Competition.
Solo or team contests with clear submission deadlines and finals events. The application is the project itself; pick one whose subject already excites you.
209 verified programs.
AAPT PhysicsBowl
An annual competition for high school students that celebrates physics and recognizes outstanding physics students and teachers.
Adam Smith Society HS Essay
Essay contest exploring market economics and policy.
Adobe Design Achievement Awards (Semi-Pro)
International student creative awards across graphic design, film, animation, and social impact.
AFSA National High School Essay Contest
An essay contest designed to engage students in thinking about peace and conflict resolution.
AIME
Invitational round for top AMC scorers. 15-question, 3-hour exam that gates the USAMO. No fee for invited students.
Al-Khwarizmi International Award (Youth)
International recognition for young researchers in science and tech innovation.
All-Japan Manga Competition (Youth)
Youth-open division of the Japan Cartoonists Association's annual manga award.
All-National Honor Ensembles
National honor ensemble for top high school musicians selected via state programs.
AMC 10/12
The entry-level American Mathematics Competition. Top scorers qualify for AIME and the path to the USAMO. Open to all US high schoolers; school registration required.
American Computer Science League (ACSL)
A multi-division computer science competition covering both theory and programming.
American Mathematics Competitions (AMC 8/10/12)
Series of national math competitions leading to USAMO/USAJMO and IMO selection.
Apple Swift Student Challenge
Swift coding competition hosted by Apple to showcase creativity and app development skills.
ASA DataFest
48-hour data analysis competition (primarily collegiate; some HS satellite events).
Asian Physics Olympiad
Asia-Pacific regional physics olympiad; selection through each country's national physics olympiad.
Aspen Challenge
City-based design challenge for high school teams to solve community problems.
BBC Young Musician
UK-wide music competition for musicians up to age 18; broadcast internationally.
Beamline for Schools
CERN physics competition where student teams worldwide propose and run an experiment at a real particle accelerator.
Bebras Computing Challenge (US)
An international computational thinking and informatics competition. Students can take the test remotely or through a local school coordinator.
Bennington Young Writers Awards
A prestigious creative writing competition for students to win cash prizes and publication.
Bill of Rights Institute MyImpact Challenge
Civic engagement competition awarding scholarships for student-led community impact projects.
Blue Ocean Student Entrepreneurship Competition
Free global pitch competition with cash prizes. Teams pitch a novel business idea via video; finalists present live.
Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Contest
Annual creative contest for teens combining art, writing, film, and music with environmental advocacy.
BrainBee Neuroscience Competition
International neuroscience competition for high schoolers with local, national, and global rounds.
Breakthrough Junior Challenge
Create a short video explaining a big idea in science or math. Global competition for ages 13–18 with a $250K college scholarship.
Brilliant.org High School Problem Solving Track
While the physical show has locations, the virtual 'Think Tank' and 'Daily Challenge' offer online logic and math problems for students nationwide.
British Informatics Olympiad (Open to Int'l)
Solve complex math and computer science problems created by the UK Mathematical Trust.
British Physics Olympiad
A tiered set of national physics competitions (Junior, Senior, Round 1/2) open to UK secondary students, with international variants schools worldwide can register for.
C-SPAN StudentCam
Annual student documentary competition on public policy.
Cambridge Chemistry Challenge
Global chemistry problem-solving competition for Y12 / 11th-grade students; open worldwide.
Canadian Computing Competition (CCC)
Free competitive programming contest run by Waterloo's CEMC; open worldwide and used as a qualifier for the Canadian Computing Olympiad.
CanSat Competition (ESA)
Build a satellite the size of a soda can. National rounds in ESA member states; European final each spring.
CEMC Math Contests
Suite of free math contests (Pascal, Cayley, Fermat, Euclid, CSMC) written by Waterloo; open internationally through registered schools.
CFA Institute Research Challenge
Global equity research and analysis competition with high school divisions in some regions.
Chapman University Holocaust Art & Writing Contest
A writing contest for high schoolers exploring the impact of the Holocaust through various creative prompts.
Civic Spirit Civics Day
National civics competition for middle and high school students from diverse religious schools.
Codeforces Educational Rounds
Free competitive programming platform with weekly contests for students worldwide.
Columbia Scholastic Press Association Awards
Top awards recognizing student newspapers, magazines, and yearbooks.
Commonwealth Short Story Prize
Global short-fiction prize open to writers from Commonwealth countries.
Congressional App Challenge
District-level coding competition open to every US high schooler.
Congressional Art Competition
Nationwide art contest with winning art displayed in the US Capitol.
