In 2010, some 40 percent of high school seniors participated in athletics, including 44 percent of males and 36 percent of females.
In 2010, some 40 percent of high school seniors participated in athletics as an extracurricular activity, which was higher than the percentage who participated in other school clubs/activities (32 percent), music/ performing arts (23 percent), academic clubs (14 percent), newspaper/yearbook (10 percent), and student council/ government (9 percent) (see table A-27-1). Since 1990, there has been no measurable change in the participation of high school seniors in the extracurricular activities of newspaper/yearbook, music/performing arts, academic clubs, and other school clubs/activities. However, the percentage of high school seniors who participated in athletics in 2010 (40 percent) was higher than the percentage who participated in 1990 (36 percent), and the percentage who participated in student council/ government was lower in 2010 (9 percent) than in 1990 (11 percent).
As was the case with high school seniors in 2010, a higher percentage of sophomores participated in athletics than in other extracurricular activities. Forty-three percent of high school sophomores participated in athletics in 2010, some 28 percent participated in other clubs/activities, 23 percent participated in music/performing arts, and 4 percent participated on a newspaper/yearbook.
In 2010, a higher percentage of female than male high school seniors participated on a newspaper/yearbook (13 vs. 6 percent), in music/performing arts (28 vs. 18 percent), in academic clubs (18 vs. 11 percent), in student council/government (12 vs. 6 percent), and in other school clubs/activities (41 vs. 24 percent), while a higher percentage of male than female high school seniors participated in athletics (44 vs. 36 percent). For each of these activities, other than for athletics and student council/government, the participation rates were not measurably different in 2010 than they were in 1990. For athletics, the percentage of female high school seniors who participated was higher in 2010 (36 percent) than in 1990 (28 percent). For student council/government, the percentage of male high school seniors who participated was lower in 2010 (6 percent) than in 1990 (9 percent).
High school seniors who planned on attending college had higher participation rates in various extracurricular activities in 2010 than those who did not have college plans (see table A-27-2). For example, 43 percent of those who had college plans participated in athletics, compared to 25 percent of those who did not plan to attend college. Among those with plans to attend college, 37 percent participated in other clubs/activities, 25 percent participated in music/performing arts, 17 percent participated in academic clubs, and 11 percent (each) participated in student council/government and on a newspaper/yearbook. For those who did not plan on attending college, the participation rates were 15 percent for other school clubs/activities, 14 percent for music/ performing arts, 5 percent for academic clubs, 2 percent for student council/government, and 5 percent for newspaper/yearbook.
Technical Notes
Percentages reflect the proportion of students who responded that they participated in these activities "to a considerable extent" or "to a great extent." The 10th-grade and 12th-grade data for "other school clubs/activities" are not comparable because the available response alternatives were not the same. The response rates for Monitoring the Future (MTF) do not meet National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) standards. For more information on MTF, see Appendix B – Guide to Sources.
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