Virginia Beach High Schools Compared: 2027 Buyer's Guide

Floyd Kellam High School has the highest 2025-26 VaHome School Score of Virginia Beach's 11 public high schools at 9.0 out of 10, followed by a four-way tie at 8.2 (Cox, First Colonial, Ocean Lakes and Salem) and Princess Anne at 8.1. Every score is calculated from the Virginia Department of Education School Quality Profiles for the 2025-26 school year and ranks each school against all 321 Virginia public high schools. This guide compares all 11 for buyers planning a 2027 move: the scores and what drives them, the academies a student can apply to from any zone, and how to confirm which high school a specific address is assigned to.

High school	Score 2025-26	2024-25	SOL pass rate	On-time grad	Advanced diploma	Chronically absent	Academy or program
Kellam	9.0	8.8	90.6%	98.8%	72%	9.9%	None listed
Cox	8.2	8.0	90.9%	96.8%	63%	14.6%	None listed
First Colonial	8.2	7.4	86.1%	95.4%	65%	7.2%	Legal Studies Academy
Ocean Lakes	8.2	8.0	85.8%	98.7%	66%	13.2%	Mathematics and Science Academy
Salem	8.2	8.0	87.5%	98.7%	43%	10.3%	Visual and Performing Arts Academy
Princess Anne	8.1	7.8	87.4%	96.7%	61%	13.4%	International Baccalaureate Programs
Kempsville	7.5	6.9	86.3%	96.4%	54%	14.0%	Entrepreneurship and Business Academy
Landstown	7.4	7.6	85.4%	93.9%	50%	12.5%	Governor's STEM Academy
Tallwood	7.2	7.8	86.2%	97.0%	57%	16.6%	Global Studies and World Languages Academy
Bayside	7.1	7.0	80.8%	98.6%	43%	10.8%	Health Sciences Academy
Green Run	4.8	5.6	78.7%	94.3%	30%	22.4%	Green Run Collegiate (separate charter school on campus)

Source: VaHome School Score and Virginia Department of Education School Quality Profiles, as published on each vahome.com school profile (accessed October 29, 2026). SOL pass rate is all subjects, 2025-26. Graduation and Advanced Studies diplomas are the Class of 2025. Chronic absenteeism is 2025-26. Academy names from the VBCPS Academies & Advanced Programs page.

How the score works: test scores count 40% (the SOL pass rate across all subjects), college readiness 40% (on-time graduation, AP course enrollment and college enrollment within 16 months of graduating) and attendance 20% (chronic absenteeism). Each piece is ranked against every Virginia public high school, then converted to a 1-to-10 scale where 1 to 4 is below the state average, 5 to 6 is around it and 7 to 10 is above it. The full formula is on the VaHome School Score methodology page. The score describes the school, not the neighborhood around it.

Kellam and the 8.2 group: Cox, First Colonial, Ocean Lakes, Salem

Floyd Kellam High School (9.0) sits on West Neck Road in southern Virginia Beach. It is the only Virginia Beach high school that scores 8.5 or better on all three parts: 9.3 for test scores (90.6% SOL pass rate), 8.9 for college readiness and 8.5 for attendance. It also posts the highest college-enrollment rate of the 11 (74% of the class of 2022 enrolled within 16 months) and the second-highest dual enrollment (26.1%). VBCPS lists no citywide academy at Kellam.

Frank W. Cox High School (8.2), on Shorehaven Drive in the Great Neck area, has the highest SOL pass rate in the city at 90.9%, the 93rd percentile statewide. Its attendance piece (6.2, with 14.6% of students chronically absent) is what holds the total below Kellam's. AP course enrollment is 48.7%.

First Colonial High School (8.2), on Mill Dam Road, has the best attendance of the 11: 7.2% chronic absenteeism and an attendance sub-score of 9.5. It rose 0.8 points from 2024-25, the largest gain in the city. It houses the Legal Studies Academy.

Ocean Lakes High School (8.2), on Schumann Drive, scores 8.7 for college readiness, second only to Kellam. It has the highest AP course enrollment of the 11 (49.0%), a 98.7% on-time graduation rate and 66% Advanced Studies diplomas. It houses the Mathematics and Science Academy, which admits through testing.

Salem High School (8.2), on Sundevil Drive, pairs an 87.5% SOL pass rate (test sub-score 8.8) with a 98.7% graduation rate and 10.3% chronic absenteeism. Its college-readiness piece (7.6) is lower because 43% of graduates earn Advanced Studies diplomas and 33.4% of students take AP courses. It houses the Visual and Performing Arts Academy, which admits by audition or portfolio.

