Do Colleges Drug Test Students? What You Need to Know

Getting ready for college is an exciting time. Students are getting ready to move into a dorm. They’re finding the textbooks you need for your first semester.

But are they forgetting something? Do they need to get a drug test before they start? Do colleges drug test students at all?

This is an important question that’s still hotly debated among student advocates. And the truth is that it’s completely possible for a college to request that students take drug tests.

Read on to learn if colleges can drug test students and why 12PanelNow is the best place to get bulk drug test strips.

Do Colleges Drug Test Students?

So can schools drug test students? Technically the answer is yes, colleges can and do drug test students.

In the United States, high schools and middle schools can legally give drug tests at random. They may test any students who take part in extracurricular activities at public schools. This includes every activity from baseball to the theatre club.

According to the Supreme Court, when a student is at a public school, the state acts as their legal guardian. This means that the school may take any action they deem necessary to protect the health and well-being of its students.

Colleges are different for one reason: the age group they serve. Almost every college student is going to be a legal adult under United States law. The school is no longer responsible for the health and well-being of its students for this reason.

This doesn’t mean that colleges can’t drug test students at all. It just means that there are certain rules that they need to follow. Otherwise, the school is guilty of unreasonable search and seizure.

Can Colleges Drug Test Every Student?

Colleges cannot simply drug test every student. This is an unreasonable search and seizure. Therefore, the school would be violating the Fourth Amendment.

However, there are certain times where a college is allowed to drug test some students. You should study the college drug testing policy to see if you might be one of these students before you apply. This way at least you’ll know if you’ll be expected to take a drug test.

One such special case is students going into specialized fields that require attention to detail. These are usually referred to as “safety-sensitive” fields.

Examples include medicine and aviation. Basically, any student who will be required to handle dangerous substances or machinery can legally be drug tested by the school. This is meant to promote the safety of the students as well as their peers, teachers, and even future employers.

However, other students who are going into fields such as graphic design are protected from unreasonable search and seizure. In these fields, the idea is that if students were on drugs, then the only real person they’d be hurting is themself. This is assuming of course that the student isn’t being disruptive because of the drugs.

Do Colleges Drug Test Their Students at Random?

Can schools randomly drug test students? No, colleges cannot legally drug test students at random. This would fall under unreasonable search and seizure and violate the Fourth Amendment.

However, that doesn’t mean that you won’t ever be drug tested by the school. Searches and seizures are allowed in the United States as long as there is probable cause or reasonable suspicion to believe that something illegal has occurred.

In other words, if you seem like you’re on drugs, then you can be drug tested by your school. If a member of the college staff believes they saw you with illegal substances, then you can be given a bulk drug test by your school. If you refuse to take the drug test or fail it, then you can be subject to disciplinary action by the school.

This means you can be suspended or even expelled for being under the influence on campus. They might ask you to take a course in an attempt to end your drug habit.

In other words, can schools do random drug tests? No, they cannot. But they can drug test you if they have reason to believe you are under the influence.

Do Community Colleges Drug Test Their Students?

But what about smaller schools? Do community colleges make their students use a drug test cup or other drug tests?

The answer is yes. Even a two-year community college is allowed to drug test their students if there is reasonable suspicion. They are also allowed to drug test all students going into one of those “safety-sensitive” fields.

And each community college will have its own policies about this as well.

The idea is to keep everyone on campus safe at all times. This way everyone can relax and focus more on getting the education they deserve.

Do Community Colleges Drug Test Athletes?

But what about athletes? Can colleges drug test them? The answer is yes and no.

Student-athletes are given the same Fourth Amendment Protections as any other student. This means that they cannot be drug tested just because they’re an athlete. They also cannot be drug tested at random for this reason.

However, they are also considered students at the school. They are therefore expected to follow the same rules as every other student in attendance.

This means that if the school finds reasonable suspicion, then they may drug test you. If you’re going into a “safety-sensitive” field, then you may also be drug tested.

Order Bulk Drug Tests Today

So do colleges drug test students? Yes, they do, but only if they have a good reason to. Otherwise, they’re violating the Fourth Amendment.

If you run a college of any kind, then chances are that you’re going to need to drug test a student every once in a while. That’s why 12 Panel Now sells the best bulk drug test strips and bulk drug test cups on the market. All of the drug tests on  are highly accurate and most test for multiple drugs at one time.