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First Colonial High

Q: Is First Colonial High a good school?

First Colonial High ranks 90 th of 331 Virginia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend First Colonial High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,727 students attended First Colonial High.

Q: What is the racial makeup of First Colonial High?

Students at First Colonial High are 55% White, 17% African American, 17% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

Q: What schools feed into First Colonial High?

First Colonial High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Alanton Elementary Elementary : King's Grant Elementary Elementary : Kingston Elementary Elementary : Seatack Elementary An Achievable Dream Academy Elementary : W.T. Cooke Elementary Middle : Lynnhaven Middle

Public, Magnet Grades 9-12

90^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 331 Virginia High Schools

Better than 73% of Virginia high schools

Summary

First Colonial High School in Virginia Beach, VA, serves 1,727 students in grades 9–12 as part of Virginia Beach City Public Schools, and has earned a 4-star rating with a rank of 90th among Virginia's 331 high schools — up from 115th the previous year. The school's standout feature is its attendance culture: only 5.8% of students are chronically absent, dramatically better than the district rate of 10.1%, the state rate of 14.8%, and nearby schools like Frank W. Cox High at 12.4% and Green Run High at 20.5%. This reflects a remarkable improvement from 35.8% chronic absenteeism just a few years ago, and it's a key reason the school's ranking has climbed.

Academically, First Colonial shines in several areas. Military-connected students rank in the 90th percentile statewide (11th of 105 schools), which is especially meaningful given Virginia Beach's large military community. The school also showed dramatic improvement for students with disabilities, jumping from the 39th to the 80th percentile in statewide effectiveness rankings. Early high school coursework is a clear strength: 9th-grade Geography SOL proficiency is 98.36% (compared to 72.24% statewide) and 9th-grade Biology proficiency is 96.55%. The main vulnerability is upper-level math — 9th-grade Algebra I proficiency is 78.57%, below the district's 88.12%, and 10th-grade Geometry proficiency is just 45.83%. The graduation rate of 95.9% exceeds the state's 92.3% but trails the district's 96.8%.

Compared to its nearest neighbor, Frank W. Cox High, just 1.55 miles away and ranked 27th statewide, First Colonial has complementary strengths. Cox posts higher raw academic achievement, but First Colonial has better attendance, a higher graduation rate (95.9% vs. 93.8%), and a lower dropout rate (3.3% vs. 4.3%). The school's student-teacher ratio of 18.2 is the highest among nearby high schools, yet outcomes remain strong. With exceptional attendance, strong support for military families and students with disabilities, and clear momentum, First Colonial High is an improving school — and targeted math support for upperclassmen would help it climb even higher.

1,727

Students ?

18.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,450

Per pupil spending ?

31%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1272 Mill Dam Rd
Virginia Beach, VA 23454-2322

(757) 648-5300

District: Virginia Beach City Public Schools

Feeder schools for First Colonial High:

Elementary:	Alanton Elementary
	King's Grant Elementary
	Kingston Elementary
	Seatack Elementary An Achievable Dream Academy
	More...
	W.T. Cooke Elementary
Middle:	Lynnhaven Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

55.0%

African American:

17.2%

Hispanic:

16.6%

See top rated Virginia high schools

Compare First Colonial High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 78th percentile in 2016 → 73rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Virginia average (87% vs 77% meeting standards)

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

✓Above the Virginia median (73rd 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

!Near the bottom of Virginia Beach City Public Schools's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school87%

District avg86%

Virginia avg77%

90^th of 331

Virginia public high schools ?

Top 27%▼ down 5 pts since 2016

From top 22% (2016) to top 27% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

