The men's high jump competition at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, had an entry list of 27 competitors from 18 nations, with two qualifying groups (27 jumpers) before the final (16) took place on Sunday September 25, 1988.

[1] The event was won by Hennadiy Avdyeyenko of the Soviet Union, the nation's first victory in the men's high jump since 1972 and fourth overall.

Hollis Conway's silver returned the United States to the podium after a two-Games absence (boycotted in 1980; best place was fourth in 1984) that had disrupted the American streak of medaling in every Olympic men's high jump.

For the third straight Games, a boycott affected the high jump favorites; this time, world record holder Javier Sotomayor of Cuba was unable to compete.

All three of the returning medalists had held the record at some point, as had Soviet team members Rudolf Povarnitsyn and Igor Paklin.