The 25 Best High School Science Competitions
Doing research in high school can be really beneficial. It helps students dive deep into their favorite subjects, build strong thinking and problem-solving skills, and get hands-on experience. Also, it can make a college application look better because it shows motivation, curiosity, and the ability to work independently. Research experience can even lead to mentorship, networking, and winning awards in science contests or getting work published. So, high school research can help pave the way to success in college and careers.
When applying to colleges, having research published can make a big difference. U.S. News and World Report says that colleges like to see students doing their own projects because it shows they’re proactive, disciplined, and creative. This kind of work can show colleges that a student can think out-of-the-box, stick with tough projects, and do work that’s on par with college-level expectations. Plus, it shows a good work ethic and ability to produce high-quality work. Even when grades and test scores aren’t the best, research projects give students a chance to show off their academic skills and creativity. That’s why colleges like to see students doing their own projects, especially students who have taken a less traditional path to college.
How to select which research competition to participate in:
Selecting which research competition to participate in can be a significant decision for a student interested in research. Here are some key factors to consider when making this decision:
· Interest & Relevance: Opt for a competition that aligns with your research field to best leverage your skills and passion.
· Eligibility: Check the competition’s criteria such as age, grade level, and location to ensure you’re eligible to participate.
· Competition Level: Larger competitions often offer greater recognition, but local or regional ones might be more appropriate for beginners.
· Time Commitment: Consider the amount of time you can dedicate to the competition, balancing it against your other responsibilities.
· Opportunities: Look beyond the competition’s main prize to consider other benefits, such as scholarships, internships, or networking opportunities.
· Reputation: Well-established competitions can carry more weight on college applications or future opportunities.
In essence, the best competition for you will best showcase your abilities and provide beneficial experience and opportunities, so take time to consider your choices carefully.
25 Best Science Competitions for High School Students
Here are brief summaries of 25 top science competitions suitable for high school students. In each description, we specify the eligible grades, indicate if the competition is designed for individuals or teams, and note whether it involves a research project or an exam. We then provide a quick glimpse into the competition experience for participants.
1. AAN Neuroscience Research Prize
- Grades Eligible: 9-12
- Individual or Group: Individual
- Research or Exam: Research
In this competition, students dedicate their efforts to investigating and addressing issues related to the brain or nervous system. Competitors are required to submit their original research in neuroscience, which will be assessed based on its relevance to the field, innovativeness, data interpretation, and the quality of research reports.
- Grades Eligible: 9-12
- Individual or Group: Individual
- Research or Exam: Exam
The USA Biology Olympiad (USABO) requires a strong memory, with early rounds often focusing on recalling details from Campbell Biology within a time limit. As participants progress, they will encounter lab work and short-answer questions that require the application of memorized processes. Each year, nearly 10,000 high school students take part in the Olympiad, which involves timed exams. The top-scoring students advance to subsequent rounds. As long as your school is affiliated with the Olympiad, you can take part in the open exam. If your score is in the top 10%, you’ll advance to the semifinals and may even have the opportunity to participate in national and international competitions.
- Grades Eligible: 9-12
- Individual or Group: Individual
- Research or Exam: Exam
The U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO) is a contest much like the Biology Olympiad. It’s open to all high school students who want to test their chemistry knowledge. If you do well, you can move on to harder rounds. What’s different is that the Chemistry Olympiad also tests your lab skills. You start at the local level with multiple-choice questions. If you score high, you get to move on to the next rounds which have different types of questions and lab work.
- Grades Eligible: Ages 13-18
- Individual or Group: Group
- Research or Exam: Research
The Conrad Challenge is a contest that asks teens to come up with innovative solutions for local or global issues. They work in teams of 2-5 people, with an adult guide, and develop a product or service in areas like aviation, cyber security, environment, health, education technology, or finding ways to reduce teen vaping and repurpose tobacco farms. Like many other science contests, there are different rounds to pass through. The top teams are invited to the Innovation Summit, where they present their ideas to expert judges at the Kennedy Space Center.
- Grades Eligible: Anyone 18 or younger is eligible
- Individual or Group: Individual
- Research or Exam: Research
The Davidson Fellows Scholarship is for students under 18 who have done a special project in STEM or other subjects. This scholarship gives prizes of $50,000, $25,000, and $10,000. It’s a big honor and very competitive to get. The projects the winners make are often as good as those made by college graduates. The projects should be excellent works recognized by field experts and should have the potential to do good for society.
