- Grades8 to 12
- CostFree
Competitions with scholarships and cash prizes
Competitions where the prize includes money for education. Prize amounts move with sponsors more than any other fact in this directory, so treat the figures here as a guide and confirm the current year on the official site before making a decision based on the money.
PreparationDeep understanding of one concept in physics, life sciences or mathematics
FormatIndividual
WhereOnline
Science
Regeneron Science Talent Search
The oldest and most prestigious science research competition for United States high school seniors.
Scholarships and challenges
Davidson Fellows Scholarship
Scholarships of up to $50,000 for a significant piece of work in science, technology, mathematics, literature, music or philosophy.
6 days left
- Grades12 to 12
- CostFree
- FormatIndividual
- WhereBoth
57 days left
- Grades1 to 12
- CostFree
PreparationA completed piece of work at or close to college graduate level
FormatIndividual
WhereOnline
Civics and social science
National Civics Bee
Write a short essay about a problem in your community, then defend it in a live civics quiz.
Environment
The Earth Prize
A global environmental sustainability competition for teenagers, free to enter, with a substantial prize pool.
Engineering
The Paradigm Challenge
Solve a real social problem however you like, from age four upward, with a large prize pool.
Check site
- Grades6 to 8
- CostFree
- FormatIndividual
- WhereBoth
146 days left
- Grades7 to 12
- CostFree
- FormatTeam
- WhereOnline
Check site
- Grades1 to 12
- CostFree
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatEither
WhereOnline
Science
Regeneron ISEF
The world's largest pre-college science research competition, reached by winning your way up through affiliated fairs.
234 days left
- Grades9 to 12
- CostFree to $50
PreparationAn ongoing research project and a win at an affiliated fair
FormatEither
WhereIn person
Art and design
Doodle for Google
Redesign the Google logo around an annual theme, with a scholarship and a day on the homepage at stake.
Check site
- Grades1 to 12
- CostFree
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatIndividual
WhereOnline
Robotics
FIRST Robotics Competition
Build a 125-pound robot in six weeks, then compete in a stadium alliance game.
Robotics
FIRST Tech Challenge
A smaller, cheaper robotics league with the same season structure as FRC and a far lower barrier to entry.
Math
Math Prize for Girls
The largest cash prize in pre-college mathematics, open to girls and non-binary students.
Check site
- Grades9 to 12
- Cost$500 to $8,000
- FormatTeam
- WhereIn person
69 days left
- Grades7 to 12
- Cost$300 to $3,000
- FormatTeam
- WhereIn person
Check site
- Grades1 to 12
- CostFree
PreparationAn AMC 10 or AMC 12 score above the year's cutoff
FormatIndividual
WhereIn person
Academic
Scripps National Spelling Bee
The most watched academic competition in America, reached through school, district and regional bees.
Art and design
Vans Custom Culture
Design and paint shoes as a school art team, competing for a large grant for your school's art programme.
Scholarships and challenges
Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholars Program
A five-year, individually advised scholarship for high-achieving students with financial need, applied for in grade 7.
Civics and social science
Voice of Democracy
Record a three-minute audio essay on a patriotic theme and compete for scholarships from local post to national level.
Science
Junior Innovators Challenge
The premier middle school science research competition, entered by nomination from an affiliated science fair.
Debate and speech
NSDA National Tournament
The largest academic competition in the world, reached by earning qualifying points on your district circuit.
Engineering
American Rocketry Challenge
Design a rocket that carries eggs to an exact altitude and returns them intact, to the second.
Scholarships and challenges
Coca-Cola Scholars Program
A $20,000 achievement-based scholarship for graduating seniors, awarded to 150 students a year.
Business
Conrad Challenge
A year-long innovation competition where teams build a product and a business around a real global problem.
Business
Diamond Challenge
Pitch a business or social venture concept against teams from more than a hundred countries, for a prize pool above $100,000.
Environment
GENIUS Olympiad
An international project competition on environmental issues, spanning science, art, writing, business and robotics.
