Competitions
Browse verified academic, arts, service, and STEM competitions for high-school students.
Stars highlight editor-reviewed programs and award results with documented competitive recognition.
This is a rough guide, not an admissions rating. Opportunities without a star can still be valuable.
AI-assisted research may be used; publication is editor reviewed.
371 verified published opportunities
National Biology Bowl is an organizer-run high-school competition or award program in biology, academic quiz.
National Chemistry Olympiad is a named high-school participation pathway published by American Chemical Society; current availability and local rules must be checked.
NCF-Envirothon is a team environmental-science program combining academic study, hands-on outdoor fieldwork, and conservation problem solving. Five-student high-school teams prepare in aquatic ecology, forestry, soils and land use, wildlife, and an annually selected current issue, qualify through their state, provincial, or partner-nation program, and complete field tests plus a team oral presentation. More than 25,000 students participate across the wider program each year. The 2026 international event ran July 19–25 at Mississippi State University in Starkville, Mississippi.
National Doodle Winner is a named high-school participation pathway published by Doodle for Google, with details that vary by current cycle and local organizer.
The National Economics Challenge is a high-school team competition in microeconomics, macroeconomics, and the world economy. Teams of three or four advance from state competition to national rounds and compete in either the David Ricardo division for first-time or introductory students or the Adam Smith division for AP, IB, honors, and other advanced students. Close to 10,000 students participated nationwide in the 2026 cycle. Sixteen finalist teams presented critical-thinking solutions and competed in Atlanta on May 28–29, with individual prizes from $200 to $1,000 for the top four teams.
National High School Musical Theatre Awards is an organizer-run high-school competition or award program in musical theatre, performance.
National High School Poetry Contest is a named high-school participation pathway published by Poetry Society of America; current availability and local rules must be checked.
National History Day Junior Division is a named high-school participation pathway published by National History Day, with details that vary by current cycle and local organizer.
National Honor Society Scholarship is an organizer-run high-school competition or award program in leadership, service, scholarship.
National Language Exam is a named high-school participation pathway published by American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, with details that vary by current cycle and local organizer.
National Latin Exam is an organizer-run high-school competition or award program in classics, latin.
National Medal is a named high-school recognition published by Scholastic Art & Writing Awards; students should record only the result they actually received.
