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Robotics competitions for students under 18

Robotics is the most team-driven category on this site. Nearly all of it runs through school clubs or community teams with an adult coach, a season that starts in autumn, and a regional tournament in late winter. Costs vary enormously: some leagues run on a few hundred dollars, others need several thousand plus travel, though grants and rookie subsidies are widely available.

10 in this category · 0 free to enter · 0 available online

Robotics Botball Fully autonomous robotics where all the programming is done in advance and nothing is driver-controlled.

Grades6 to 12
Cost$500 to $3,000
FormatTeam
WhereIn person

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Robotics FIRST LEGO League The entry point to competitive robotics, starting at age four and running through middle school.

Grades1 to 8
Cost$100 to $1,200

StructureDivisions by grade or level

FormatTeam

WhereIn person

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Robotics FIRST Robotics Competition Build a 125-pound robot in six weeks, then compete in a stadium alliance game.

Grades9 to 12
Cost$500 to $8,000
FormatTeam
WhereIn person

69 days left

Robotics FIRST Tech Challenge A smaller, cheaper robotics league with the same season structure as FRC and a far lower barrier to entry.

Grades7 to 12
Cost$300 to $3,000
FormatTeam
WhereIn person

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Robotics MATE ROV Competition Build an underwater remotely operated vehicle and run real ocean-industry missions in a pool.

Grades1 to 12
Cost$100 to $3,000

StructureDivisions by grade or level

FormatTeam

WhereIn person

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Robotics RoboCupJunior International robotics with three distinct leagues: robot soccer, disaster rescue, and performance.

Grades5 to 12
Cost$50 to $2,000

StructureDivisions by grade or level

FormatTeam

WhereIn person

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Robotics SeaPerch Build an underwater robot from PVC pipe and motors for well under a hundred dollars, then race and manoeuvre it.

Grades1 to 12
Cost$50 to $300
FormatTeam
WhereIn person

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Robotics VEX IQ Robotics Competition A snap-together robotics league for elementary and middle school, with cooperative rather than head-to-head matches.

Grades3 to 8
Cost$200 to $1,200

StructureDivisions by grade or level

FormatTeam

WhereIn person

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Robotics VEX Robotics Competition The largest robotics competition in the world by team count, with tournaments running most weekends.

Grades6 to 12
Cost$300 to $3,000

StructureDivisions by grade or level

FormatTeam

WhereIn person

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Robotics World Robot Olympiad An international robotics competition running in over eighty countries, with categories from age six upward.

Grades1 to 12
Cost$50 to $2,000

StructureDivisions by grade or level

FormatTeam

WhereIn person

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