- Grades1 to 12
- Cost$125 to $175
Coding competitions for students under 18
Coding competitions split into two families. Algorithmic contests (USACO, Codeforces, ACSL) give you problems and a judge that scores your program automatically. Project contests (Congressional App Challenge, Technovation) ask you to build and pitch something real. The first family rewards months of practice on data structures; the second rewards a working demo and a clear story.
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatEither
WhereOnline
Coding
Battlecode
Write an AI that commands a team of virtual units against other students' AIs, with a high school bracket.
Check site
- Grades9 to 12
- CostFree
PreparationConfident independent programming, and about a month of sustained work
FormatEither
WhereOnline
Coding
Bebras Challenge
A short online computational thinking challenge with no programming required, from age 8 upward.
Check site
- Grades1 to 12
- CostUp to $5
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatIndividual
WhereOnline
Robotics
Botball
Fully autonomous robotics where all the programming is done in advance and nothing is driver-controlled.
Business
Business Professionals of America
Competitive events in business, IT, digital media and management, with a strong technical event list.
Check site
- Grades6 to 12
- Cost$500 to $3,000
- FormatTeam
- WhereIn person
Check site
- Grades6 to 12
- Cost$20 to $1,500
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatEither
WhereIn person
Math
CEMC Contests
Canada's national contest ladder, from grade 7 puzzles to the Canadian Computing Olympiad.
83 days left
- Grades7 to 12
- CostUp to $20
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatIndividual
WhereIn person
Coding
Codeforces
Free short-format algorithmic contests several times a month, open to anyone with a rating attached.
Check site
- Grades6 to 12
- CostFree
PreparationImplementing algorithms under time pressure in C++, Java or Python
FormatIndividual
WhereOnline
Coding
Congressional App Challenge
Build an app, compete only against students in your own congressional district, and win a display in the U.S. Capitol.
Coding
CyberPatriot
Teams defend deliberately broken computer systems against a clock, from middle school upward.
Check site
- Grades6 to 12
- CostFree
- FormatEither
- WhereOnline
47 days left
- Grades6 to 12
- CostFree to $250
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereOnline
Coding
CyberStart America
A free, game-based cybersecurity challenge with scholarships attached, open to US high school students.
Coding
International Olympiad in AI
The newest international science olympiad, with a scientific round and a practical machine learning round.
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- Grades9 to 12
- CostFree
- FormatIndividual
- WhereOnline
Check site
- Grades1 to 12
- CostFree to $500
PreparationProgramming plus an understanding of machine learning fundamentals
FormatTeam
WhereBoth
Academic
NACLO
Solve puzzles in languages you have never seen, with no prior linguistics knowledge required.
Coding
NASA App Development Challenge
Build software against a real NASA mission problem, free, with winning teams meeting NASA engineers.
Coding
NASEF Scholastic Esports
School-based esports leagues paired with a curriculum in production, broadcasting, analysis and game design.
Coding
picoCTF
A free capture-the-flag cybersecurity competition designed specifically for students with no security background.
173 days left
- Grades6 to 12
- CostFree
- FormatIndividual
- WhereIn person
Check site
- Grades6 to 12
- CostFree
- FormatTeam
- WhereOnline
Check site
- Grades6 to 12
- CostFree
- FormatTeam
- WhereOnline
Check site
- Grades6 to 12
- CostFree
PreparationComfort with a command line and basic scripting
FormatTeam
WhereOnline
Coding
Technovation Girls
A free global season where girls aged 8 to 18 build an app or AI project and pitch it as a venture.
Check site
- Grades3 to 12
- CostFree
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereOnline
Coding
USACO
Free, worldwide algorithmic contests on a four-division ladder, and the route to Team USA at the IOI.
Check site
- Grades6 to 12
- CostFree
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatIndividual
WhereOnline
Coding
WAICY
A project-based global AI competition with tracks for art and video as well as technical builds.
Engineering
Zero Robotics
Write code that controls a real satellite aboard the International Space Station.
Check site
- Grades4 to 12
- CostFree to $100
- FormatEither
- WhereOnline
Check site
- Grades9 to 12
- CostFree
- FormatTeam
- WhereOnline
Check site
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