Arlington Public Schools operates 40 schools (grades PK–12). Individual school names, addresses, and attendance zone boundaries are available directly from the district.
| Metric | Arlington Public Schools | National Average | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student Enrollment | 28,000 | 3,700 | ↑ Larger than avg |
| Number of Schools | 40 | 6 | Varies by district |
| Per-Pupil Spending | $20,000/yr | $13,700/yr | ↑ 46% above avg |
| District Type | Suburban | Public District | — |
| Overall Rating | 7/10 — Good | — | Above average |
About Arlington Public Schools
Arlington Public Schools is the public school district assigned to zip code 22204 in Arlington, Virginia. Serving students from Pre-K – 12th, this district is the primary public education system for families living in and around zip code 22204. The sections below cover the district’s resources, scale, rating, and everything families need to know about enrollment and school assignment.
Funding and Resources
Per-pupil spending at Arlington Public Schools runs approximately $20,000 annually, placing it 48% above the Virginia state average of approximately $13,500 and well above the national average nationally (U.S. average: $13,700/year). Districts at this funding level typically offer smaller class sizes, broader elective and extracurricular programs, stronger technology infrastructure, and more competitive teacher salaries. Per-pupil spending directly affects teacher compensation, class sizes, elective course offerings, technology access, and the depth of student support services — making it one of the most meaningful structural indicators of district capacity.
District Scale and Program Breadth
Arlington Public Schools is a very large district with 40 schools serving students from Pre-K – 12th. The district enrolls approximately 28,000 students in total. Very large districts are complex systems with significant variation in school quality across attendance zones. They typically offer extensive programs — magnet schools, specialized high schools, dual-language tracks, advanced coursework — but navigating these options requires active engagement with the district.
Understanding the 7/10 Rating
SchoolDistrictFinder rates Arlington Public Schools 7 out of 10 — above average among Virginia public school districts. Our ratings are built from NCES Common Core of Data and measure structural factors: per-pupil expenditure, student-teacher ratio, enrollment stability, and school count. They do not incorporate test scores or graduation rates, which are not consistently available across all 13,500+ US districts in the NCES dataset.
Arlington Public Schools earns an above-average rating, reflecting stronger-than-typical resource levels and stable enrollment trends for Virginia. Above-average districts generally offer solid program variety, adequate staffing, and a track record of organizational stability. Families considering this area will find a district with meaningful strengths. Research the specific schools assigned to your address — even above-average districts have variation between individual buildings.
Enrollment for Families in Zip Code 22204
Children in zip code 22204 are assigned to Arlington Public Schools for public school enrollment, covering grades Pre-K – 12th. School assignments are address-specific — your elementary, middle, and high school placements depend on your exact street address within zip code 22204, not just your neighborhood. Two homes on opposite ends of the same zip code may be assigned to different schools within the same district.
To confirm your specific school assignments, contact Arlington Public Schools at (402)478-4173 or visit www.apsva.us. Typical enrollment documents include a signed lease or mortgage statement, birth certificate, state-required immunization documentation, and recent report cards or transcripts. If your child has an IEP or 504 plan, bring that documentation to enrollment — Virginia districts are required to continue services within a reasonable period. Fall enrollment windows typically open in late winter or early spring; contact the district for exact dates and required steps.
School Districts and Home Values in Arlington
Research consistently shows that district assignment affects residential property values. Because Arlington Public Schools serves zip code 22204, district assignment still factors into home-pricing comparisons between zip code 22204 and neighboring areas. District boundaries are address-specific — verify the exact district assignment for any property you’re seriously considering rather than assuming based on the neighborhood. A single block can place two adjacent homes in different districts with different ratings and different annual property tax implications.
Use the property tax estimator on this page to calculate estimated annual tax obligations based on your target purchase price. In Virginia, property taxes are a primary funding source for public schools — your tax payments directly support Arlington Public Schools programs and staff. Understanding both district quality and the associated tax burden is essential financial due diligence before committing to any home in zip code 22204.
Data Sources and Accuracy
All district information on this page is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024–2025, the U.S. Department of Education’s annual census of all public school districts — the same dataset used by researchers, journalists, and policymakers to analyze American public education. District boundaries, school assignments, phone numbers, and per-pupil expenditure figures are updated annually when NCES publishes new data, typically in spring. Always verify your specific school assignment and enrollment requirements directly with Arlington Public Schools before making any housing or enrollment decision based on zip code 22204 data.