What was the typical high school experience like for American adults? A recent survey asked Americans to reflect on the experiences they had as high schoolers or high-school-aged teens, including experiences involving friendship, romance, academics, hobbies, and rule-breaking. The survey inquired about 50 different experiences; respondents were each asked about a random sample of 25.
Americans share many common high school experiences, especially four that each are shared by more than three-quarters. These are having a crush on someone, having a group of friends, taking a class they loved, and taking one they hated.
Around half of Americans say they either loved (18%) or liked (31%) their high school experience, while 28% felt neutral about it, 12% disliked it, and 8% hated it. From a list of 14 adjectives, Americans are most likely to say, shy, independent, creative, and awkward described them as teenagers.
Most Americans (54%) say that if they could, they would go back and do high school over again — 12% say they would do it again exactly the same and 43% say they'd do things differently this time. 40% of Americans say that once was enough. Most Americans say their high school experience played a role in determining the adult they would become: 35% say it played a major role and 43% say a minor role.
Friendship and romance
Having a crush is the high school experience American adults are most likely (87%) to say they had, among the 50 asked about. Kissing someone (68%), going on a date (65%), and having a boyfriend/girlfriend (64%) are also widespread in Americans' recollections of their time in high school. Having sex in high school is less common: 36% say they did.
The second most commonly reported experience among those in our survey is having a group of friends: 83% of American adults say they had a friend group in high school, and 62% say they made a close friend that they still talk to. Longstanding relationships with teachers are somewhat less common: 22% say they became close to a teacher in high school who they still keep in touch with.
Academics
Most Americans (79%) say they took a class they loved in high school — and the same share (79%) say they took one they hated. About two-thirds (66%) took the SAT or ACT in high school, and 54% applied to college. 47% say they made the high school honor roll, and 40% took an AP or honors class.
Extracurriculars and socializing
Two-thirds of Americans (68%) say they attended a school football game while in high school, and 39% played on a sports team themselves. Other activities that many participated in on at least one occasion are going to a school dance (63%), a house party (53%), and hanging out at the mall (49%).
62% of American adults say they had a part-time or full-time job in high school. Around half say that in high school, they participated in a school club (51%) and about as many volunteered (48%). About one-third say they were in a school band or choir (31%) and a similar proportion participated in a school play (30%). 16% say that as high schoolers they participated in student government and 11% in political activism.
Rebellion
Two-thirds of Americans (67%) say that as high-schoolers, they lied to their parents; half as many (31%) admit to sneaking out of the house at night. Most Americans say they had a curfew in high school (55%) and about half (52%) say they were grounded at some point.
Most Americans say that in high school they showed up late to class (54%) and half (50%) skipped class without permission. 43% say they were sent to the principal's office in high school, and 37% received detention. As high schoolers, 49% of Americans say they drank alcohol, 37% say they smoked a cigarette, and 28% say they used marijuana.
Experiences by gender
Men are more likely than women to say that their high school experience included getting into a physical fight, getting sent to the principal’s office, going to a house party, getting detention, playing on a sports team, and drinking alcohol.
More women than men say that in high school, they made the honor roll, had a curfew, experienced anxiety or depression, joined the school band or choir, attended a school dance, and participated in a school club.
Experiences by age
One of the largest differences in the high school experience of younger and older American adults is the existence of cellphones: More than 80% of adults under 30 say they had a cellphone in high school, and nearly as many (77%) had a social media account. Younger adults are also more likely than older ones to say they showed up late to class, cheated on a test or assignment, or experienced anxiety or depression in high school.
Americans who are 45 or older are more likely than younger adults to say they received a driver's license in high school, as well as to say they worked a part-time or full-time job. Other high school experiences that are more frequent among older generations are kissing someone, going on a date, smoking a cigarette, and drinking alcohol.
Related:
- Americans recall their membership in high school cliques
- Dancing, dating, and drinking: Americans recall their high school dances
- One in four American adults cared for a pretend baby while in school
- Which school subjects do Americans say are most relevant to their lives?
— Carl Bialik contributed to this article
See the results for this YouGov poll
Methodology: The poll was conducted online among 2,265 U.S. adult citizens on two separate surveys from March 7 - 10, 2025 and March 12 - 17, 2025. A random sample (stratified by gender, age, race, education, geographic region, and voter registration) was selected from the 2019 American Community Survey. The sample was weighted according to gender, age, race, education, 2024 presidential vote, 2020 election turnout and presidential vote, baseline party identification, and current voter registration status. 2024 presidential vote, at time of weighting, was estimated to be 48% Harris and 50% Trump. Demographic weighting targets come from the 2019 American Community Survey. Baseline party identification is the respondent’s most recent answer given around November 8, 2024, and is weighted to the estimated distribution at that time (31% Democratic, 32% Republican). The margin of error for the overall sample is approximately 3%.
Image: Getty
