Best High Schools in Zip Code 22101

Zip code 22101 in McLean, Virginia is served by two public high schools—McLean High and Langley High—both part of Fairfax County Public Schools, a 4-star district ranked in the 70th percentile statewide, and together they enroll 4,609 students in grades 9–12. Langley High is the clear standout: it ranks 13th out of 331 Virginia high schools (96th percentile) with 5 stars, has a 99.6% graduation rate, a 0.0% dropout rate, and chronic absenteeism at 10.1%—below both district and state averages. McLean High is also strong, ranking 62nd (81st percentile) with 4 stars, a 96.0% graduation rate, and a 2.3% dropout rate, but its state rank has slipped from 29th to 48th to 62nd over the past three years, indicating a widening gap between the two schools.

McLean and Langley differ notably in demographics and resources. Langley has a much lower free/reduced-price lunch eligibility rate (4.36% vs. 12.97% at McLean) and slightly lower per-student spending ($9,894 vs. $9,943). Despite a higher student-teacher ratio (17.7 vs. 13.5 at McLean), Langley outperforms McLean on nearly every academic metric. For example, Langley posts near-perfect proficiency in 9th-grade Geometry (99.34%) and Algebra II (99.14%), while McLean reaches 95.17% and 100%, respectively. In 10th-grade Algebra I, Langley again leads (95.71% vs. 83.75%), and in Chemistry and Biology, Langley also holds a double-digit edge (77.27% vs. 60.00% in Chemistry; 81.82% vs. 72.00% in Biology).

Interesting patterns emerge in the SOL results. At both schools, 9th-grade Geometry proficiency far exceeds 10th-grade Geometry (95–99% vs. 67–69%), likely reflecting advanced tracking where stronger students take the course earlier. Similarly, 11th-grade English Reading proficiency is around 97% at both schools, but 12th-grade scores drop to roughly 62–64%, probably due to seniors retaking the test after earlier attempts or very small cohorts. Even with these quirks, both schools vastly outperform Virginia averages: graduation rates of 96–99.6% vs. 92.3% statewide, dropout rates of 0–2.3% vs. 5.0%, and 9th-grade Geometry proficiency of 95–99% vs. 85.88%. In short, zip code 22101 offers two elite public high schools, with Langley High consistently leading the way.