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Explore STEM Competitions

Biology

USA Biology Olympiad (USABO)

National biology competition that identifies and trains the top high school biologists.

Individual • Annual • Biology knowledge & lab skills
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Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS)

Prestigious research competition recognizing high school seniors with exceptional science projects.

Individual • Annual • Research-based competition
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Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)

Global science competition for high school students showcasing original research projects.

Individual • Annual • Research & innovation
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BioGENEius Challenge

Competition recognizing high school students' achievements in biotechnology research.

Individual • Annual • Biotechnology research
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Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS)

Encourages original research in STEM, with opportunities to present at symposia.

Individual • Annual • Research & presentation
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Broadcom MASTERS

National science and engineering competition for middle school students fostering STEM interest.

Individual • Annual • STEM research projects
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Conrad Challenge

Innovative competition encouraging teams to solve global challenges in health and biotech.

Team • Annual • Innovation & entrepreneurship
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American Academy of Neurology Neuroscience Research Prize

Competition recognizing outstanding neuroscience research projects by high school students.

Individual • Annual • Neuroscience research
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National Science Bowl

Fast-paced team competition testing knowledge in biology, chemistry, physics, and more.

Team • Annual • STEM knowledge & quick thinking
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Genes in Space Challenge

Competition to design DNA experiments for space missions.

Individual/Team • Annual • Genetics & space science
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ESHG DNA Day Essay & Video Contest

European contest encouraging essays and videos about genetics and genomics topics.

Individual • Annual • Genetics awareness
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American Regional Biology Competition

Regional biology competitions preparing students for national biology olympiads.

Individual • Annual • Biology knowledge & competition
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American Society of Human Genetics DNA Day Essay Contest

Essay contest focused on genetics topics for high school students.

Individual • Annual • Genetics & essay writing
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Brain Awareness Video Contest

Competition encouraging students to create videos that promote brain science education.

Individual/Team • Annual • Neuroscience education
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Coleopterists Society Youth Incentive Award

Award for young scientists with research focused on beetles and related biology.

Individual • Annual • Entomology research
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American Sleep Medicine Foundation High School Video Contest

Video contest focused on educating peers about sleep health and disorders.

Individual/Team • Annual • Sleep science & education
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Chemistry

US National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO)

A prestigious multi-round exam to select the U.S. team for the International Chemistry Olympiad.

Individual • Annual • Advanced theoretical & lab chemistry
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International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO)

Top international competition for high school students demonstrating excellence in chemistry.

Individual • Annual • Global chemistry challenge
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You Be The Chemist Challenge

Middle school competition focusing on chemical concepts through quiz-style challenges.

Individual • Annual • Foundational chemistry knowledge
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ACS Project SEED

Summer research opportunity for high school students to work in academic or industrial chemistry labs.

Individual • Summer • Research experience
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Royal Society of Chemistry Challenge

Challenging exam for advanced students, typically taken in the UK or internationally online.

Individual • Annual • Advanced chemistry problem solving
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Chemistry Olympiad (UK)

A rigorous chemistry competition designed for high school students in the UK or abroad.

Individual • Annual • Theoretical chemistry
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Elemental Challenge by Compound Interest

A creative challenge where students make chemistry-themed infographics and visualizations.

Individual • Annual • Chemistry + graphic design

BASF Science Academy Essay Competition

Essay contest exploring chemistry’s role in innovation and sustainability.

Individual • Annual • Scientific writing & innovation
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Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge

Formerly Broadcom MASTERS, this research competition includes chemistry-based middle school projects.

Individual • Annual • Research & presentation
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ChemiCo

An international chemistry competition featuring quizzes, lab problem solving, and teamwork.

Team or Individual • Annual • Global chemistry challenge
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ISC3 Innovation Challenge

Promotes global innovation in sustainable chemistry across agriculture, energy, and environment.

Individual or Team • Annual • Sustainability & innovation
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Computer Science

USACO

USA Computing Olympiad with multiple contest levels testing programming and algorithms.

