It was the thing to do back in my HS days. Money was tight and I never wore it after HS- should have used the money for other things. Perhaps it means something if one stays in their locale. I personally don’t look at those and would likely be unimpressed and/or oblivious to schools. I dislike jewelry and only wear earrings to keep the holes open (got my ears pierced to be able to wear those earring instead of hurt from clip ons). H and I know we are married, he only wore his wedding band for a time after our decades ago marriage.
I have a high school ring, a very classic style gold college (BS) ring, and another smaller signet style gold college ring for my Master’s degree. The MA ring is one that I wear occasionally. The others don’t fit, although I used to wear the BS ring when it did. I didn’t get a PhD ring, although I looked into it. It just seemed like a lot of $$ for something no one else would ever wear. My other jewelry could at least go to my D or be sold.
S had a high school ring that he wore all through college. He lost it several times including into a snowbank and it kept returning to him. He got a college ring which he wears now, in his 4th year out and hasn’t lost to my knowledge. Both are alloys, so not that expensive. It doesn’t seem at all unusual for him to be wearing a school ring.
D didn’t get either hs or college. Perhaps she is waiting for the Mrs. ring.
If someone wants a ring, I would not advise gold for high school. Go with least cost. For college, it really depends on your views on wearing such things. A lot of women’s college rings are very pretty and can be worn as much for their jewelry value as for their sentimental value.
No. Different strokes for different folks.
I bought a high school class ring. Many of us did, and wore them in high school. One girl bought a beautiful ring - not a class ring - because her father was a jeweler and she decided a pretty, all purpose ring was smarter. I think she was right.
both Goskids got HS and college rings. Both wear the college rings now…I know one doesn’t wear the HS one, as it is still in the guest room…
Different strokes…
Back in the early 1970s gold was cheap enough that our h.s… rings were 10K. I think most of our class bought them. I wore mine as a senior but not much after that. I didn’t wear it in college, and didn’t buy a college ring.
Then in the early 1980s the price of gold jumped to $800/ounce. I wanted some new camera equipment so I decided to sell the class ring and a few other unloved jewelry items for their gold value. I’ve never missed it.
My daughter had zero interest in either a high school or college ring.
I don’t even know if my husband had a class ring; if so, I’ve never seen it.
After spending nearly 1k on AP exams, the idea of dropping money on a ring held zero appeal to me. Plus I didn’t feel any particular comradery with thr 1700 other people in my graduating class.
We bought my engagement ring as college seniors and our wedding rings when I finished my master’s. Do those count? 
Honestly I’m just not a jewelry person. I only wear my wedding and engagement rings when I leave the house and even then, not always. A lot of times I’ll just forget.
^We bought my engagement and wedding rings with money from my husband’s student loan.
My own h.s. ring sits in a box. I used to wear my grandmother’s, though - it was just a pretty, simple ring, and I liked it. It came with a bonus, though, in that it connected me with some cousins I had never known. 
A friend’s fiancee admired it, and when she read the name of the school, her jaw dropped. Her grandmother had gone there too, and turned out to be my grandmother’s sister.
I took my high school ring out of its box for the first time in 35 years to show S17 what his ring would look like when it arrived. The ring is now safely back in its box…in my sock drawer. SMH
My D got a class ring in high school. I was worried that we would buy it and then it would never get worn, but as it turns out she likes the styling and actually still wears it fairly regularly. It is not a traditional class ring style. If you look closely you can tell what it is, but at first glance it just looks like a nice ring. She has shown no interest yet in getting a college ring. S had no interest in a high school ring so that was easy.
I found my mom’s college ring in October when I was helping my folks start cleaning out their house. She said I could have it.
I have my husbands HS ring still.
I know several people who wear college rings. Mostly men. Sometimes I wish I’d gotten one. Might still!
There are several companies these days that make class rings in all price ranges and styles so it’s easier to find an affordable one if you want one.
I wanted a high school ring so badly but money was tight and I didn’t get one and was quite angry. In college all 4 year letter winners receive a ring, in the class ring style and that became my driving force, more so than winning as an individual or a team. I wore that ring for about 5 years after graduating and still wear it on occasion.
I had a friend from college that bought a college class ring. It looks similar to my letter ring but smaller and different enough that you can tell the difference. When we would be out together people would always ask about my ring and the story behind it then they would look at him and ask the same but his story always fell flat and he quit wearing it (at least when we were together). I always felt bad as I’m sure it meant a lot to him and was not cheap and I hated thinking that he felt he couldn’t wear it because it didn’t have the same story behind it.
Just recently I donated my deceased mom’s college ring to her alma mater. She went to a small women’s LAC and was president of Student Government. She LOVED her school and her time there, and I thought it was a shame to keep the ring stored away in a box of memorabilia, so I contacted the school to see if they had any interest in it. Turns out they have a program for students who want a ring and can’t afford it - they can submit a request and then come in and choose from the alumni donations. I was thrilled as I know my mom would be too - so much more meaningful than it never seeing the light of day. The school will send me a thank you note from the recipient, when the ring gets chosen by someone (may not happen this year.)
I had a HS ring but only wore it senior year. Never interested in a college ring. Nor is my D, a current college senior.
Jostons? Was that the company?
Many in my class got rings… but it was not in my family budget or mine…at all.
At our 40th reunion, some folks wore those rings. Most said they didn’t regularly wear their HS rings at all.
None of us got high school or college rings, but my mother was inducted into a college honor/professional society. She couldn’t afford the pin at the time, so last year for Mother’s Day I had contacted her alma mater and the current president of the society helped me get her the pin, at last. She was thrilled.
No way on the class ring. Not only are they overpriced, but I think they are ugly … I never could figure out why anyone would want to wear the rings simply because of the design.
I did buy my daughter a phi beta kappa key & chain when she was inducted as a college senior. I bought the cheapest and smallest key in the catalog – and my daughter did wear it for a while, as it did signify a meaningful academic achievement.
My D got a class ring this year. She’s homeschooled and it’s actually three thin stacked bands that she can mix and match. She loves it was happy to design it. My younger D hasn’t expressed an interest yet, but she generally doesn’t wear jewelry at all.
I never got a class ring.
Our of our kids wanted a HS class ring and we said sure, you pay for it. She did.
She went to a religious private HS, and having a ring is a symbol of belonging to that network of schools. She still wears it and she’s filling out grad school applications soon.