10^th of 12High Schools in the Virginia Beach City Public Schools

29^th of 131Virginia Beach 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
2026	69.2	90 of 331	72.8%	★★★★☆
2025	65.2	115 of 328	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	67.0	100 of 329	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	70.6	80 of 326	75.5%	★★★★☆
2022	59.9	98 of 325	69.8%	★★★★☆
2021	55.1	119 of 327	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.1	77 of 327	76.5%	★★★★☆
2018	62.0	80 of 326	75.5%	★★★★☆
2017	57.0	112 of 324	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2016	64.4	70 of 321	78.2%	★★★★☆
2015	56.8	104 of 322	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2014	49.7	149 of 322	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2013	56.4	112 of 321	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2012	57.8	101 of 321	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2011	56.7	123 of 320	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2010	53.6	138 of 317	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2009	61.5	89 of 313	71.6%	★★★★☆
2008	63.7	71 of 316	77.5%	★★★★☆
2007	58.7	96 of 313	69.3%	★★★★☆
2006	64.4	61 of 314	80.6%	★★★★☆
2005	66.4	46 of 308	85.1%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	46.1	142 of 242	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	40.2	167 of 245	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.3	152 of 249	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	63.6	83 of 240	65.4%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	18.5	109 of 120	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	69.5	50 of 252	80.2%	★★★★☆
2024	43.3	154 of 253	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	63.4	86 of 249	65.5%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2024	90.1	13 of 122	89.3%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	66.8	101 of 322	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	66.4	103 of 321	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	72.3	67 of 322	79.2%	★★★★☆
2023	65.9	102 of 320	68.1%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	55.6	115 of 242	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	58.2	97 of 236	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	67.3	63 of 233	73.0%	★★★★☆
2023	55.0	109 of 232	53.0%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	63.6	105 of 321	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.7	162 of 324	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.9	134 of 320	58.1%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	71.7	70 of 325	78.5%	★★★★☆
2025	63.3	117 of 322	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.7	118 of 322	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	71.9	74 of 321	76.9%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	74.5	11 of 105	89.5%	★★★★★
2025	66.6	28 of 98	71.4%	★★★★☆
2024	75.2	7 of 92	92.4%	★★★★★
2023	62.6	32 of 92	65.2%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	76.9	23 of 196	88.3%	★★★★☆
2025	61.1	74 of 198	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.2	65 of 198	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.7	104 of 193	46.1%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	73.9	39 of 312	87.5%	★★★★☆
2025	69.5	77 of 313	75.4%	★★★★☆
2024	77.1	21 of 314	93.3%	★★★★★
2023	71.7	48 of 315	84.8%	★★★★☆

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)

Military Connected (2026)90th percentile+17 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)89th percentile+20 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)88th percentile+15 vs school

White (2026)88th percentile+15 vs school

Disabled (2026)80th percentile+7 vs school

Male (2026)78th percentile+6 vs school

Female (2026)69th percentile-4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)67th percentile-6 vs school

Hispanic (2026)52nd percentile-20 vs school

African American (2026)41st percentile-31 vs school

Asian (2026)9th percentile-64 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Geography98%+28 vs state

