NSDARankings.org is the home of national high school debate rankings — tracking the country's top Lincoln-Douglas, Public Forum, and Congressional Debate competitors with standings refreshed daily throughout the season.
What is Speech and Debate?
Speech and debate is a co-curricular activity that empowers young people to research, discuss, and deliberate over important and timely issues. At every tournament, students present their ideas before judges — ranging from parents and community leaders to alumni and educators — and strive to persuade through logic, evidence, and style.
Why National Rankings?
In a sport where thousands of rounds happen every weekend across the country, a shared national leaderboard shows who is truly leading the competitive debate community.
The Scale of the Circuit
5,000+ competitors per event
A massive national field
Events like Public Forum and Lincoln-Douglas draw 5,000+ competitors per event each season, from local invitationals to the Tournament of Champions.
Coast to coast competition
Students compete across the country and around the world through the NSDA's growing network of schools and tournaments.
Every round counts
Head-to-head results feed an Elo rating system, so each win and loss reshapes the national picture in real time.
What We Track
The top 500 per event
The sharpest edge of the circuit
Out of thousands of competitors, we currently rank the top 500 per event — the debaters winning bids, clearing at majors, and contending for championships.
Refreshed daily
LD and PF Elo come from the DebateDrills x NSD open dataset; Congress points come from the Congress Index. Standings update automatically every day.
Profiles and trends
Every competitor gets a searchable profile with rating progression across their season's tournaments.
Follow the Race for #1
The National Speech & Debate Association has supported interscholastic competition since 1925. Now you can follow its top competitors all season long — sortable, searchable, and updated daily.
View Current RankingsLincoln-Douglas · Public Forum · Congress
Celebrating 100 Years of Speech and Debate
Since 1925, the NSDA has empowered students, coaches, and communities to find their voices and shape the future. Join us in celebrating a century of impact, innovation, and inspiration.
Explore Our History