Early detection of breast cancer and its subsequent treatment lead to better patient prognosis and survival rates. However, despite advanced screening and detection techniques, the disease all too frequently remains undetected until it has reached an advanced stage. Despite a number of means of disseminating breast cancer awareness, such as public health programs, public and private media and the internet, breast cancer remains a major health problem which exerts a tremendous economic burden on the health care system. Consequently, promoting early awareness of the disease to students at both high school and college levels might potentially lead to improved health habits later in life. This study investigated breast cancer awareness among college and high school students. A self-administered questionnaire was given to 355 high school students and 132 college students in a mid-western area of the USA to determine their perceptions of breast cancer, risk factors and the need for breast self-examination. Despite many annual efforts to disseminate breast cancer awareness and the availability of information about the disease, our study showed that both college and high school students have a poor understanding of breast cancer. Most participants, however, were receptive to the provision of more information at school. Based on our findings, we recommend more breast cancer awareness programs targeting high school and college students. Breast cancer awareness could be included as a component of the high school curriculum, as well as via the internet and public health programs.