Check site
- Grades1 to 8
- CostFree to $225
- FormatIndividual
- WhereIn person
142 days left
- Grades9 to 12
- CostFree
- FormatTeam
- WhereBoth
Check site
- Grades7 to 7
- CostFree
- FormatIndividual
- WhereOnline
218 days left
- Grades9 to 12
- CostFree
- FormatIndividual
- WhereBoth
52 days left
- Grades6 to 8
- CostFree
- FormatIndividual
- WhereBoth
Check site
- Grades6 to 12
- Cost$100 to $3,000
- FormatEither
- WhereIn person
187 days left
- Grades6 to 12
- Cost$100 to $1,000
- FormatTeam
- WhereIn person
88 days left
- Grades12 to 12
- CostFree
- FormatIndividual
- WhereOnline
21 days left
- Grades6 to 12
- CostFree to $499
- FormatTeam
- WhereBoth
Check site
- Grades9 to 12
- CostFree
- FormatTeam
- WhereBoth
Check site
- Grades8 to 12
- CostNot confirmed
PreparationA completed project on an environmental theme, plus funds for the finalist fee and travel
FormatEither
WhereIn person
Math
MATHCOUNTS
The national middle school math league, from your classroom to a televised countdown round.
Math
MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge
Fourteen hours, one open-ended real-world problem, and a written mathematical model. Free, with six figures in scholarships.
Art and design
Poetry Out Loud
Memorise and perform published poems, from a classroom contest all the way to a national final in Washington.
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
- Grades6 to 8
- Cost$42 to $80
- FormatEither
- WhereIn person
Check site
- Grades11 to 12
- CostFree
- FormatTeam
- WhereOnline
Check site
- Grades8 to 12
- CostFree
- FormatIndividual
- WhereIn person
179 days left
- Grades3 to 12
- CostFree
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereOnline
Robotics
VEX Robotics Competition
The largest robotics competition in the world by team count, with tournaments running most weekends.
Check site
- Grades6 to 12
- Cost$300 to $3,000
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereIn person
Scholarships and challenges
Prudential Emerging Visionaries
Awards for young people using financial or social innovation to solve a problem in their community.
Environment
Stockholm Junior Water Prize
An international water research prize with national competitions in over thirty countries.
Check site
- Grades9 to 12
- CostFree
- FormatIndividual
- WhereOnline
Check site
- Grades9 to 12
- CostFree
PreparationA completed water-related research paper
FormatEither
WhereIn person
Writing
Scholastic Art and Writing Awards
The longest-running recognition programme for creative teenagers in the United States, across 29 categories.
Science
JSHS
Present original research to a live audience of scientists at a regional symposium, with scholarships attached.
Check site
- Grades7 to 12
- Cost$15 to $40
- FormatIndividual
- WhereOnline
83 days left
- Grades9 to 12
- CostFree
PreparationOriginal independent research, usually with a mentor
FormatIndividual
WhereIn person
Coding
CyberPatriot
Teams defend deliberately broken computer systems against a clock, from middle school upward.
Check site
- Grades6 to 12
- CostFree to $250
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereOnline
Business
DECA
Hundreds of role-play and written business events, competed through a school chapter up to an international conference.
Engineering
ExploraVision
Pick a technology, project it twenty years forward, and write the paper explaining how it gets there.
Check site
- Grades9 to 12
- Cost$20 to $600
- FormatEither
- WhereIn person
Check site
- Grades1 to 12
- CostFree
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereOnline
Music
From the Top Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award
A scholarship award for outstanding young classical musicians with financial need, including a national radio appearance.
140 days left
- Grades3 to 12
- CostFree
PreparationRepertoire ready for broadcast performance, plus demonstrated financial need
FormatIndividual
WhereBoth
Business
Harrington Foundation Accelerator
A free eight-week virtual accelerator ending in a live pitch, with real investment for the winner.
Writing
John Locke Institute Essay Competition
A free global essay prize in seven academic subjects, judged by academics from Oxford and Princeton.
61 days left
- Grades7 to 12
- CostFree
- FormatIndividual
- WhereOnline
Check site
- Grades7 to 12
- CostUp to $20
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatIndividual
WhereOnline
Business
National Personal Finance Challenge
A team competition on earning, spending, saving, investing and managing credit, free to enter.
Writing
Profile in Courage Essay Contest
Write about an elected official who took a politically courageous stand, for a $10,000 first prize.
Engineering
STEM Racing (formerly F1 in Schools)
Design, manufacture and race a miniature air-powered car, and run the team like a racing outfit. Rebranded from F1 in Schools to STEM Racing in 2024.