Conrad Challenge
International innovation and entrepreneurship competition addressing global grand challenges.
Cyber.org Range Competitions
Free cybersecurity courses, range exercises, and competitions for K-12.
CyberPatriot
A cybersecurity competition for high school teams to learn and apply cybersecurity skills in a virtual environment. Teams compete to find and fix vulnerabilities in simulated operating systems.
CyberPatriot National Youth Cyber Defense
National youth cybersecurity competition with middle and high school divisions.
Data Science Competition
A global competition for high school students centered around data science challenges.
DECA Competitive Events (ICDC)
One of the world's largest business competitions for students to demonstrate their professionalism in multiple event categories.
DECA International Career Development Conference
Largest international business competition for high school students in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management.
Diamond Challenge
Global high school entrepreneurship pitch competition with $100k+ in prizes.
Doodle for Google
Annual K-12 art contest with college scholarships.
Doodle for Google Contest
Annual K-12 art contest where winners' doodles appear on the Google homepage.
Envirothon
North America's largest high school environmental education competition.
EPA P3 Student Design Competition
Sustainability design competition (mostly college, some K-12 partner tracks).
ESA Education for Schools
Free space-science education projects, CanSat, Astro Pi for European school students.
European Girls' Olympiad in Informatics (EGOI)
A competition of similar prestige to IOI, for high-school female students. The top four female high-school students from the USA are selected to compete.
European Union Contest for Young Scientists
Annual EU-hosted contest showcasing top research projects from young scientists across dozens of countries.
F1 in Schools World Finals
International STEM competition where student teams design, build, and race miniature CO2-powered cars.
FBLA National Leadership Conference
National competition and conference in 70+ business and tech events.
FBLA National Leadership Conference Competitions
Focuses on business knowledge, academic competition, and leadership development across multiple career clusters.
Fed Challenge
Free team competition analyzing monetary policy — top teams present at the Federal Reserve.
Find a Fair (for ISEF participation)
Competing at Regeneron ISEF starts at a Society-affiliated fair. Use this tool to find a local, regional, state, or national science fair.
FIRST Global Challenge
Annual olympics-style robotics event with one team per country tackling a global grand-challenge theme (energy, oceans, food).
FIRST LEGO League
LEGO-based STEM challenge for grades 4-8.
FIRST Robotics Competition
Team-based robotics season culminating in regional and world championships. Team participation fees vary; financial aid available.
FIRST Tech Challenge
Smaller-scale FIRST robotics program. Team fee + parts; many teams sponsored by schools.
Foyle Young Poets of the Year
International poetry award for ages 11-17; free to enter.
Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award
International poetry prize for writers aged 11–17.
From the Top's Scholarship & Radio Program
A national competition for classical music performers for a chance to perform on the radio.
Future Farmers of America (FFA)
K-12 agricultural leadership organization with competitions, scholarships, and SAEs.
Genes in Space
Design a DNA experiment to be performed on the International Space Station. Annual competition with no entry fee.
Global Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge
International youth pitch competition and entrepreneurship curriculum.
Google Science Fair (Alumni Network + Regional Fairs)
Regional science fairs affiliated with ISEF that welcome international student researchers.
HackerRank CodeSprint
Sponsored competitive programming contests with student divisions.
Harvard Debate Tournament
Premier college-run high school debate tournament held annually.
Harvard International Review Academic Writing Contest
A rigorous economics essay competition organized on a global scale.
High School Fed Challenge
High school teams compete to solve real-world economic problems and demonstrate their understanding of central banking.
HMMT
Twice-yearly team math tournament hosted by Harvard and MIT students. Free to attend; travel to Cambridge required.
HOSA Competitive Events
School-chapter health-science competitions across 60+ medical events. Local through international rounds.
HOSA International Leadership Conference
International leadership conference and competition for future health professionals.
HSCTF (High School Capture the Flag)
One of the largest student cybersecurity competitions, featuring crypto and web exploits.
Immerse Education Essay Competition
Free international essay contest; winners receive 100% scholarships to Immerse summer residencies at Cambridge, Oxford, and elsewhere.
INCubatoredu Student Pitch Competition
Year-long high school entrepreneurship course with pitch night.
International Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad
International olympiad in astronomy and astrophysics with national selection rounds.
International Astronomy Olympiad
Team astronomy olympiad with theoretical, practical, and observational rounds.
International Biology Olympiad (IBO)
International team competition for the four highest-scoring biology students from each participating country.
International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO)
Annual competition for pre-university chemistry students; national teams are selected through country-level olympiads.
