(This page's most recent update is September 2024)
Trying to find Western States yearbooks? This is the place to find free online yearbooks.
Why? Yearbooks from high school or college are among the most enjoyable records for a genealogist to search. It provides you with a wealth of story-like information about your ancestor’s life. What their interests were, what sports and clubs they participated in, and often some goofy snapshots of them before they became an adult. And of course, you get to see what they looked like.
Here are a few articles that may convince you to research these gems:
- Using Yearbooks For Genealogical Research
- A Genealogy Education is in School Yearbooks
- Genealogy 101: School Yearbooks
And here is an article providing information on where else you can find online yearbooks; some need a subscription, and some do not:
Below is a list of links to free online yearbooks from the region:
Please note that some of the yearbooks are not searchable, but are an image of each page in the yearbook.
Please note that there may seem to be duplicates. If there are, that means that there are multiple sites where the same school’s yearbooks are available online.
Western States Yearbook Finder
- Free Alaska High School and College Yearbooks Online
- Free Arizona High School and College Yearbooks Online
- Free California High School and College Yearbooks Online
- Free Colorado High School and College Yearbooks Online
- Free Hawaii High School and College Yearbooks Online
- Free Idaho High School and College Yearbooks Online
- Free Montana High School and College Yearbooks Online
- Free Nevada High School and College Yearbooks Online
- Free New Mexico High School and College Yearbooks Online
- Free Oregon High School and College Yearbooks Online
- Free Utah High School and College Yearbooks Online
- Free Washington High School and College Yearbooks Online
- Free Wyoming High School and College Yearbooks Online
To see free online yearbooks from other states, please visit the Yearbooks page.
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
Yearbooks Frequently Asked Questions
This page links to thousands of digitized yearbooks by state or province, city, and school, including free collections from public archives and libraries.
Yearbooks typically contain class photos, student names, clubs, sports teams, and messages from peers. Staff photos from teachers and custodians are helpful. You can also discover nicknames, middle, and maiden names.
Browsing through old yearbooks isn’t just for fun. They are legitimate genealogical documents. Names, locations, photos, and interests place a person at a certain time in their life. This discovery can help with their family genealogy.