Algebra II94%+6 vs state

English Reading92%+6 vs state

Biology87%+10 vs state

World History I85%+15 vs state

Writing83%+8 vs state

Geometry83%+7 vs state

Algebra I78%~ state avg

World History II53%+13 vs state

5.0

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What people are saying

by a student
Thursday, June 24, 2010

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Schools Near First Colonial 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 9th Grade	SOL Writing 10th Grade	SOL Writing 11th Grade	SOL Writing 12th 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 Chemistry 9th Grade	SOL Chemistry 10th Grade	SOL Chemistry 11th 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 9th Grade	SOL English Reading 10th Grade	SOL English Reading 11th Grade	SOL English Reading 12th Grade	SOL Geography 9th Grade	SOL Geography 10th Grade	SOL Geography 11th Grade	SOL Geography 12th Grade	SOL VA and US History 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
First Colonial High	Public, Magnet	9-12	1272 Mill Dam Rd	Virginia Beach	23454	Virginia Beach city	Virginia Beach City Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(757) 648-5300	1,727	94	18.2	31.0%	949 (55.0%)	297 (17.2%)	287 (16.6%)	47 (2.7%)	6 (0.3%)	4 (0.2%)	137 (7.9%)	69.2	90^th of 331 public high schools	72.8%		65.2	115^th of 328 public high schools	64.9%	25		390.0	84.3	68.0	89.9	45.8	397.0	< 50%	78.6	77.3	423.0	424.0	98.0	60.0	430.0		≥ 50%	≥ 50%	96.6	74.7	69.6	≥ 50%			≥ 50%	≥ 50%		458.0	92.8	78.6	98.4	≥ 50%	≥ 50%			< 50%	< 50%	≥ 50%	84.9	< 50%	< 50%		< 50%	53.3			$13,450	$943	$12,507
Frank W. Cox High	Public	9-12	2425 Shorehaven Dr	Virginia Beach	23454	Virginia Beach city	Virginia Beach City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 648-5250	1,631	91	17.9	26.2%	1,053 (64.6%)	201 (12.3%)	191 (11.7%)	49 (3.0%)	7 (0.4%)	7 (0.4%)	123 (7.5%)	79.9	27^th of 331 public high schools	91.8%		77.1	42^nd of 328 public high schools	87.2%	15	≥ 50%	450.0	90.6	77.4	82.6	72.7	< 50%	≥ 50%	93.9	100.0	422.0	429.0	100.0	72.7	415.0		100.0	72.7	100.0	83.0	76.9	398.0	≥ 50%		≥ 50%	< 50%	≥ 50%	80.0	95.2	88.9	97.4	91.7		< 50%			≥ 50%	< 50%	96.2	≥ 50%	< 50%	≥ 50%	≥ 50%	90.0			$13,932	$864	$13,068
Princess Anne High	Public	9-12	4400 Virginia Beach Blvd	Virginia Beach	23462	Virginia Beach city	Virginia Beach City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 648-5600	1,621	113	14.3	32.3%	762 (47.0%)	330 (20.4%)	191 (11.8%)	148 (9.1%)	6 (0.4%)	12 (0.7%)	172 (10.6%)	73.6	65^th of 331 public high schools	80.4%		69.3	94^th of 328 public high schools	71.3%	29		96.4	84.6	93.8	93.8	423.0	≥ 50%		86.6	88.2	437.0	≥ 50%	97.6	447.0	439.0		≥ 50%		95.1	81.8	68.4	100.0			386.0	374.0		98.2	91.7	94.1	78.5	76.5	397.0	< 50%	98.9	≥ 50%	≥ 50%		77.8	55.2	< 50%	≥ 50%	≥ 50%	≥ 50%	≥ 50%		$15,733	$2,486	$13,246
Green Run Collegiate	Public, Charter	9-12	1700 Dahlia Drive	Virginia Beach	23453	Virginia Beach city	Virginia Beach City Public Schools	Yes	No	No	No	(757) 263-1264	390	31	12.4	85.9%	101 (25.9%)	151 (38.7%)	58 (14.9%)	18 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	61 (15.6%)	72.8	73^rd of 331 public high schools	77.9%		75.3	58^th of 328 public high schools	82.3%	15		86.2	≥ 50%		< 50%				92.7	≥ 50%			93.3				< 50%		86.8	399.0		≥ 50%	≥ 50%	407.0				≥ 50%	100.0					< 50%	≥ 50%	≥ 50%											$15,769	$742	$15,027
Green Run High	Public	9-12	1700 Dahlia Dr	Virginia Beach	23456	Virginia Beach city	Virginia Beach City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 648-5350	1,465	93	15.7	81.8%	332 (22.7%)	620 (42.3%)	248 (16.9%)	74 (5.1%)	6 (0.4%)	6 (0.4%)	179 (12.2%)	48.6	206^th of 331 public high schools	37.8%		45.5	225^th of 328 public high schools	31.4%	19		401.0	74.7	59.1	87.7	≥ 50%	< 50%		78.3	80.0	93.3	≥ 50%	100.0	≥ 50%			≥ 50%	≥ 50%	74.0	73.6	63.6	82.4				383.0		439.0	88.7	82.6	94.0		≥ 50%		≥ 50%	384.0	< 50%	< 50%	369.0	417.0	< 50%	≥ 50%		< 50%	< 50%		$14,828	$1,130	$13,698
