So, you’re getting close to high school graduation? Congratulations! You’re moving on to an exciting new chapter of your life and doing it in style.
But before that final bell rings and you start preparing for college or a career, you’ve got one important thing to focus on besides your finals: choosing a yearbook quote. And don’t underestimate it, it’s an important decision. You and your peers will look at your high school yearbooks for years to come, and the last thing you’d want to see is a quote that doesn’t reflect the real you.
Luckily, there’s no need to stress. Whether you’re a class clown, a movie lover, or Taylor Swift fanatic, we’ve got dozens of senior quotes for you to choose from. Let’s dive in and find your perfect one.
| Key Takeaways – Popular quotes: Some of the most classic high school yearbook quotes include “Be the change you want to see in the world.” from Mahatma Gandhi and “May the Force be with you.” from Star Wars. – Best pop culture references: Popular TV shows that people like to quote in the yearbook include The Office, How I Met Your Mother, and Friends. And these days Taylor Swift dominates when it comes to quoting songs. – Pick your senior quote wisely: Choose from funny, weird, philosophical, or pop culture quotes for your senior yearbook quote; it needs to be a true reflection of what matters to you! |
Classic (best) yearbook quotes
Nothing beats the classics. Sometimes cliches can come in handy, and in this case, they most certainly do. There is a reason these quotes have been used over and over again.
Choose one of these classic quotes for your senior yearbook:
- “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” — Oscar Wilde
- “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” — Abraham Lincoln
- “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” — Theodore Roosevelt
- “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” — Dr. Seuss
- “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” — Henry David Thoreau
- “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” — Winston Churchill
- “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” — Nelson Mandela
- “Chase your dreams, not people.” — Unknown
- “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.” — Vivian Greene
- “What feels like the end is often the beginning.” — Unknown
- “Stars can’t shine without darkness.” — D.H. Sidebottom
- “Your life is your message to the world; make it inspiring.” — Lorrin L. Lee
- “Mistakes are proof that you are trying.” — Jennifer Lim
- “Tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” — Malcolm X
- “Don’t count the days, make the days count.” — Muhammad Ali
- “Be the change you want to see in the world.” — Mahatma Gandhi

Funny yearbook quotes
The best way to stand out is with a sense of humor. With these funny yearbook quotes, you will have all of your schoolmates cracking up:.
- “I spent 113,880 hours of my life for a paper and a handshake.” — Unknown
- “Some graduate with honors, I am just honored to graduate.” — Unknown
- “I’m not lazy, I’m on energy-saving mode.” — Unknown
- “Remember to always be yourself… unless you suck.” — Joss Whedon
- “I’m 100% sure I’m 0% ready.” — Unknown
- “Education is important, but big biceps are importanter.” — Unknown
- “I came. I saw. I made it awkward.” — Unknown
- “Too cool for school. Just kidding, I graduated.” — Unknown
- “I was going to take over the world, but I overslept.” — Unknown
- “I’m not great at advice. Can I interest you in a sarcastic comment?” — Chandler Bing, Friends
- “Life is short. Smile while you still have teeth.” — Mallory Hopkins
- “Will work for ramen.” — Unknown
- “My favorite subject was lunch.” — Unknown
- “I didn’t choose the grad life, the grad life chose me.” — Unknown
- “Somebody has to hold the class together. Might as well be me.” — Unknown
- “I learned nothing and I’m still qualified.” — Unknown
- “Google taught me more than most teachers. Respectfully.”
- “All I needed was coffee, Wi-Fi, and due dates with no consequences.”
- “I wasn’t the class clown. More like the class existential crisis.”
- “This cap and gown cost more than my actual personality.”
Short yearbook quotes
Short and sweet will certainly do the trick for your senior yearbook quote. As the legendary The Office character Kevin Malone once said, “Why waste time say lot word when few word do trick?”
- “Still here.”
- “Game over.”
- “Next stop: life.”
- “Onward and upward.”
- “Less talk, more action.”
- “No regrets.”
- “Dream big.”
- “Keep it real.”
- “Overachiever, but tired.”
- “Outta here.”
- “Peace out.”
- “Good vibes only.”
- “Stay humble.”
- “Next.”
- “Just passing through.”

Sentimental yearbook quotes
You’ll cherish your four years of high school forever. There is no better way to commemorate these formative years than a sentimental yearbook quote:
- “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” — A.A. Milne
- “What we call the beginning is often the end, and to make an end is to make a beginning.” — T.S. Eliot
- “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”— Maya Angelou

