Michigan Ranks Among the Worst States for High School Fights

I grew up with a brother who was just two grades behind me. There were times at home that we fought like cats and dogs — blood, bruises... boy stuff.

We did not get involved in fights at school — with each other or anyone else. We knew better. The trouble we'd get into at home would be unlike anything we'd ever seen.

READ MORE: 3 Michigan Public School Systems Among Top 100 in U.S.

Teachers will tell you there are plenty of students who do get into fights at school, and the problem is probably even worse now than it was when I was growing up.

The number of high school students who say they've been in a fight on school property in the past year is surprisingly high. (Photo via vchal)

A new study by the financial website WalletHub recently revealed the nation's "Best and Worst School Systems" for 2026. The site evaluated a wide variety of metrics, considering everything from academic performance and graduation rates to faculty certifications and school safety.

Michigan Has One of America’s Highest Rates of School Fights

One of the metrics measured in each state across the nation was the share of high school students participating in violence — particularly the percentage of public school students in grades 9 to 12 who reported involvement in a physical fight at least once during the previous 12 months on school property.

How Common Are Fights in Michigan High Schools?

In Michigan, nearly 4 out of every 100 high school students placed themselves in this category. That may not seem like a lot, but only five states reported higher numbers.

Yes, Michigan ranks 6th in the nation for fights in high school.

Most Michigan High School Students Aren’t Fighting

And while "6th in the nation" sounds pretty rough, there's another way to look at it.

If roughly 4% of Michigan high schoolers reported getting into a fight on school property, that means about 96% didn't... so that's a good thing, right? Still, probably not much consolation if you're a principal trying to break up a hallway brawl... or a parent getting that phone call from the school.

READ MORE: These Are the 8 Highest-Rated High Schools in Mid-Michigan

My brother and I certainly weren't angels growing up. We had our share of disagreements that occasionally turned into something resembling an undercard at WrestleMania. But we also understood there were some places where you simply didn't do that.

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School was one of them.

Apparently, Michigan still has a little work to do when it comes to making sure today's kids get that message too.