Bayside High	Public, Magnet	9-12	4960 Haygood Rd	Virginia Beach	23455	Virginia Beach city	Virginia Beach City Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(757) 648-5200	1,984	117	16.9	82.7%	469 (23.6%)	895 (45.1%)	301 (15.2%)	119 (6.0%)	4 (0.2%)	3 (0.2%)	193 (9.7%)	58.5	153^rd of 331 public high schools	53.8%		62	130^th of 328 public high schools	60.4%	23		60.0	73.9	58.3	94.1	366.0	360.0		90.6	82.4	371.0	423.0	98.4	409.0	≥ 50%		≥ 50%	< 50%	97.7	65.5	59.6	73.9	≥ 50%	≥ 50%	< 50%			431.0	88.7	60.0	89.6	382.0	≥ 50%		≥ 50%	377.0	415.0	< 50%	≥ 50%	< 50%	< 50%	< 50%	< 50%	≥ 50%		≥ 50%	$12,733	$860	$11,872
Ocean Lakes High	Public, Magnet	9-12	885 Schuman Drive	Virginia Beach	23454	Virginia Beach city	Virginia Beach City Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(757) 648-5550	1,834	106	17.2	30.0%	981 (53.5%)	205 (11.2%)	215 (11.7%)	214 (11.7%)	7 (0.4%)	5 (0.3%)	207 (11.3%)	73	69^th of 331 public high schools	79.2%		70.2	89^th of 328 public high schools	72.9%	20	< 50%	438.0	85.3	65.0	80.9	385.0	< 50%		88.4	85.0	414.0	≥ 50%	96.9	≥ 50%	341.0	100.0	< 50%	≥ 50%	94.0	85.9	63.2	435.0	≥ 50%	≥ 50%				443.0	95.2	73.7	80.5	81.8		≥ 50%	≥ 50%	383.0	45.7	439.0	89.1	52.9				29.2	≥ 50%		$14,114	$795	$13,319
Landstown High	Public, Magnet	9-12	2001 Concert Dr.	Virginia Beach	23456	Virginia Beach city	Virginia Beach City Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(757) 648-5500	2,152	126	17.0	37.6%	743 (34.5%)	520 (24.2%)	351 (16.3%)	251 (11.7%)	4 (0.2%)	15 (0.7%)	268 (12.5%)	71.8	77^th of 331 public high schools	76.7%		69.1	98^th of 328 public high schools	70.1%	21		50.0	85.2	76.9	92.2	392.0	388.0	< 50%	85.4	85.7	86.7	100.0	98.9	≥ 50%	≥ 50%		≥ 50%	≥ 50%	95.7	76.2	62.5	68.8	≥ 50%	≥ 50%	394.0	< 50%		94.1	91.5	67.7	89.0	392.0	≥ 50%	< 50%	< 50%	< 50%	356.0	≥ 50%	90.6	66.7	≥ 50%	< 50%	≥ 50%	372.0	< 50%		$13,190	$961	$12,228
Kempsville High	Public	9-12	5194 Chief Trail	Virginia Beach	23464	Virginia Beach city	Virginia Beach City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 648-5450	2,046	117	17.4	41.0%	916 (44.8%)	534 (26.1%)	310 (15.2%)	90 (4.4%)	7 (0.3%)	11 (0.5%)	178 (8.7%)	74.5	59^th of 331 public high schools	82.2%		69.3	93^rd of 328 public high schools	71.6%	34		66.7	84.5	72.7	92.9	47.6	≥ 50%	< 50%	92.6	89.3	100.0	432.0	100.0	≥ 50%	≥ 50%			≥ 50%	95.0	72.0	83.3	421.0	< 50%		≥ 50%	412.0		90.0	94.0	85.7	90.2	≥ 50%	≥ 50%	≥ 50%	< 50%	417.0	66.7	408.0	363.0	378.0	440.0	≥ 50%	< 50%	384.0	< 50%		$12,659	$995	$11,664
Salem High	Public	9-12	1993 Sun Devil Dr	Virginia Beach	22464	Virginia Beach city	Virginia Beach City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 648-5650	1,690	102	16.5	34.7%	629 (37.2%)	425 (25.1%)	257 (15.2%)	159 (9.4%)	2 (0.1%)	11 (0.7%)	207 (12.2%)	77.5	38^th of 331 public high schools	88.5%		76.3	47^th of 328 public high schools	85.7%	9		71.4	88.5	75.0	95.1	398.0	≥ 50%	< 50%	93.2	85.7	81.8	443.0	95.7	461.0	404.0		≥ 50%	≥ 50%	94.5	78.2	85.7	88.2				≥ 50%		78.6	94.6	90.9	92.7	66.7	≥ 50%	≥ 50%		≥ 50%	42.4	< 50%	85.0	84.2	≥ 50%	≥ 50%					$13,585	$852	$12,733

Frequently Asked Questions about First Colonial High

How many students attend First Colonial High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,727 students attended First Colonial High.

What is the racial makeup of First Colonial High?

Students at First Colonial High are 55% White, 17% African American, 17% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

What schools feed into First Colonial High?

First Colonial High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Alanton Elementary
Elementary : King's Grant Elementary
Elementary : Kingston Elementary
Elementary : Seatack Elementary An Achievable Dream Academy
Elementary : W.T. Cooke Elementary
Middle : Lynnhaven Middle

What district is First Colonial High in?

Virginia Beach City Public Schools

Is First Colonial High a good school?

First Colonial High ranks 90^th of 331 Virginia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate First Colonial 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.