Check site
- Grades9 to 12
- CostFree
- FormatTeam
- WhereBoth
Check site
- Grades9 to 12
- CostFree
- FormatIndividual
- WhereOnline
124 days left
- Grades6 to 12
- Cost$200 to $3,000
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereIn person
Chess and strategy
US Chess Scholastic National Championships
National championships separated by grade, age and rating, so beginners are never paired against masters.
Check site
- Grades1 to 12
- Cost$30 to $200
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatEither
WhereIn person
Art and design
YoungArts
A national arts award across ten disciplines, and the sole route to a United States Presidential Scholar in the Arts nomination.
Engineering
eCYBERMISSION
Solve a problem in your own community using science or engineering, entirely online, for free.
Engineering
Future City
Design a city a century from now, in simulation, in an essay, and as a physical model built from recycled materials.
Check site
- Grades10 to 12
- CostFree to $35
- FormatIndividual
- WhereBoth
27 days left
- Grades6 to 9
- CostFree
- FormatTeam
- WhereOnline
168 days left
- Grades6 to 12
- Cost$25 to $25
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereIn person
Academic
Academic Decathlon
Ten events on one annual theme, with teams that must include students across the full range of grade point averages.
Check site
- Grades9 to 12
- Cost$100 to $1,500
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereIn person
Art and design
All American High School Film Festival
The largest high school film festival in the world, screening student work in Times Square.
Coding
Battlecode
Write an AI that commands a team of virtual units against other students' AIs, with a high school bracket.
Check site
- Grades6 to 12
- Cost$20 to $75
- FormatEither
- WhereIn person
Check site
- Grades9 to 12
- CostFree
PreparationConfident independent programming, and about a month of sustained work
FormatEither
WhereOnline
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$20 to $1,500
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatEither
WhereIn person
Civics and social science
C-SPAN StudentCam
Make a short documentary on a national policy question, free, with a large cash prize pool.
83 days left
- Grades6 to 12
- CostFree
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatEither
WhereOnline
Business
FBLA
More than seventy competitive events in business, technology and finance, competed through a school chapter.
133 days left
- Grades6 to 12
- Cost$20 to $600
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatEither
WhereIn person
Science
HOSA
Over sixty competitive events across clinical skills, health knowledge and leadership, from middle school upward.
Check site
- Grades6 to 12
- Cost$20 to $1,500
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatEither
WhereIn person
Engineering
Invention Convention
Invent something that solves a real problem, document the process, and pitch it like an inventor.
82 days left
- Grades1 to 12
- CostFree to $100
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatEither
WhereIn person
Business
InvestWrite
A free national essay competition on investing, judged on reasoning rather than returns.
Check site
- Grades4 to 12
- CostFree
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatIndividual
WhereOnline
Robotics
MATE ROV Competition
Build an underwater remotely operated vehicle and run real ocean-industry missions in a pool.
Check site
- Grades1 to 12
- Cost$100 to $3,000
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereIn person
Math
Modeling the Future Challenge
Analyse a real dataset, quantify a risk, and make a recommendation, mentored by a working actuary.
Coding
NASEF Scholastic Esports
School-based esports leagues paired with a curriculum in production, broadcasting, analysis and game design.
Academic
National History Day
Original historical research presented as a paper, exhibit, documentary, performance or website.
Check site
- Grades11 to 12
- CostFree
- FormatTeam
- WhereOnline
Check site
- Grades6 to 12
- CostFree
- FormatTeam
- WhereOnline
Check site
- Grades6 to 12
- CostFree to $150
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatEither
WhereIn person
Science
National Science Bowl
A fast buzzer competition across all sciences and maths, run free by the Department of Energy since 1991.
Check site
- Grades6 to 12
- CostFree to $50
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereIn person
Environment
NCF-Envirothon
Field-based environmental science: teams are tested outdoors on soils, forestry, wildlife, water and a current issue.
Writing
Patriot's Pen
A short patriotic essay contest for middle school students, free, with national awards.
Coding
picoCTF
A free capture-the-flag cybersecurity competition designed specifically for students with no security background.
75 days left
- Grades9 to 12
- CostFree to $1,000
- FormatTeam
- WhereIn person
Check site
- Grades6 to 8
- CostFree
- FormatIndividual
- WhereBoth
52 days left
- Grades6 to 12
- CostFree
PreparationComfort with a command line and basic scripting
FormatTeam
WhereOnline
Science
Science Olympiad
A 23-event team tournament covering everything from anatomy to bridge building, run at invitational, regional, state and national level.
