Higgins played in back-to-back World Junior Championships during his college career. First appearing in 2002, he recorded four goals and two assists over seven games. He helped the United States qualify for the quarterfinal, where they were eliminated by Russia 6–1. The following year, Higgins matched his points total with three goals and three assists. After losing their semifinal to Canada 3–2, the United States lost by the same score to Finland in the bronze medal game.