Hands Raised reference
Girls wrestling statistics.
High school and college participation figures for girls wrestling, with a source and reporting year for every number.
Last updated September 9, 2026
The big picture
More athletes are finding the mat.
Girls wrestling is no longer a side note. Participation has reached a record high in U.S. high schools, while college programs are adding athletes at a rapid pace. The numbers below give coaches, families, writers and supporters a clear starting point for understanding that change.
Each figure links to the organization that reported it, so the page can be checked, quoted and cited with confidence.
Latest reported figures
The numbers.
88,771
girls wrestled in U.S. high school programs
The NFHS reported this record participation total for the 2025-26 school year.
NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, 2025-2619.9%
one-year growth in girls wrestling participation
Participation grew from 74,064 girls in 2024-25 to 88,771 in 2025-26.
NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, 2025-268,853
schools reported girls wrestling participation
Girls wrestling reached the top 10 girls sports by number of schools offering the sport.
NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, 2025-2640
state associations now conduct girls wrestling championships
Every state reported some girls wrestling participation in the 2025-26 NFHS survey.
NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, 2025-261,738
women wrestled in NCAA programs
The NCAA reported this participation figure for the 2024-25 school year.
NCAA Sports Sponsorship and Participation Rates Report, 2024-2542%
year-over-year growth in NCAA women’s wrestling participation
The NCAA reported 512 more women wrestling in 2024-25 than the prior school year.
NCAA Sports Sponsorship and Participation Rates Report, 2024-25What the numbers show
The next generation is already here.
In one year, the high school participation total rose by 14,707 athletes. More schools are offering girls wrestling, more state associations are holding championships and every state now reports participation.
College participation is moving too. The NCAA’s reported 42% year-over-year increase shows that more women are finding opportunities to keep competing after high school. The details will keep changing, but the direction is clear: girls wrestling is gaining ground at every level.
Shop the headwearSources and methodology
Built to be checked.
This page uses the most recent publicly available high school participation figures from the National Federation of State High School Associations and the most recent NCAA participation report available at the time of this update. The reporting year appears with every statistic. The one-year high school growth figure is reported by the NFHS.
- National Federation of State High School Associations, 2025-26 High School Athletics Participation Survey release, August 27, 2026.
- NCAA, Sports Sponsorship and Participation Rates Report, 2024-25.
Cite this page
Hands Raised Co. “Girls Wrestling Statistics.” Updated September 9, 2026. https://handsraised.co/girls-wrestling-statistics