOL World History I 9th Grade	SOL World History I 10th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Salem High	Public	9-12	400 Spartan Dr	Salem	24153	Salem city	Salem City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 387-2437	1,202	133	9.0	40.3%	784 (65.2%)	200 (16.6%)	123 (10.2%)	29 (2.4%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	63 (5.2%)	71.8	78^th of 328 public high schools	76.2%		64.8	117^th of 329 public high schools	64.4%	39				97.5		88.8		90.0		98.7	97.9	75.3	86.7		80.0					92.2	84.6					$9,987	$297	$9,690
Glenvar High	Public	9-12	4549 Malus Dr	Salem	24153	Roanoke County	Roanoke County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 387-6536	620	39	16.0	35.8%	538 (86.8%)	17 (2.7%)	27 (4.4%)	19 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	18 (2.9%)	70.2	88^th of 328 public high schools	73.2%		64.7	119^th of 329 public high schools	63.8%	31				95.9		85.7				100.0		77.6			80.7					91.7	90.9			77.1		$11,390	$406	$10,984
Northside High	Public	9-12	6758 Northside High School Rd	Roanoke	24019	Roanoke County	Roanoke County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 561-8155	919	62	14.9	68.2%	469 (51.0%)	179 (19.5%)	143 (15.6%)	58 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.3%)	67 (7.3%)	59.4	152^nd of 328 public high schools	53.7%		59.2	148^th of 329 public high schools	55.0%	4				100.0		94.8	66.7			100.0		65.8			76.0				66.7	88.5	62.5	68.3	16.7	82.9		$9,587	$487	$9,100
William Fleming High	Public	9-12	3649 Ferncliff Ave NW	Roanoke	24017	Roanoke city	Roanoke City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 853-2781	1,957	130	15.0	91.6%	245 (12.5%)	910 (46.5%)	630 (32.2%)	84 (4.3%)	3 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	84 (4.3%)	17.8	314^th of 328 public high schools	4.3%		18.5	319^th of 329 public high schools	3.0%	5	21.7	56.5	47.2	45.1	22.2	58.4	61.1	66.7	90.5	94.1	59.6	59.1	71.4	71.2	54.1	25.0	48.7	78.6	44.4	77.8	79.7		23.8	15.7	23.2	$11,006	$1,336	$9,670
Hidden Valley High	Public	9-12	5000 Titan Trail	Roanoke	24018	Roanoke County	Roanoke County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 776-7320	832	55	15.1	26.1%	572 (68.8%)	64 (7.7%)	87 (10.5%)	53 (6.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (6.7%)	75.4	55^th of 328 public high schools	83.2%		78.6	30^th of 329 public high schools	90.9%	25				93.5		90.8				100.0	81.8	85.8			82.5					94.4				73.2		$9,533	$240	$9,292
Patrick Henry High	Public	9-12	2102 Grandin Rd SW	Roanoke	24015	Roanoke city	Roanoke City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 853-2255	2,030	146	13.9	87.4%	836 (41.2%)	793 (39.1%)	255 (12.6%)	50 (2.5%)	5 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	91 (4.5%)	27.9	291^st of 328 public high schools	11.3%		19.5	316^th of 329 public high schools	4.0%	25	11.1	65.6		76.9	20.7	73.4	78.9	94.3	90.6	96.6	87.7	59.6	55.6	63.6	58.3	34.0	35.7	40.9	38.3	78.7	73.7		19.2	20.0	47.4	$11,430	$1,157	$10,273
Cave Spring High	Public	9-12	3712 Chaparral Dr	Roanoke	24018	Roanoke County	Roanoke County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 772-7550	1,046	67	15.5	27.2%	800 (76.5%)	67 (6.4%)	59 (5.6%)	76 (7.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (4.1%)	77.6	36^th of 328 public high schools	89.0%		79.9	24^th of 329 public high schools	92.7%	12				96.4		96.9				100.0	76.9	83.1	84.6		83.3				80.0	94.8		75.0		78.6		$8,752	$227	$8,525
Eastern Montgomery High	Public	9-12	4695 Crozier Rd	Elliston	24087	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 268-3010	254	26	9.8	84.6%	215 (84.6%)	3 (1.2%)	32 (12.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.6%)	52.4	184^th of 328 public high schools	43.9%		33.6	271^st of 329 public high schools	17.6%	87		71.2		93.8		92.5	80.0				87.1	78.6								83.3						$16,628	$881	$15,747
Lord Botetourt High	Public	9-12	1435 Roanoke Rd	Daleville	24083	Botetourt County	Botetourt County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 992-1261	963	60	16.0	28.8%	776 (80.6%)	24 (2.5%)	73 (7.6%)	21 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	68 (7.1%)	71.3	82^nd of 328 public high schools	75.0%		72	70^th of 329 public high schools	78.7%	12				94.8		90.9				100.0	93.9	73.1	75.0		76.3	53.3				92.2			40.0	79.7		$9,372	$197	$9,175
William Byrd High	Public	9-12	2902 Washington Ave	Vinton	24179	Roanoke County	Roanoke County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 890-3090	1,134	73	15.4	37.7%	890 (78.5%)	69 (6.1%)	97 (8.6%)	20 (1.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (5.0%)	65.9	112^th of 328 public high schools	65.9%		69.1	94^th of 329 public high schools	71.4%	18				93.9	50.0	87.4	80.0			100.0		74.7			79.2				90.0	88.6			32.0	79.0		$10,163	$224	$9,940

Frequently Asked Questions about Salem High

How many students attend Salem High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,202 students attended Salem High.

What schools feed into Salem High?

Salem High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : East Salem Elementary
Elementary : G.W. Carver Elementary
Elementary : South Salem Elementary
Elementary : West Salem Elementary
Middle : Andrew Lewis Middle

Is Salem High a good school?

Salem High ranks 78^th of 328 Virginia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Salem High?

Students at Salem High are 65% White, 17% African American, 10% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What district is Salem High in?

Salem City Public Schools

Rate Salem High!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

VAVirginia High School Rankings

VAVirginia District Rankings

Schools in Salem, VA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Salem High!

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.