Princess Anne through Green Run: 4.8 to 8.1

Princess Anne High School (8.1), on Virginia Beach Boulevard, has an 87.4% SOL pass rate and the second-highest college-enrollment rate (72% of the class of 2022). It is home to the division's International Baccalaureate Programs. Dual enrollment is the lowest of the 11 at 3.5%.

Kempsville High School (7.5), on Chief Trail, gained 0.6 points from 2024-25. It has an 86.3% SOL pass rate and earned 1,633 industry certifications through career and technical education, the most of any Virginia Beach high school. It houses the Entrepreneurship and Business Academy.

Landstown High School (7.4), on Concert Drive, is the largest of the 11 with 2,070 students (2025-26). Its 93.9% on-time graduation rate is the lowest in the city, which pulls its college-readiness piece to 6.8. It houses the Governor's STEM Academy.

Tallwood High School (7.2), on Kempsville Road, has the highest dual-enrollment rate in Virginia Beach (29.4% of students earning college credit) and a 97.0% graduation rate. Chronic absenteeism of 16.6% gives it an attendance piece of 5.4, and its score fell 0.6 from 2024-25. It houses the Global Studies and World Languages Academy.

Bayside High School (7.1), on Haygood Road, graduates 98.6% on time and has 10.8% chronic absenteeism, but its 80.8% SOL pass rate (test sub-score 6.5) is second-lowest in the city. It houses the Health Sciences Academy.

Green Run High School (4.8), on Dahlia Drive, is the only Virginia Beach high school outside the above-average band. Its SOL pass rate is 78.7% and 22.4% of students were chronically absent in 2025-26, against a 16.4% statewide median for high schools. Algebra II is a bright spot at 97% passing versus 88% statewide. The score fell from 5.6 in 2024-25.

What changed from 2024-25, and why scores moved

Eight of the 11 high schools scored higher for 2025-26 and three scored lower. The biggest moves were First Colonial (up 0.8, from 7.4 to 8.2), Kempsville (up 0.6), Tallwood (down 0.6) and Green Run (down 0.8).

Part of that movement comes from a method change, not only from the schools. Virginia retired the accreditation measure VaHome used for academic progress in 2024-25, and the state publishes no student-growth measure for high schools, so for 2025-26 the 20% that used to go to progress now goes to attendance. Schools with low chronic absenteeism gained from the switch; schools with high absenteeism lost ground. First Colonial's attendance sub-score is 9.5, while Tallwood's is 5.4 and Green Run's is 3.1. The 2025-26 score changes page lists every school's old and new score.

For a buyer, a 0.1 or 0.2 difference between two schools is not meaningful. Look at the three sub-scores on each profile and pick the measure that matters to you: test results, college readiness or attendance.

Academies, IB and Green Run Collegiate

VBCPS runs academies and advanced programs that admit by application, so a student's attendance zone does not decide whether they can attend one. These are the high school programs on the VBCPS Academies & Advanced Programs page:

• Bayside High School: Health Sciences Academy
• First Colonial High School: Legal Studies Academy
• Kempsville High School: Entrepreneurship and Business Academy
• Landstown High School: Governor's STEM Academy
• Ocean Lakes High School: Mathematics and Science Academy
• Princess Anne High School: International Baccalaureate Programs
• Salem High School: Visual and Performing Arts Academy
• Tallwood High School: Global Studies and World Languages Academy
• Green Run High School campus: Green Run Collegiate

For fall 2027 entry, the VBCPS academy application opened October 22, 2026 and closes January 6, 2027 at 5:00 pm, for both VBCPS and non-VBCPS students. Visual and Performing Arts auditions and Mathematics and Science Academy testing take place in January 2027, notification letters go out by email on February 19, 2027, and letters of intent and first appeals are due February 26, 2027. Each program keeps a waiting list only until the last business day before school starts, and students must reapply in later years. If you are moving to Virginia Beach in spring or summer 2027, an academy seat for that fall depends on applying by the January deadline.

Green Run Collegiate is a public charter high school that shares the Green Run High School building at 1700 Dahlia Drive but operates as a separate school. It offers International Baccalaureate pathways, and VBCPS says to arrange admission directly with the school. The Advanced Technology Center and the Technical and Career Education Center also admit through their own processes. For younger students, Old Donation School is the division's full-time gifted school for grades 2 through 8 (VaHome School Score 10.0).

