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
New York Life Award is a named high-school recognition published by Scholastic Art & Writing Awards; students should record only the result they actually received.
New York Times Open Letter Contest is an organizer-run high-school competition or award program in writing, opinion.
New York Times Student Photo Essay Contest is an organizer-run high-school competition or award program in photography, journalism, writing.
New York Times Student Podcast Contest is an organizer-run high-school competition or award program in writing, audio, journalism.
New York Times Student Review Contest is an organizer-run high-school competition or award program in writing, criticism.
New York Times Tiny Memoir Contest is an organizer-run high-school competition or award program in writing, personal narrative.
Next Generation Jazz Festival is an organizer-run high-school competition or award program in music, jazz, performance.
NFTE National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge is an organizer-run high-school competition or award program in entrepreneurship, business.
NFTE World Series of Innovation is an organizer-run high-school competition or award program in entrepreneurship, innovation.
NOAA Data in the Classroom is a named high-school participation pathway published by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, with details that vary by current cycle and local organizer.
NOAA Science Fair is a named high-school participation pathway published by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, with details that vary by current cycle and local organizer.
NACLO is a computational-linguistics competition in which students solve self-contained puzzles about unfamiliar languages using pattern recognition, logic, and analytical reasoning; prior linguistics or second-language study is not required. Students first take the Open Round at a local or online-approved contest site, and top scorers advance individually to the longer Invitational Round. The 2026 Invitational was held March 19 and also helped identify U.S. and Canadian candidates for the International Linguistics Olympiad.
