Education in Virginia
Virginia educates roughly 1.25 million public K–12 students across about 132 school divisions (Virginia's term for districts, organized by county and city), overseen by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) and the Board of Education. Virginia's public schools rank among the strongest in the nation.
Virginia's choice landscape is comparatively limited: it has a very weak charter law (only a handful of charters), newer college-run "lab schools," and a small tax-credit scholarship — but no ESA or voucher. Virginia mandates gifted education, uses the SOL assessments and verified credits for graduation, offers the G3 free-community-college program, and has a large private and independent school sector the state doesn't regulate. This guide walks through it all — for the student, the family, the school, and the educator.
Who must attend school
Virginia requires children ages 5 to 18 to attend school — a child who turns 5 by September 30 is of compulsory age. Attendance can be met through a public school, a private school, or home instruction (and Virginia offers a religious exemption from attendance — see Homeschooling).
- Start age5 (by September 30)
- End of compulsory age18
- Divisions~132 school divisions (county/city)
- Satisfying itPublic, private, or home instruction
Pre-K in Virginia
Virginia does not offer a universal pre-K program. Its state-funded Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI) provides free preschool for eligible (largely at-risk and income-qualified) 3- and 4-year-olds, delivered through school divisions and — via Mixed Delivery — community-based providers, alongside Head Start. Access is targeted rather than universal.
Because eligibility is largely income- or risk-based, availability varies by division, so families should check local VPI and Head Start options early. See our Kindergarten Readiness and Early Childhood toolkits.
Divisions & charters
Virginia's largest school divisions are among the biggest in the country: Fairfax County Public Schools (one of the nation's largest), Prince William, Loudoun, Virginia Beach, Chesterfield, and Chesapeake. Distinctively, Virginia has a very weak charter-school law: charters must be approved by local school boards (which rarely grant them), so Virginia has only a handful of charter schools. To expand options, Virginia has more recently authorized college-partnership laboratory schools — public schools operated by higher-education institutions.
Find Virginia public and charter schools in our schools directory.
Private & independent schools in Virginia
Virginia has a large private-school sector — hundreds of schools enrolling roughly a tenth of the state's school-age children, concentrated in Northern Virginia, Richmond, and Hampton Roads. It spans several kinds:
- Independent schoolsNonprofit, board-governed, tuition-funded college-prep schools (such as St. Christopher's, St. Catherine's, Collegiate, Episcopal High School, and the boarding school Woodberry Forest)
- Catholic & parochial schoolsDiocese of Arlington and Diocese of Richmond systems, and other church-affiliated schools
- Other religious schoolsChristian, Quaker (Friends), and more
- Specialty schoolsMontessori, Waldorf, and schools for specific learning needs
A key point for families: the Virginia Department of Education does not regulate private schools. Accreditation is voluntary — the state recognizes the Virginia Council for Private Education (VCPE) as the umbrella for accrediting private schools, and many independent schools are accredited through the Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS). Because oversight is limited, families should ask about a school's accreditation, curriculum, and outcomes directly.
How choice works in Virginia
Virginia's school choice is comparatively limited, and centers on public options plus a modest tax credit:
- Charter & lab schoolsA very small charter sector, plus newer college-run laboratory schools
- Education Improvement Scholarships Tax CreditsA tax-credit scholarship program (donors receive credits for giving to scholarship foundations) that helps lower-income students attend private school — a small program
- Open enrollmentVoluntary intra- and inter-division transfers, where available
- No ESA or voucherVirginia has no education savings account or voucher program
So Virginia families mostly choose among schools within their division, a few charters/lab schools, private schools (with the tax-credit scholarship, if eligible), and homeschooling. See our School Types toolkit for how these compare.
Homeschooling in Virginia
Virginia offers more than one path to educate at home, with different levels of oversight:
- Home instruction (standard)File a Notice of Intent with your division superintendent by August 15, meeting one of four qualification options (a high school diploma is the most common), and provide evidence of academic progress each year — a standardized test (composite in the 23rd percentile or higher) or an evaluation — by August 1.
- Religious exemptionA distinctive Virginia option: a family with a bona fide religious objection to attendance may file a one-time written request and be exempted from compulsory attendance, with minimal ongoing oversight.
- Certified tutorA child may also be taught by a person who holds a Virginia teaching license.
Virginia homeschool parents set their own curriculum and graduation approach and issue their own diplomas. Virginia offers no state funding (ESA, voucher, or tax credit) for home education. See our Homeschooling toolkit, and review the options with the VDOE.