- “The best things in life are the people we love, the places we’ve been, and the memories we’ve made along the way.” — Unknown
- “We didn’t realize we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun.” — A.A. Milne
- “Every ending is a new beginning.” — Unknown
- “Although we may part ways, the memories remain.” — Unknown
- “Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” — Dr. Seuss
- “Time flies, but memories last forever.” — Unknown
- “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” — Ferris Bueller, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
- “Distance means so little when someone means so much.” — Tom McNeal
- “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.” — Dr. Seuss
- “Some infinities are bigger than other infinities.” — John Green, The Fault in Our Stars
- “Remember me and smile, for it’s better to forget than to remember me and cry.” — Dr. Seuss
- “The ones that love us never really leave us.” — J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
- “Your life is your story. Write well. Edit often.” — Susan Statham
- “Goodbyes are not forever. Goodbyes are not the end. They simply mean I’ll miss you until we meet again.” — Unknown
Cheesy yearbook quotes
Cheesy senior quotes are a lot like Dad jokes. Sure, they might be a bit cringe, But they’ll still leave you with a smile on your face:
- “Don’t follow your dreams, chase them.”
- “Life is better when you’re laughing.”
- “I’m not short, I’m concentrated awesome.”
- “You can’t spell awesome without ME.”
- “Smile big, laugh often, be kind always.”
- “I may not be perfect, but parts of me are pretty awesome.”
- “Some call it chaos, I call it brilliance.”
- “I’m not weird, I’m limited edition.”
- “I put the ‘pro’ in procrastinate.”
- “Life’s short, eat the cupcake.”
- “Voted most likely to nap in the middle of success.”
- “Running on iced coffee and misplaced confidence.”
- “Came for the grades, stayed for the emotional damage.”
Cool yearbook quotes
The coolest thing you can be is yourself. Be authentically you with one of these cool senior quotes for your yearbook.
- “I’m too busy working on my own grass to notice if yours is greener.” — Unknown
- “Be a voice, not an echo.” — Unknown
- Cool is a state of mind.” — Unknown
- “Success is the best revenge.” — Kanye West
- “Life is too short to blend in.” — Paris Hilton
- “Be the type of person you want to meet.” — Unknown
- “I didn’t come this far to only come this far.” — Unknown
- “Do it with passion or not at all.” — Unknown
- “Work hard, stay humble.” — Unknown
- “I didn’t say much. I didn’t need to.” — Unknown
- “Cool is being comfortable while everyone else is auditioning.” — Unknown
- “I never asked for attention. I earned the replay.” — Unknown
- “Quiet doesn’t mean forgettable.” — Unknown
Pop culture yearbook quotes
From Netflix to Spotify to a classic book, there’s no shortage of classic quotes from the movies, shows, books, and music we all adore.
Yearbook quotes from music
The best life advice comes from those who have experienced the most. Use one of our music-inspired yearbook quotes from these iconic artists.
- “Don’t stop believin’.” — Journey
- “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.” — John Lennon
- “We don’t need no education.” — Pink Floyd
- “It’s a beautiful day, don’t let it get away.” — U2
- “Nothing’s gonna stop us now.” — Starship
- “In the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.” — The Beatles
- “The truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain’t going away.” — Elvis Presley
- “I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man.” — Jay‑Z
- “I’m not saying I’m going to change the world, but I guarantee that I will spark the brain that will change the world.” — Tupac Shakur
- “Love yourself and express your truth, even when it isn’t popular.” — Kendrick Lamar
- “You have to have a big vision, and you have to be willing to take big risks to get there.” — Pharrell Williams
- “I’d rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not.” — Kurt Cobain
Taylor Swift yearbook quotes
Tay Tay is so iconic that you could compile a massive list of yearbook quotes from the lyrics of practically any song. Here are a few fan favorites to consider:

- “We are never ever getting back together.”
- “Shake it off.”
- “This is a state of grace.”
- “You belong with me.”
- “I knew you were trouble when you walked in.”
- “Life was never worse but never better.”
- “The best people in life are free.”
- “I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling 22.”
- “I remember it all too well.”
Yearbook quotes from movies
If you’re a bonafide movie buff, choose from one of these legendary film quotes:
- “May the Force be with you.” — Star Wars
- “Life finds a way.” — Jurassic Park (Dr. Ian Malcolm)
- “Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys.” — Dead Poets Society (Robin Williams)
- “Just keep swimming.” — Finding Nemo (Dory)
- “I’m king of the world!” — Titanic (Jack Dawson)
- “To infinity and beyond!” — Toy Story (Buzz Lightyear)
- “Why so serious?” — The Dark Knight (Joker)
- “It’s only after we’ve lost everything that we’re free to do anything.” — Fight Club (Tyler Durden)
- “After all, tomorrow is another day.” — Gone with the Wind
- “Every man dies, not every man really lives.” — Braveheart (William Wallace)
- “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.” — Harry Potter (J.K. Rowling)
- “You’ve got a friend in me.” — Toy Story
- “Oh yes, the past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it, or learn from it.” — The Lion King (Rafiki)
- “Adventure is out there!” — Up
- “No ragrets” — We’re the Millers
Yearbook quotes from TV shows
If movies aren’t your thing, no need to worry! Here’s plenty of funny and memorable quotes from your favorite TV shows:
- “Pivot!” — Friends (Ross Geller)
- “Suit up!” — How I Met Your Mother (Barney Stinson)
- “Legendary.” — How I Met Your Mother (Barney Stinson)
- “Winter is coming.” — Game of Thrones (House Stark)
- “D’oh!” — The Simpsons (Homer Simpson
) - “I am Groot.” — Guardians of the Galaxy / Disney+ Series (Groot)
- “Oh my God, they killed Kenny!” — South Park
- “I am Beyoncé, always.” — 30 Rock (Liz Lemon)
- “I’m not superstitious, but I am a little stitious.” — The Office (Michael Scott)
- “That’s what she said.” — The Office (Michael Scott)
- “Bears, beets, Battlestar Galactica.” — The Office (Jim Halpert)
- “I am the danger.” — Breaking Bad (Walter White)
- “Serenity now!” — Seinfeld (Frank Costanza)

