The Ballard High School jazz program is one of the premier high school jazz programs in the Pacific Northwest. They have been featured at the Essentially Ellington competition, Hot Java Cool Jazz, the Monterrey Jazz festival, Reno Jazz Festival, Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, and the many others. Ballard High School performs regularly around the Pacific Northwest and is composed of highly dedicated musicians from Ballard High School.

The Ballard High School Jazz program consists of almost 70 students within the Ballard High School community and represents some of the most talented musicians at Ballard High School. Ensembles include Jazz Band 1, Jazz Band 2, Jazz Band 3, Ballard Brass 1, Ballard Brass 2, Jazz combo, and Vocal Jazz. Students in these groups spend countless hours in and out of class preparing highly difficult repertoire and learning how to improvise within the jazz idiom. Ballard High School jazz bands and choirs have been recognized at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, Groove for Thought Jazz Forum, DeMeiro Jazz Festival, Essentially Ellington Competition, Monterrey Jazz Festival, Hot Java Cool Jazz and many more.