How to verify a school zone

Look up the assigned elementary, middle and high school for the exact address, not the neighborhood. Attendance lines can split a subdivision, and a ZIP code tells you nothing about the zone.

1. Enter the address in the VBCPS School Locator before you write an offer. VBCPS confirms the assignment at registration.
2. Treat the school names in an MLS listing as a starting point. They are entered by the listing agent and can be out of date.
3. Ask whether VBCPS has any attendance-zone changes under review. Zones are redrawn from time to time, and the current official zone is what counts.
4. If you want a school other than the assigned one, VBCPS handles that through a student placement request with supporting documents. Approval is not automatic, so do not buy on the assumption that a transfer will be granted.

School zones and home prices

VaHome does not publish median prices by high school zone, and the zone medians in earlier versions of this guide have been removed because they could not be traced to a source. For citywide context, 502 homes closed in Virginia Beach in September 2026 at a median price of $442,500 and $251 per square foot (VaHome analysis of REIN MLS data, September 2026). The Virginia Beach market report tracks those numbers month by month. To see what is for sale in a specific zone, open the school's profile above, which lists every active home zoned to that school, or browse all homes for sale in Virginia Beach, VA, synced from REIN MLS every 2 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many high schools are in Virginia Beach?

Virginia Beach City Public Schools has 11 comprehensive high schools: Bayside, Cox, First Colonial, Green Run, Kellam, Kempsville, Landstown, Ocean Lakes, Princess Anne, Salem and Tallwood. Green Run Collegiate is a separate public charter high school on the Green Run High School campus.

What's the best high school in Virginia Beach?

By the 2025-26 VaHome School Score, Kellam is highest at 9.0, followed by Cox, First Colonial, Ocean Lakes and Salem at 8.2 and Princess Anne at 8.1. The right fit also depends on programs, commute and budget, and an academy can be attended from any zone if the student is accepted.

How do I find out my Virginia Beach school zone?

Enter the specific address in the VBCPS School Locator at vbschools.com. Don't rely on the neighborhood name or the listing; zones can split inside a neighborhood.

What is Green Run Collegiate?

A public charter high school that shares the Green Run High School building but is a separate school. It offers International Baccalaureate pathways, and admission is arranged directly with the school rather than through the attendance zone.

When are VBCPS academy applications due for fall 2027?

January 6, 2027 at 5:00 pm. The online application opened October 22, 2026 and is open to VBCPS and non-VBCPS students. Notification letters are emailed February 19, 2027.

Can VBCPS school zones change?

Yes. VBCPS adjusts attendance zones from time to time. The current official zone for an address is what matters, not what a neighbor's zone was five years ago.

Are there magnet programs in VBCPS?

Yes. Nine high schools house an academy or advanced program (listed above), including the International Baccalaureate Programs at Princess Anne. Other options include Old Donation School (gifted, grades 2 to 8), the IB Middle Years Program at Plaza Middle, An Achievable Dream Middle and High at Lynnhaven Middle, the Environmental Studies Program at the Brock Environmental Center, the Advanced Technology Center and the Technical and Career Education Center.

How does the school zone affect home prices?

Many buyers search by school zone, so the assigned school is part of how a home is marketed and resold. VaHome does not publish price medians by zone. Compare the active listings on each school's profile page with the citywide median ($442,500 in September 2026, VaHome analysis of REIN MLS data).

Are private schools an option?

Yes. Private high schools in and near Virginia Beach include Cape Henry Collegiate and Catholic High School (formerly Bishop Sullivan Catholic High School) in Virginia Beach, and Norfolk Academy and Norfolk Collegiate in Norfolk. Check each school's site for current tuition and admission dates.

How are Virginia Beach schools rated overall?

The 80 Virginia Beach City Public Schools profiled on VaHome average 6.6 out of 10 on the 2025-26 VaHome School Score, and 10 of the 11 high schools score in the above-state-average band. See every Virginia Beach school's score.

Sources & further reading

• VBCPS — official site
• VBCPS School Locator
• VBCPS Academies & Advanced Programs and application process
• Virginia School Quality Profiles: Virginia Beach City Public Schools
• Virginia Department of Education
• VaHome School Score methodology

School data reflects the 2025-26 school year (graduation: Class of 2025) as published October 2026. Always confirm current details with the relevant agency, lender, or licensed professional before relying on any specific figure or rule.