Meridian High

Summary:

Meridian High is a public high school in Falls Church, Virginia, serving 865 students in grades 9-12. Part of the highly-ranked Fairfax County Public Schools district, Meridian High has consistently demonstrated exceptional academic performance, earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger and ranking 9th out of 329 high schools in Virginia.

Meridian High's students have excelled on SOL (Standards of Learning) assessments, with the majority scoring proficient or better in subjects like Algebra II, Biology, and English Reading. The school's performance on these assessments consistently exceeds state and district averages, and its student subgroups, such as Female, African American, and Multi-racial students, rank among the top in Virginia. Meridian High also supports its English Language Learner and Disabled students exceptionally well, ranking in the top 15% and top 10% of Virginia high schools, respectively.

Compared to nearby schools like Madison High, Oakton High, and Annandale High, Meridian High consistently outperforms them on SOL assessments and in overall academic rankings. This exceptional performance is likely due to Meridian High's higher-than-average spending per student ($14,032 in 2020-2021) and its relatively low student-teacher ratio of 13.5, both of which suggest a strong investment in educational resources and support.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 121 Mustang Alley
       Falls Church, VA  22043


(703) 248-5500

District: Falls Church City Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
9th of 329 Virginia High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $14,032 Help


Feeder schools for Meridian High:

Elementary:    Mount Daniel Elementary
    Oak Street Elementary
Middle:    Mary Ellen Henderson Middle

Student/teacher ratio:  13.5 Help
Number of students:  865

Racial breakdown:

White:
63.6%
Hispanic:
14.6%
Two or more races:
11.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  9.9% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Meridian High ranks better than 97.3% of high schools in Virginia. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 83.47. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Meridian High who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
Help
The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Meridian High is $14,032.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Meridian High:

SchoolDigger ranks Meridian High 9th of 329 Virginia public high schools. (See Meridian High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
English Language Learner students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Disabled students:
Male students:
Asian students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Falls Church City Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Falls Church City Public Schools 1st of 130 Virginia school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Meridian High

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Meridian High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2005 75.43 13th 308 95.8%
2006 73.92 22nd 314 93.0%
2007 73.58 20th 313 93.6%
2008 72.35 31st 316 90.2%
2009 68.27 42nd 313 86.6%
2010 69.43 43rd 317 86.4%
2011 78.55 14th 320 95.6%
2012 80.17 7th 321 97.8%
2013 84.22 7th 321 97.8%
2014 81.10 8th 322 97.5%
2015 77.20 17th 322 94.7%
2016 69.85 47th 321 85.4%
2017 68.44 49th 324 84.9%
2018 65.55 61st 326 81.3%
2019 67.76 57th 327 82.6%
2021 61.27 78th 327 76.1%
2022 74.38 26th 325 92.0%
2023 81.82 12th 326 96.3%
2024 83.47 9th 329 97.3%
See the entire list of Virginia High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Meridian High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 85.77 6th 193 96.9%
2024 83.27 6th 198 97.0%
See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Meridian High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 90.54 11th 122 91.0%
See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Meridian High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 48.90 177th 320 44.7%
See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Meridian High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 82.89 7th 320 97.8%
2024 83.62 8th 322 97.5%
See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Meridian High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 89.57 6th 249 97.6%
2024 80.90 27th 253 89.3%
See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Meridian High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 69.22 22nd 92 76.1%
See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Meridian High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 79.57 28th 321 91.3%
2024 81.41 21st 322 93.5%
See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Meridian High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 56.14 57th 120 52.5%
2024 51.20 69th 118 41.5%
See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Meridian High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 86.25 11th 249 95.6%
See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Meridian High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 66.88 67th 232 71.1%
2024 51.28 119th 233 48.9%
See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Meridian High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 82.35 6th 315 98.1%
2024 86.50 4th 314 98.7%
See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Virginia Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Meridian High Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Virginia Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Meridian High

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1993 280 18 33 50 4 n/a n/a 0 385
1994 308 21 32 54 4 n/a n/a 0 419
1995 333 19 39 48 4 n/a n/a 0 443
1996 333 19 39 48 4 n/a n/a 0 443
1997 376 21 32 49 3 n/a n/a 0 481
1998 357 18 40 58 2 n/a n/a 0 475
1999 394 19 42 54 3 n/a n/a 0 512
2000 438 18 49 56 1 n/a n/a -4 558
2001 443 19 41 66 0 n/a n/a 0 569
2002 463 23 51 56 1 n/a n/a 0 594
2003 463 23 51 56 1 n/a n/a 0 594
2004 477 27 62 50 1 n/a n/a 0 617
2005 507 28 75 53 2 n/a n/a 0 665
2006 599 37 98 69 5 n/a n/a 0 808
2007 584 40 99 72 3 n/a n/a 10 808
2008 568 35 101 75 3 n/a n/a 15 797
2009 584 49 93 75 1 n/a n/a 0 802
2010 605 52 94 81 1 n/a n/a 0 833
2011 598 52 78 98 1 0 21 0 848
2012 581 48 78 88 2 1 69 0 867
2013 605 52 76 91 5 1 75 0 905
2014 503 38 66 81 4 1 67 0 760
2015 496 35 70 91 4 2 56 0 754
2016 507 29 76 106 5 0 63 0 786
2017 516 40 73 108 4 0 67 0 808
2018 535 34 69 110 3 0 75 0 826
2019 532 34 58 125 1 0 75 0 825
2020 543 35 57 133 1 0 76 0 845
2021 553 39 60 126 1 0 80 0 859
2022 543 34 60 121 0 0 90 0 848
2023 550 29 64 126 0 0 96 0 865