The SOL assessments
Virginia public schools use the Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments — testing reading and mathematics (grades 3–8) and science (grades 5 and 8) — plus SOL end-of-course tests in high school (reading, writing, Algebra I, Geometry, Biology, and history), which students use to earn verified credits toward graduation. Virginia also uses through-year Growth Assessments to monitor progress during the year.
Homeschooled students are not part of the SOL (they complete their own annual assessment). See the VDOE assessment pages for current details.
Earning a Virginia high school diploma
Virginia offers two main diplomas: the Standard Diploma (about 22 credits) and the more rigorous Advanced Studies Diploma (about 26 credits). Both require a combination of standard credits (completing courses) and verified credits (passing the associated SOL end-of-course test or an approved substitute). Virginia also frames learning around the Profile of a Virginia Graduate — content knowledge plus workplace and citizenship skills and career exploration.
- Standard Diploma~22 credits
- Advanced Studies Diploma~26 credits
- Verified creditsEarned by passing SOL end-of-course tests
- Profile of a GraduateSkills and career-readiness framework
Special education & gifted
Virginia serves students with disabilities under the federal IDEA, providing eligible students a free appropriate public education through an IEP in the least restrictive environment, with full procedural safeguards overseen by the VDOE.
Virginia also mandates gifted education: every school division must identify and serve gifted students and maintain a local gifted plan reviewed by the state — a stronger, enforceable commitment than many states make. See our Special Education and Gifted & Talented toolkits, and verify with the VDOE.
How Virginia reports school performance
Virginia does not use A–F letter grades. It has long rated schools through accreditation (for example, Accredited or Accredited with Conditions), and it recently adopted a new School Performance and Support Framework that assigns performance levels based on multiple measures — including achievement and growth on SOL tests, chronic absenteeism, and (for high schools) graduation and readiness.
Because Virginia uses accreditation and a performance framework rather than a single grade, families should read the school's full data and visit (see our Choosing the Right School toolkit). Explore data through the Virginia School Quality Profiles, and find schools in our directory.
Immunizations & school entry
To enroll in a Virginia school, students must show proof of required immunizations per the schedule set by the Virginia Department of Health, or a valid exemption. Requirements follow the state schedule, with additional doses at certain grades (including 7th-grade entry).
Virginia allows medical exemptions and religious exemptions — it does not offer a broad personal-belief/philosophical exemption. Confirm current requirements with the Virginia Department of Health and your school division before enrolling.
G3, VTAG & state aid
Virginia offers several distinctive programs. G3 ("Get a Skill, Get a Job, Give Back") makes community college free or low-cost for lower- and middle-income students pursuing high-demand fields (health care, IT, skilled trades, early childhood, and public safety). The Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (VTAG) is a grant for Virginia residents attending in-state private nonprofit colleges. Virginia's need-based programs include the Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program (VGAP) and the Commonwealth Award.
Students apply by filing the FAFSA (and, for VTAG, the private college's application) by the deadlines. Use our Net Price, SAI Estimator, and Award Letter tools to plan costs, and see programs via the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).
Colleges & universities in Virginia
Virginia has one of the country's strongest public higher-education systems, including the University of Virginia (UVA) in Charlottesville, the land-grant Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, William & Mary, the large George Mason University, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), James Madison, and Old Dominion — plus historically Black institutions Virginia State and Norfolk State, and the Virginia Military Institute. The Virginia Community College System (VCCS) comprises 23 community colleges anchoring G3 and transfer pathways.
Virginia is also home to notable private institutions (the University of Richmond, Washington and Lee, and Hampton University among them). Explore Virginia's colleges and universities in our directory.
Becoming a teacher in Virginia
Virginia licenses teachers through the VDOE, and candidates must pass the required assessments — typically the Praxis subject tests along with Virginia-specific tests such as the Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment (VCLA) and the Reading for Virginia Educators (RVE) for certain roles — after completing an approved preparation program. Virginia issues a Provisional or Initial license that advances to a renewable Collegiate/Postgraduate Professional license, and offers alternative routes for career changers.
Virginia also provides reciprocity for many out-of-state educators. See our Teacher Certification, Praxis, and Job & Interview Tips for Educators toolkits, and the VDOE licensure pages for specifics.
Where to get the authoritative details
Requirements change — this guide is a well-organized starting point, not the final authority. For the current, official word, go straight to the source:
Also essential: your local school division office (for enrollment and transfers), your school counselor, and the K12 Academics toolkits linked throughout this page.