Book / Literary yearbook quotes
A true scholar like yourself has plenty of classic books saved to their Goodreads. Consider one of these iconic book quotes as your lasting yearbook legacy:
- “Not all those who wander are lost.” — J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
- “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
- “It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” — J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.” — J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
- “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” — J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
- “We accept the love we think we deserve.” — Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower
- “Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.” — Victor Hugo, Les Misérables
- “It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be.” — J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- “The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.” — Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms
- “Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free.” — The Shawshank Redemption (Stephen King)
- “There is some good in this world, and it’s worth fighting for.” — J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers
- “The only limits for tomorrow are the doubts we have today.” — Pittacus Lore, I Am Number Four
- “Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic.” — J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
- “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince
- “Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrongs.” — Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre
- “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” — J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, William Shakespeare is the most quoted literary figure of all time.
Philosophical yearbook quotes
The end of high school is a time where many begin to sit and ponder the meaning of it all. Unleash your inner Socrates with these philosophical yearbook quotes:
- “The unexamined life is not worth living.” — Socrates
- “Happiness depends upon ourselves.” — Aristotle
- “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
- “Life must be understood backward. But it must be lived forward.” — Søren Kierkegaard
- “He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” — Friedrich Nietzsche
- “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” — Albert Einstein
- “It is not length of life, but depth of life.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
- “Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” — Dalai Lama
- “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” — Aristotle
- “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” — Aristotle
- “The mind is everything. What you think you become.” — Buddha
- “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” — Confucius
- “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” — Confucius
- “Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking.” — William Butler Yeats
- “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” — Lao Tzu
- “Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.” — Lao Tzu
- “Nothing can harm you as much as your own thoughts unguarded.” — Buddha
Savage yearbook quotes
Who wants to be boring and ordinary when you can come out guns-a-blazing? Make sure your schoolmates remember you with these savage yearbook quotes.
- “Some say I’m crazy. I prefer ambitious.”
- “If you think I’m done, you clearly don’t know me.”
- “Sorry, I’m late. I didn’t want to come.”
- “Future legend. Don’t get jealous.”
- “Some graduate with honors, I graduate with wit.”
- “I may not have gone where I intended, but I ended up somewhere awesome.” — Douglas Adams
- “The tassel was worth the hassle.”
- “I’m not leaving, I’m upgrading.”
- “I came for the diploma, stayed for the chaos.”
- “I’m what your parents warned you about.”
- “You studied hard. I studied people.”
- “Some of us were taking notes. I was taking names.”
- “If I seemed quiet, that was just strategy.”
- “I showed up late and still left an impression.”
- “Not the loudest, just the hardest to replace.”
- “Success wasn’t handed to me — I just reached farther.”
- “I’m not for everyone. Fortunately, I didn’t ask to be.”

Weird / Quirky yearbook quotes
There’s nothing wrong with being quirky. Keep things unique and interesting as usual with these weird and quirky yearbook quotes!
- “Some call it chaos, I call it brilliance.”
- “Brains, beauty, and a little bit of chaos.”
- “Out of my mind. Back in five minutes.”
- “I survived high school with minimal sarcasm.”
- “I’m silently correcting your grammar.”
- “I came. I saw. I made it awkward.”
- “I’m only here for the Wi-Fi.”
- “I may be a senior, but I still can’t parallel park.”
- “My GPA is a mystery even to me.”
- “I peaked in the group chat.”
- “Some people had glow-ups. I had plot development.”
- “This diploma is brought to you by selective participation.”
- “I’m not antisocial, just deeply invested in fictional characters.”
- “I survived high school on vibes and vague threats.”
Find More Inspiration from High School Yearbooks Online
Looking for even more yearbook quotes to choose from? Check out the yearbook archives at Classmates® to access thousands of yearbooks from around the country that span the decades.
And be sure to register for Classmates to keep up with the latest happenings from your peers after graduation. Your first class reunion will be here sooner than you think!
Sources:
- https://www.brainyquote.com/top_100_quotes
- https://www.goodreads.com/quotes
- https://www.afi.com/afis-100-years-100-movie-quotes/
- https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/taylor-swift-quotes
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