Philosophy as Pre-College Preparation: A Case for Senior-Level Philosophy Electives in High Schools

Across the United States, university faculty consistently report that large numbers of incoming first-year students struggle with core academic skills: evaluating arguments, interpreting complex texts, writing clearly, distinguishing evidence from opinion, and recognizing logical structure. These are not minor deficiencies. They affect graduation rates, classroom engagement, retention, and long‑term student confidence. Research in higher education repeatedly shows that first‑year struggles are less about intelligence and more about the absence of foundational reasoning skills before college (Arum and Roksa 2011). Yet despite decades of evidence confirming the cognitive and formative benefits of philosophy instruction, the overwhelming majority of American high schools still do not offer philosophy as an elective, and fewer still specifically design it as a senior-level preparatory course. This paper argues that philosophy should be adopted nationwide as an elective course for high school seniors. Appropriately designed, such a course can serve as a capstone experience, sharpening reasoning, deepening reflection, strengthening reading skills, and preparing students for the demands of college-level thinking.