Check site
- Grades6 to 12
- Cost$50 to $500
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereIn person
Coding
CyberStart America
A free, game-based cybersecurity challenge with scholarships attached, open to US high school students.
Business
National Economics Challenge
The only national economics competition for United States high school students, run in two divisions.
Check site
- Grades9 to 12
- CostFree
- FormatIndividual
- WhereOnline
Check site
- Grades9 to 12
- CostFree
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereBoth
Science
Brain Bee
A neuroscience competition running from local chapters up to a world championship.
Check site
- Grades9 to 12
- CostFree to $400
PreparationReading Brain Facts or Neuroscience: The Science of the Brain
FormatIndividual
WhereBoth
Music
MTNA Performance Competitions
A structured national competition ladder for young performers, from state through division to national finals.
Check site
- Grades6 to 12
- Cost$25 to $150
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatEither
WhereIn person
Writing
The Concord Review
The only journal in the world that publishes academic history papers by secondary students.
0 days left
- Grades9 to 12
- Cost$40 to $100
PreparationA research essay with endnotes and a bibliography, at a standard close to undergraduate work
FormatIndividual
WhereOnline
Business
Blue Ocean Competition
A fully online entrepreneurship pitch competition with no written business plan required.
Scholarships and challenges
National Merit Scholarship Program
The scholarship competition you enter by sitting the PSAT/NMSQT in your junior year, whether you meant to or not.
Writing
Bennington Young Writers Awards
A three-category writing prize from a college known for its writing programme, with scholarship money attached.
Civics and social science
National High School Mock Trial Championship
Argue a full fictional case as attorneys and witnesses in a real courtroom, judged by real judges.
Academic
National Latin Exam
A single low-cost exam sat at school, with medals and a very high award rate for prepared students.
53 days left
- Grades9 to 12
- CostFree
- FormatEither
- WhereOnline
Check site
- Grades11 to 12
- CostFree to $30
- FormatIndividual
- WhereIn person
52 days left
- Grades9 to 12
- CostFree
- FormatIndividual
- WhereOnline
53 days left
- Grades9 to 12
- Cost$50 to $1,500
- FormatTeam
- WhereIn person
82 days left
- Grades6 to 12
- CostUp to $10
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatIndividual
WhereIn person
Science
National Ocean Sciences Bowl
A buzzer-based ocean science quiz competition for high school teams, run through regional bowls.
Coding
WAICY
A project-based global AI competition with tracks for art and video as well as technical builds.
Writing
Ocean Awareness Contest
A free international contest accepting art, writing, film, music and interactive media on a yearly ocean and climate theme.
142 days left
- Grades9 to 12
- CostFree to $300
- FormatTeam
- WhereIn person
Check site
- Grades4 to 12
- CostFree to $100
- FormatEither
- WhereOnline
Check site
- Grades6 to 12
- CostFree
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatEither
WhereOnline
Business
Global Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge
A twelve-hour online startup sprint: the problem is revealed on the day and you pitch by the end of it.
Academic
International Geography Bee
A buzzer geography competition with online qualifying, filling the gap left by the discontinued National Geographic Bee.
Check site
- Grades9 to 12
- CostNot confirmed
- FormatTeam
- WhereOnline
Check site
- Grades3 to 12
- Cost$10 to $500
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatIndividual
WhereBoth
Academic
National History Bee and Bowl
Buzzer competition in history, run as both an individual bee and a team bowl, with online qualifying.
Check site
- Grades2 to 12
- Cost$10 to $800
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatEither
WhereBoth
Business
The Stock Market Game
Manage a virtual $100,000 portfolio against other school teams over a full trading season.
Check site
- Grades4 to 12
- CostFree to $30
- FormatTeam
- WhereOnline
Check site
Questions people ask about this
Which competition has the largest prize?
Among those listed here, the Regeneron Science Talent Search and the Davidson Fellows Scholarship have historically carried the largest individual awards. Both are open only to a narrow group, so read the eligibility rules before investing time.
How reliable are the prize amounts on this site?
Less reliable than the eligibility rules, because sponsors change. Every listing carries a verification status and names which facts were confirmed. Prize figures are among the most commonly unconfirmed.