International Chopin Piano Competition for Young Pianists
One of the world's most prestigious international piano competitions; youth divisions available.
International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO)
Team and individual tasks covering geology, meteorology, oceanography, astronomy. National selection required.
International Economics Olympiad
International economics olympiad for high school students with national selection rounds.
International Geography Olympiad
International geography olympiad with written, multimedia, and fieldwork tests.
International History Olympiad
Individual and team international history competition.
International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO)
International science competition for students aged 15 and under, combining biology, chemistry, and physics in theory and experimental rounds.
International Linguistics Olympiad — National Rounds
National linguistics olympiads (NACLO, UKLO, OzCLO, etc.) that select for the IOL — many are open worldwide via school registration.
International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL)
Puzzle-based olympiad in theoretical, mathematical, and computational linguistics — no prior knowledge of the languages required.
International Mathematical Modeling Challenge
International team-based math modeling competition for high schoolers.
International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO)
The oldest and most prestigious pre-university math olympiad; students qualify through their national math olympiad and represent their country at the IMO.
International Medical Olympiad
International team olympiad on medicine, anatomy, and public health for high schoolers.
International Olympiad in Informatics
Premier international algorithmic programming competition; qualify via national CS olympiad.
International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI)
The most prestigious international algorithmic programming competition at the high-school level. The top four students from the USA training camp are selected to represent their country.
International Philosophy Olympiad
International philosophical essay competition; students write in a language other than their native tongue.
International Philosophy Olympiad (IPO) - US Qualifiers
An annual philosophy essay competition for pre-university students globally.
International Physics Olympiad (IPhO)
Annual international physics competition for secondary students; entry is through the national physics olympiad in your country.
International Songwriting Competition (ISC)
A world-renowned songwriting competition that has launched the careers of many famous artists.
International Space Olympiad
International olympiad on space science, astronomy, and rocketry with online prelims.
International Young Physicists' Tournament
International team competition where students research and defend solutions to open-ended physics problems.
International Young Physicists' Tournament (Online Regional)
Global physics competition for teams to solve 7 open-ended problems and present their results in online 'Physics Fights'.
International Zhautykov Olympiad
International math, physics, and CS olympiad hosted in Kazakhstan; individual events.
Iowa Junior Academy of Science Symposium
A statewide competition in Iowa where students present original STEM research to judges from industry and academia.
John Locke Institute Essay
Annual global essay competition in philosophy, politics, economics, history, psychology, theology, and law. Free entry; cash and Oxford summer school prizes.
John Locke Institute Essay Competition
Free essay competition in philosophy, politics, economics, history, psychology, theology, and law. Open worldwide, ages up to 18.
John Locke Institute Global Essay Competition
International essay competition across philosophy, politics, economics, history, psychology, theology, and law.
JSHS
Junior Science and Humanities Symposium. Regional and national competitions in original STEM research, with cash awards and DoD lab tours.
Kaggle Competitions
Global data-science competition platform with beginner "Getting Started" tracks, community notebooks, and cash-prize challenges accessible from anywhere.
Kangaroo Math Competition
Global multiple-choice math competition run in 90+ countries.
Knowledge@Wharton Comment & Win
Monthly free contests where students comment on Knowledge@Wharton articles for cash prizes.
Knowledge@Wharton High School Comment & Win
Monthly essay/comment contest on business topics.
LeetCode Weekly Contest
Free weekly competitive programming contests.
Marshall Society Essay Competition
Global economics essay prize run by the Cambridge Marshall Society.
MATE ROV Competition
Underwater robotics competition with regional and international finals.
MATHCOUNTS
Premier US middle school math competition with school, chapter, state, and national levels.
Model UN (BMUN / NHSMUN / MUNUC)
High school Model United Nations conferences held by universities. Registration fees; many offer financial aid.
Modeling the Future Challenge
Free actuarial science / data analysis competition for HS students with cash scholarships.
MTNA Student Competitions
National classical-music performance and composition competitions with state and national rounds.
NASA App Development Challenge
Open team coding challenge from NASA. Teams build a visualization of mission data. No fee; finalists visit Johnson Space Center.
NASA Space Apps Challenge (Student Track)
A data science competition where students use real NASA data to solve problems.
NASA TechRise Student Challenge
Teams design space-bound experiments. Winners receive USD 1500 and their payload flies on a high-altitude balloon.
National Academic Quiz Tournaments (NAQT)
Major US quiz bowl organization running middle school, high school, and college tournaments.
National Civics Bee
Middle school civic engagement competition with local, state, and national finals.
National Cyber League
Twice-yearly cybersecurity capture-the-flag competition with high school division.