Individual • Multiple contests/year • Algorithms & problem solving
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Google Code-in

Global competition where students complete open-source coding tasks and challenges.

Individual • Annual • Open-source contributions
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CyberPatriot National Youth Cyber Defense Program

High school cybersecurity competition where teams defend computer networks from attacks.

Team • Annual • Cybersecurity & teamwork
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Congressional App Challenge

US congressional-sponsored challenge encouraging students to design and submit original apps.

Individual/Team • Annual • App development & creativity
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FIRST Robotics Competition

Teams design and program robots to compete in annual STEM-based robotics challenges.

Team • Annual • Robotics, programming & engineering
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Microsoft Imagine Cup

Global technology competition encouraging software innovation with real-world impact.

Individual/Team • Annual • Software development & innovation
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HPE CodeWars

Programming contests and hackathons hosted by Hewlett Packard Enterprise for skill-building.

Individual/Team • Various • Coding challenges
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Stanford ACM | Stanford ProCo

Competitive programming contests and training sessions hosted by Stanford’s ACM chapter.

Individual/Team • Seasonal • Algorithms & data structures
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American Computer Science League (ACSL)

Year-round contests testing computer science theory and programming skills.

Individual/Team • Year-round • CS theory & programming
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Technology Student Association Competitions

Competitions in coding, software development, and engineering projects nationwide.

Individual/Team • Annual • STEM & tech innovation
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VEX Robotics Competition

Robotics competition where teams build and program robots to tackle yearly challenges.

Team • Annual • Robotics & engineering
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Harker Programming Invitational

Annual programming contest featuring challenging algorithmic problems for high schoolers.

Individual • Annual • Algorithmic problem solving
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Samsung Solve for Tomorrow

STEM competition focused on using technology and innovation to solve community problems.

Team • Annual • STEM projects & innovation
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RoboRAVE International

International robotics competition promoting STEM education through robot building and programming.

Team • Annual • Robotics & programming
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Girls Programming League

A supportive, competitive programming community encouraging girls to excel in coding and algorithms.

Individual • Ongoing • Community & coding skills
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Cornell High School Programming Contest

Annual competitive programming contest hosted by Cornell University for high school students.

Individual • Annual • Algorithmic contests
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TeenTech Awards

UK-based STEM awards recognizing young innovators, including technology projects by teens.

Individual/Team • Annual • Innovation & tech projects
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CS50 Puzzle Day

A fun, team-based competition hosted by Harvard where participants solve logic-based puzzles unrelated to computer science knowledge.

Team • Annual • Logic & problem solving
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Mathematics

American Mathematics Competitions (AMC 10/12)

National contests challenging high school students with problems that lead to AIME and USAMO qualification.

Individual • Annual • Problem solving, proofs
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American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME)

Follow-up contest for top AMC scorers focusing on proof-based, challenging problems.

Individual • Annual • Advanced problem solving
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USA Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO)

Prestigious national math olympiad for the best problem solvers across the country.

Individual • Annual • Proof-based competition
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USA Junior Mathematical Olympiad (USAJMO)

National math olympiad focused on younger students, emphasizing proof and creativity.

Individual • Annual • Proof-based problems
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MathCounts

National middle and early high school competition emphasizing speed, accuracy, and teamwork.

Team & Individual • Annual • Problem solving
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Purple Comet! Math Meet

International team-based math contest promoting collaborative problem solving.

Team • Annual • Collaborative, creative problems
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Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament (HMMT)

Highly competitive invitational tournament featuring challenging proof and team rounds.

Individual & Team • Annual • Proof, problem solving
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Princeton University Mathematics Competition (PUMaC)

Large invitational contest with individual and team rounds focused on problem solving and proofs.

Individual & Team • Annual • Problem solving
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American Regions Mathematics League (ARML)

Large team-based national math competition emphasizing speed and collaboration.

