Top 50 Competitive College Debate Programs in the US - 2026
- ALM Staff
- Jun 15
- 3 min read
We're back with an updated list of the Top 50 Competitive College Debate Programs in the United States. ALM staff spend thousands of hours researching, speaking with coaches and debaters, observing debate tournaments, and gathering input from debate professionals around the country.
The University of Kansas took our top spot in 2026, capping off their competitive season by securing the Cross-Examination Debate Association (CEDA) National Championship. They were followed close behind by Emory University, a program that has been very strong in recent years, including winning the 2026 National Debate Tournament.
While our ranking does include competitive success, programs ranking were determined by a combination of their competitive opportunity, competitive success, coaching staff, resources, historical success in competitive debate, and program prestige. High ratings were hard to come by in 2026, with many prominent programs experiencing budget reductions, reduced access to coaching resources, and less opportunities for students to participate in debate. This contributed to a shakeup of the ALM Debate Rankings.
In chaos lies opportunity. A record 12 new teams entered the top 50
It is important to keep in mind that colleges on this list do not necessarily compete against one another, as there are multiple collegiate debate leagues and formats. This annual ranking includes teams that compete in the American Debate Association, American Parliamentary Debate Association, British Parliamentary, Public Forum, Lincoln-Douglas, Cross Examination Debate Association, International Public Debate Association, and the National Parliamentary Debate Association. Teams that compete in multiple formats or in multiple leagues are rewarded with a higher score for competitive opportunity. Teams that win tournaments or secure national championships are rewarded with higher scores for competitive success. More resources for students, hosting tournaments, community events, and a long history of success are also important for climbing in the rankings.
Debaters and coaches are invited to provide comment through this page, via email, or on our Facebook page to provide more information for our team to revise the rankings for next year. We sincerely appreciate the input from programs across the country that gave us greater insight into the state of debate than ever before. Until then, congratulations to the Top 50 Best Debate Teams of 2026, and happy debating!
2026 College Debate Team Rankings
Rank | Prev | Change | Team |
1 | 4 | +3 | University of Kansas |
2 | 7 | +5 | Emory University |
3 | 2 | -1 | University of Chicago |
4 | 3 | -1 | University of California - Berkeley |
5 | 14 | +9 | Mississippi State University |
6 | 6 | - | Rice University |
7 | 9 | +2 | Yale University |
8 | 10 | +2 | University of Michigan |
9 | 17 | +8 | George Washington University |
10 | 8 | -2 | Louisiana State University - Shreveport |
11 | UNR | UNR | University of Iowa |
12 | 12 | - | Wake Forest University |
13 | 1 | -12 | Harvard University |
14 | 16 | +2 | George Mason University |
15 | 18 | +3 | Cornell University |
16 | 22 | +6 | Georgetown University |
17 | UNR | UNR | University of Utah |
18 | 24 | +6 | Baylor University |
19 | 34 | +15 | Columbia University |
20 | 37 | +17 | Princeton University |
21 | 47 | +26 | Point Loma Nazarene University |
22 | 48 | +26 | Whitman |
23 | UNR | UNR | College of William and Mary |
24 | UNR | UNR | Dallas Baptist University |
25 | UNR | UNR | Diablo Valley College |
26 | 15 | -11 | University of Southern California |
27 | 19 | -8 | Southern Methodist University |
28 | 21 | -7 | Liberty University |
29 | 31 | +2 | Samford University |
30 | 32 | +2 | Union University |
31 | 46 | +15 | University of California - San Diego |
32 | UNR | UNR | California State University Long Beach |
33 | UNR | UNR | Boston University |
34 | UNR | UNR | University of Arkansas - Fayetteville |
35 | 29 | -6 | James Madison University |
36 | 30 | -6 | Northeastern University |
37 | 33 | -4 | Abilene Christian University |
38 | 41 | +3 | Western Washington University |
39 | 50 | +11 | New York University |
40 | UNR | UNR | Michigan State University |
41 | 35 | -6 | Rutgers |
42 | 36 | -6 | University of Texas at Tyler |
43 | 40 | -3 | University of Minnesota |
44 | 44 | - | McKendree University |
45 | 45 | - | United States Naval Academy |
46 | UNR | UNR | University of the Pacific |
47 | 28 | -19 | Wichita State University |
48 | 38 | -10 | William Jewell College |
49 | UNR | UNR | University of Kentucky |
50 | UNR | UNR | University of Texas - San Antonio |
Honorable mentions just outside of the top 50 include Missouri State University, University of Georgia, Binghamton University, and the University of Houston.
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