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High SchoolSports Participation
The National Picture
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The National Picture
Explore national and state-level participation in education-based high school sports across the United States.
Participation Reaches Another All-time High
The NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey provides the most comprehensive national view of participation in high school sports. More than 8.4 million participation entries were reported nationwide in 2025-26 - the highest total in the history of the survey.
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About the Survey
A national benchmark of high school sports participation The NFHS annually collects participation information through is member state associations. The survey tracks participation by state, sport and gender, creating a consistent benchmark for understanding how education-based athletics change over time. | The survey helps the NFHS, state associations, schools and other stakeholders understand:
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The Story Inside the Data
What does the latest data show?
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WHY THIS MATTERS
Participation data provides one of the clearest measures of the scale and reach of education-based high school athletics.
The findings help show where opportunities are expanding, which sports are attracting increased participation, and how the overall high school athletics landscape is evolving. The findings can also inform decisions about resources, facilities, staffing, programming and efforts to expand access.
The value of the survey extends beyond the national total. When participation is reported consistently at the sport and school levels, the data provides greater visibility into emerging sports, changing interests and potential gaps in opportunity.
Maintaining a reliable annual benchmark allows the NFHS, state associations and schools to monitor these changes over time and make more informed decisions about the future of high school athletics.
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Important context for interpreting the data
Participation totals represent participation entries, not necessarily unique students. The survey reflects information submitted by NFHS member state associations, and reporting practices may differ across states. An increase may reflect both actual participation growth and more complete reporting. Year-to-year comparisons should be considered alongside changes in reporting coverage, and the survey does not by itself explain why participation increased or decreased.