Team • Annual • Speed, teamwork
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Mu Alpha Theta Competitions

National math honor society hosting competitions for students of all levels.

Individual & Team • Annual • Various math topics
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Math League Contests

Series of contests held in many states testing various math topics at different levels.

Individual • Seasonal • Diverse math topics
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Mandelbrot Competition

Online competition focused on creative problem solving with monthly contests.

Individual & Team • Monthly • Creative problem solving
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MathCON

Large national competition for grades 4–12 focusing on problem solving and critical thinking.

Individual • Annual • Problem solving
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MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge (M3 Challenge)

Team competition where students use math to solve real-world modeling problems over several days.

Team • Annual • Math modeling, collaboration
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International Mathematical Competition for High School Students (IMC)

International math contest with individual, team, and modeling rounds for high school students worldwide.

Individual & Team • Annual • Various math topics
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United States of America Mathematics Talent Search (USAMTS)

Long-term, proof-based math problem solving competition completed at home with multiple rounds.

Individual • Annual • Proof writing
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Who Wants to Be a Mathematician

Competition sponsored by the AMS testing quick math knowledge through buzzer rounds and quizzes.

Individual • Annual • Quick thinking, math trivia
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Physics

USA Physics Olympiad (USAPhO)

National physics competition that selects and trains the U.S. team for the International Physics Olympiad.

Individual • Annual • Advanced physics problem solving
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F=ma Exam

Preliminary exam for the USAPhO focusing on mechanics and problem solving.

Individual • Annual • Mechanics & problem solving
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Physics Bowl

Multiple-choice physics contest organized by the American Association of Physics Teachers for high schoolers.

Individual & Team • Annual • Conceptual and quantitative physics
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American Physics Challenge

Competition designed to challenge students in advanced physics concepts through problem solving.

Individual • Annual • Advanced physics topics
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Psychology

American Psychological Association (APA) Psychology Challenge

A national online competition testing knowledge of psychology concepts and applications for high school students.

Individual • Annual • Psychology knowledge
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National High School Psychology Bowl

Team-based competition focusing on psychology topics, encouraging collaboration and knowledge.

Team • Annual • Psychology knowledge & teamwork
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Brain Bee

While mainly neuroscience-focused, many psychology concepts are tested; regional and national levels for U.S. students.

Individual • Annual • Neuroscience & psychology
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Ecology

Envirothon

Annual team competition testing knowledge of ecology, natural resources, and environmental science.

Team • Annual • Ecology & environmental science
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National Wildlife Federation's Eco-Schools USA

While primarily a program, they host contests and challenges focused on ecological sustainability and conservation.

Individual/Team • Various • Ecology & conservation
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National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB)

Team-based academic competition focused on oceanography and marine ecology topics.

Team • Annual • Marine ecology & ocean sciences
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Youth Eco Challenge

A national competition encouraging youth to create and implement local environmental projects focused on ecology.

Individual/Team • Annual • Ecology & environmental action
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Agricultural Science Competitions

National FFA Agriscience Fair

Students present original research projects in agricultural science across multiple disciplines.

Individual & Team • Annual • Agricultural research
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4-H Science Competitions

Hands-on contests involving plant science, animal science, and sustainable agriculture projects.

Individual & Team • Annual • Applied agriculture
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Agricultural Issues Forum (National FFA)

Competitive forum where students debate current agricultural issues and propose solutions.

Team • Annual • Agriculture policy & debate
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Agricultural Youth Organization (AYO) Contests

State-level contests in skills such as soil judging, livestock evaluation, and agricultural mechanics.

Individual & Team • Annual • Practical agricultural skills

Youth in Agriculture and Environmental Science (YIAES)

Competitions and fairs focusing on agriculture, conservation, and environmental stewardship.

Individual & Team • Annual • Agriculture & environment
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The Soil and Water Conservation Society Student Competitions

Essay and project contests centered on soil and water conservation issues and practices.

Individual • Annual • Conservation science
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