National Envirothon (NFC-Envirothon)
A national environmental science competition where students study forestry, wildlife, and aquatic ecology on-site.
National Federation of Music Clubs (NFMC) Competitions
A prestigious scholarship competition for vocalists, instrumentalists, and composers.
National Geographic GeoBee Archive
Historical archive and resources for geography competition (paused after 2020) plus successor programs.
National Geographic Slingshot Challenge
Annual video competition for ages 13-18 on environmental solutions with cash prizes.
National High School Mock Trial Championship
A national mock trial case competition where students act as attorneys and witnesses in a simulated courtroom.
National History Bee and Bowl
National history quiz competitions for grades 4-12.
National History Day
Year-long historical research project competition culminating at the national contest.
National Latin Exam
Annual exam recognizing Latin students K-12; widely used by classics teachers.
National Ocean Sciences Bowl
Premier US high school ocean sciences quiz bowl.
National Public Health Week Student Challenge
Annual student challenge for high schoolers to advocate for public health issues.
National Science Bowl
Premier US middle and high school science quiz competition.
National Speech & Debate Tournament
Largest US high school speech and debate tournament with thousands of competitors.
National Spelling Bee
Premier US K-8 spelling competition culminating in nationals.
National Writing Board
The National Writing Board assesses academic expository writing against an independent standard endorsed by Harvard, Michigan, Princeton, Stanford, Virginia, Yale, and 33 other selective colleges and universities.
National YoungArts Foundation Competition
National arts competition for ages 15-18 across 10 disciplines; finalists receive cash and YoungArts Week.
National YoungArts Photography
Photography track of the YoungArts national competition.
National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge
Pitch competition for student entrepreneurs from NFTE programs.
New York Times Editorial Contest
Annual student editorial writing contest for teens 13-19.
New York Times Personal Narrative Contest
Annual personal narrative writing contest for teens 13-19.
NPR Student Podcast Challenge
Free annual podcasting contest. Submit a 3-8 minute podcast. Winning student is featured on NPR.
NSPA Best of the High School Press
National recognition program for student publications.
NYT Learning Network Contests
Free monthly writing, photo, and podcast contests for teens 13–19 worldwide.
NYT Personal Narrative Contest
Annual short personal narrative contest for teens. 600 words. Free entry.
NYT Student Editorial Contest
Free annual contest for students aged 13-19 to write a 450-word evidence-based editorial. Top entries are published by the Times.
NYT Summer Reading Contest
Each summer week, students pick a Times piece and write 350 words about it. Free; winners published.
Ocean Awareness Contest
International student contest in visual art, film, writing, and music addressing ocean conservation.
Odyssey of the Mind (International Finals)
International creative problem-solving competition with teams from 25+ countries.
Online Math Team Championship (OMTC) / Purple Comet!
An international online math competition focused on high-level problem solving, often allowing students from rural areas to compete.
Oxbridge Launchpad Essay Competitions
Rolling essay competitions across STEM, humanities, and social sciences for global high school students.
Patriot's Pen Essay Contest
Patriotic-themed essay contest for grades 6-8 with $5,000 top prize.
Physics Bowl
International multiple-choice physics competition for HS students.
Physics Olympics
Annual lab and theory physics competition for high schools.
picoCTF
Free annual cybersecurity capture-the-flag competition for students.
Poetry Out Loud
A national poetry recitation competition that begins in high school classrooms and ends in a national final.
Princeton Ten-Minute Play Contest
Annual playwriting contest for 11th-grade students judged by Princeton's Lewis Center faculty.
PUMaC
Princeton University Math Competition. Team and individual events, held on Princeton campus each November.
Putnam-Style Online Practice
Free competition math forums, classes, and practice for K-12 students.
The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition
The world's oldest international schools' writing competition; open to any student in the Commonwealth aged 18 or under.
Quill and Scroll International Writing Contest
Writing and photography contest for student journalists.
RBA / Federal Reserve Essay Contests
Various regional Fed essay and case competitions for high schoolers.
Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair
The world's largest pre-college STEM research competition with affiliated fairs in 60+ countries.
Regeneron ISEF
The largest international pre-college science fair. Qualify through an affiliated regional or state fair. Travel and lodging covered for finalists.
Regeneron Science Talent Search
Unique among high school competitions, the Regeneron STS focuses on identifying, inspiring, and engaging the nation’s most promising future leaders in STEM. Each year, around 2,600 students enter Regeneron STS, submitting original research in critically important scientific fields of study and full application for holistic review. $3.1 million in awards are distributed annually, including the first place prize of $250,000.
Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS)
Unique among high school competitions, the Regeneron STS focuses on identifying, inspiring, and engaging the nation’s most promising future leaders in STEM. Each year, around 2,600 students enter Regeneron STS, submitting original research in critically important scientific fields of study and full application for holistic review. $3.1 million in awards are distributed annually, including the first place prize of $250,000. It is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science research competition for high school students.
Science Olympiad
Team-based STEM competition with 23 events spanning earth science, biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering. Regional through national rounds.
STEM Fellowship Big Data Challenge
International data science competition with publication in STEM Fellowship Journal.
Stock Market Game
Free K-12 simulation of investing in real-world markets used in classrooms nationwide.
Stockholm Junior Water Prize
International youth water-research prize awarded during World Water Week in Stockholm.
Technovation Girls
Global tech entrepreneurship challenge for girls 8-18.
The Amy Lowell Poetry Traveling Scholarship
One of the most valuable writing scholarships for high school seniors, based on a portfolio.
The Earth Prize
Global environmental sustainability competition with $200k in prizes for student teams.
Toshiba ExploraVision
K-12 team STEM competition forecasting future technologies.
TSA National Competitions
The premier middle and high school competition for engineering and technology projects involving a formal design process.
U.S. National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) / Envirothon
The world's largest Earth Science competition where teams solve challenges in geology, meteorology, and oceanography.
UKMT Mathematical Challenges
Junior, Intermediate, and Senior Mathematical Challenges run by the UK Mathematics Trust — international schools can register and top scorers progress to Olympiad rounds.
US Physics Olympiad
F=ma exam then USAPhO. Top 20 attend a training camp for the International Physics Olympiad team.
USA Biology Olympiad (USABO)
Free 3-round biology olympiad. Top 20 attend a residential training camp; top 4 represent the US at the International Biology Olympiad.
USA Chemistry Olympiad
Local-section through national chemistry olympiad. Top scorers attend the USNCO study camp at the US Air Force Academy.
USA Computing Olympiad
Free online programming contests held four times a year. Top US students earn an invitation to the summer training camp and the IOI team.
USAMO / USAJMO
Two-day, nine-hour proof-based olympiad. Top finishers join the US team for the IMO. Invitation only via AIME.
Vans Custom Culture Art Competition
National high school art competition to design custom Vans shoes for cash and supply grants.
VEX Robotics Competition
Worldwide robotics competition with regional, state, and world championships. School- or club-team based.
VEX Robotics World Championship
World's largest robotics competition with VEX IQ (middle) and VEX V5 (high school) divisions.
VSA Emerging Young Artists Program
Awards for young artists with disabilities; cash and exhibition at the Kennedy Center.
We the People
Free national civics competition. Class teams compete in simulated congressional hearings on the Constitution.
We the People Constitution Competition
National constitutional knowledge competition for classroom teams.
We the People Constitutional Competition
National civics competition on the Constitution and Bill of Rights for high schoolers.
WFUNA International Model UN
Officially UN-endorsed Model UN conferences that use real UN Rules of Procedure, with editions in New York, Geneva, and rotating global cities.
Wharton Global High School Investment Competition
Free team-based simulated investing challenge with Wharton MBA mentors. Open globally.
World Affairs Challenge
Project-based competition tackling UN Sustainable Development Goals.
World of 8 Billion Student Video Contest
Students create short videos highlighting solutions to global issues like population growth and sustainability.
World Robot Olympiad
Global robotics competition with regional, national, and international finals.
World Scholar's Cup
Team academic tournament — debate, collaborative writing, quiz bowl, and scholar's bowl — with regional, global, and Tournament of Champions rounds at Yale.
World Schools Debating Championships
Premier international high school team debating championship.
Young Diplomats Forum
Global essay and forum program engaging teens with foreign policy questions.
Young Tycoons Business Challenge
Team competition run by Wharton for high schoolers worldwide — investment, comparative marketing, and business tracks.
YoungArts Awards
National competition in writing, visual arts, design, music, theater, film for 15-18 year olds.
YoungArts National Arts Competition
One of the nation's most prestigious honors for high school students in the visual, literary, and performing arts.
YoungArts National Arts Competition Application
Application for the 2027 YoungArts National Arts Competition. YoungArts identifies and nurtures the most accomplished young artists in the visual, literary, and performing arts and assists them at critical junctures in their educational and professional development.
YoungArts Theater
National recognition program for theater artists 15-18.
Youth Climate Leaders
Free youth climate summits and competitions. Project-based environmental advocacy.