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Meridian High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1993 385 0.0 0.0 n/a
1994 419 54.0 n/a n/a
1995 443 n/a 0.0 n/a
1996 443 n/a 0.0 n/a
1997 481 n/a 0.0 18.7
1998 475 n/a 0.0 15.2
1999 512 41.0 12.5 18.4
2000 558 n/a 0.0 11.6
2001 569 39.7 14.3 12
2002 594 63.8 9.3 14.5
2003 594 63.8 9.3 14.5
2004 617 55.8 11.1 6.5
2005 665 54.8 12.1 6.8
2006 808 64.0 12.6 8.2
2007 808 72.2 11.2 8.4
2008 797 56.1 14.2 6.1
2009 802 56.4 14.2 6.5
2010 833 56.6 14.7 7.7
2011 848 57.7 14.6 6.8
2012 867 61.6 14.0 5.3
2013 905 68.9 13.1 5.5
2014 760 66.1 11.4 n/a
2015 754 68.0 11.0 0
2016 786 66.0 11.9 n/a
2017 808 62.8 12.8 n/a
2018 826 66.0 12.5 n/a
2019 825 62.9 13.0 n/a
2020 845 56.3 14.9 0.4
2021 859 56.2 15.2 n/a
2022 848 56.9 14.9 0.4
2023 865 64.0 13.5 9.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Meridian High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1993 385 0.0 0.0 n/a
1994 419 54.0 n/a n/a
1995 443 n/a 0.0 n/a
1996 443 n/a 0.0 n/a
1997 481 n/a 0.0 18.7
1998 475 n/a 0.0 15.2
1999 512 41.0 12.5 18.4
2000 558 n/a 0.0 11.6
2001 569 39.7 14.3 12
2002 594 63.8 9.3 14.5
2003 594 63.8 9.3 14.5
2004 617 55.8 11.1 6.5
2005 665 54.8 12.1 6.8
2006 808 64.0 12.6 8.2
2007 808 72.2 11.2 8.4
2008 797 56.1 14.2 6.1
2009 802 56.4 14.2 6.5
2010 833 56.6 14.7 7.7
2011 848 57.7 14.6 6.8
2012 867 61.6 14.0 5.3
2013 905 68.9 13.1 5.5
2014 760 66.1 11.4 n/a
2015 754 68.0 11.0 0
2016 786 66.0 11.9 n/a
2017 808 62.8 12.8 n/a
2018 826 66.0 12.5 n/a
2019 825 62.9 13.0 n/a
2020 845 56.3 14.9 0.4
2021 859 56.2 15.2 n/a
2022 848 56.9 14.9 0.4
2023 865 64.0 13.5 9.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Meridian High

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $138 (0.9%) $15,426 (99.1%) $15,565
2020 $179 (1.2%) $14,746 (98.8%) $14,925
2021 $106 (0.8%) $13,926 (99.2%) $14,032

Data source: Virginia Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Meridian High

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 57th of 327 High schoolsRanks 12th of 326 High schools
 13.8%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
End of Course Writing (Meridian High)9390
 3%
   End of Course Writing (Falls Church City Public Schools)9389
 4%
   End of Course Writing (Virginia)8174
 7%
End of Course Geometry (Meridian High)9195
 4%
   End of Course Geometry (Falls Church City Public Schools)9297
 5%
   End of Course Geometry (Virginia)8380
 3%
End of Course Algebra I (Meridian High)7884
 6%
   End of Course Algebra I (Falls Church City Public Schools)9091
 1%
   End of Course Algebra I (Virginia)8680
 6%
End of Course Algebra II (Meridian High)9196
 5%
   End of Course Algebra II (Falls Church City Public Schools)9196
 5%
   End of Course Algebra II (Virginia)9186
 5%
End of Course Chemistry (Meridian High)9884
 14%
   End of Course Chemistry (Falls Church City Public Schools)9884
 14%
   End of Course Chemistry (Virginia)8864
 24%
End of Course Biology (Meridian High)9694
 2%
   End of Course Biology (Falls Church City Public Schools)9694
 2%
   End of Course Biology (Virginia)8370
 13%
End of Course Earth Science (Meridian High)7344
 29%
   End of Course Earth Science (Falls Church City Public Schools)7344
 29%
   End of Course Earth Science (Virginia)8172
 9%
End of Course English Reading (Meridian High)9695
 1%
   End of Course English Reading (Falls Church City Public Schools)9695
 1%
   End of Course English Reading (Virginia)8685
 1%
End of Course VA and US History (Meridian High)9691
 5%
   End of Course VA and US History (Falls Church City Public Schools)9691
 5%
   End of Course VA and US History (Virginia)6838
 30%
End of Course World History II (Meridian High)8067
 13%
   End of Course World History II (Falls Church City Public Schools)8067
 13%
   End of Course World History II (Virginia)8148
 33%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students825865
 4.8%
African American3429
 14.7%
American Indian10
 100%
Asian5864
 10.3%
Hispanic125126
 0.8%
Pacific Islander00
White532550
 3.4%
Two or More Races7596
 28%


Schools Near Meridian High









Frequently Asked Questions about Meridian High

Yes! Meridian High is one of the best high schools in the state. It ranks 9th of 329 Virginia high schools.

Students at Meridian High are 64% White, 15% Hispanic, 11% Two or more races, 7% Asian, 3% African American.

In the 2022-23 school year, 865 students attended Meridian High.

Meridian High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Mount Daniel Elementary
Elementary : Oak Street Elementary
Middle : Mary Ellen Henderson Middle


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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.





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