The Swedish school law and curriculum states that students shall be participative in their work. They should work in a participative manner and the pedagogical idea is that influence and participation has multiple benefits for students' development. In this article the relationship between student participation and school success is examined. By using a theoretically-based participation index eight schools were chosen for closer examination. Success was measured by school grades and the level of perceived bullying among students. Student participation seems to have beneficial effects on students' academic and social development. In schools with a higher level of student participation the grades were higher and the level of perceived bullying among the students was lower than schools with a lower level of participation.