Founded in 1997, the International Public Debate Association is the fastest growing interscholastic debate associations in the nation with competitive programs ranging from California to Florida, from Texas to Michigan.  Our mission is to provide an opportunity for individuals to develop their advocacy skills in a forum that promotes appropriate and effective real-world communication style. We act intentionally to set ourselves apart from other styles by dissuading jargon and spreading, while emphasizing logical argumentation and appeal to lay judges.

The IPDA has grown to include five different divisions of competition:

Novice - for undergraduate students with no debate experience, or fewer than eight tournaments in high school debate.

Junior Varsity - for undergraduate students with eight tournaments in the novice division, or students with at least eight tournaments in high school debate.

Varsity - for undergraduate students with eight tournaments in the junior varsity division.

Professional - for individuals who have graduated with at least a bachelor’s degree, individuals choosing to compete independently with no school affiliation, or undergraduate students that desire to move up to the top level of competition.

Team IPDA - 2v2 format; participants must be students at a college or university and may not have a bachelor’s degree or higher.