6. Envirothon
- Grades Eligible: 9-12
- Individual or Group: Group
- Research or Exam: Exam
The Envirothon competition encourages students to learn about the environment. This contest happens during the school year, and the final one takes place in the summer. In this competition, teams of five students answer questions, perform lab tasks, and make a speech. There are five main topics: water life, forests, land use, wildlife, and a different environmental problem each year.
- Grades Eligible: K-12
- Individual or Group: Group
- Research or Exam: Research
ExploraVision is a science contest for K-12 students of all levels. In teams of 2-4, students study a current technology, how it works, and its history. Then, they imagine how this technology might evolve in 10 years or more and identify the scientific advances required. The top team wins $10,000 in US savings bonds, the runner-up gets $5,000, national finalists are taken to Washington DC for the award ceremony, regional winners get a Chromebook and an award ceremony, and honorable mentions get a unique prize and certificate. Coaches of winning teams also get rewards, and the schools of regional winners receive tech or science gifts.
- Ages: 13-18
- Focus: science and engineering competition
- Participation: Online
This competition invites young scientists globally to submit their work online, with the chance to win scholarships up to $50,000 and a trip to the Galapagos Islands sponsored by National Geographic. Finalists get a chance to present their projects at Google’s main office to a panel of expert judges.
- Grades Eligible: 9-12
- Individual or Group: Mostly individual, although groups of two are allowed
- Research or Exam: Research
The THINK program is a unique research competition. Instead of needing a completed project, students just need to have done some background research in science, technology, or engineering. Selected projects receive $1,000 funding and guidance from MIT students. These students also get a free trip to MIT where they can meet professors, tour labs, and attend MIT’s xFair.
- Grades Eligible: 6-12
- Individual or Group: Group
- Research or Exam: Exam
The National Science Bowl, is a well-known science contest. Teams of four students, with a coach and an extra member, compete to answer questions about math and science. Many students participate every year, and to succeed, you need to answer questions fast. There are local, regional, and national stages. Questions are as tough as those in the first year of college.
11. Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (Regeneron ISEF)
- Grades Eligible: 9-12
- Individual or Group: Either (groups can have up to three members)
- Research or Exam: Research
Regeneron ISEF, previously known as Intel ISEF, is one of the top science contests for high school students. It’s the leading science fair in the US and well-known worldwide. If you are among the top 100, it can make a big difference in your college applications, even for Ivy League schools. Winning the whole competition earns you a $75,000 prize! You can’t enter ISEF directly; you start at a regional science fair, and if you do well, you move up to the ISEF rounds. To win, you need to be innovative and original, tackling a problem that interests scientists. Since many high school students aren’t familiar with academic science literature, having a mentor who is a professional scientist or engineer is important. They can help you work on a problem that’s significant in the field.
12. Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS)
- Grades Eligible: 12
- Individual or Group: Individual
- Research or Exam: Science Research
Regeneron STS, organized by the Society for Science, is a competition where high school seniors who have finished their own research projects can apply online. The winners can get up to $250,000. Known as the oldest and most respected science and math competition in the US since it started in 1942, the Regeneron STS invites high school seniors who have completed independent research projects to apply for the chance to win.
13. Science Olympiad
- Grades Eligible: 9-12
- Individual or Group: Either
- Research or Exam: Mix
In Science Olympiad, schools form a team of 15 students, each participating in three or four activities from a total of 23 options. Some activities are “study” events, where you learn about a specific subject and then get tested on it. Others are “building” events, where you create something like a plane or bridge. The topics range from human biology to geology and circuits. You get scores for each activity, and these scores are added together to form a team score. Each year, competitions are held at regional, state, and national levels.
14. Stockholm Junior Water Prize
- Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12 (min. age 15)
- Focus: Aquatic Science, STEM
- Participation: In Person, Submission
The Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP) is a top international competition for high school students who’ve worked on projects related to water science. It’s open to all high school students who are at least 15 years old by August 1 of the competition year. Students can work alone or in pairs. Their projects should aim to improve our lives by enhancing water quality, managing water resources, or treating water and wastewater. The projects are judged based on relevance, creativity, method, knowledge, practical skills, and how they report and present their work. The winner from the U.S. gets to represent the country in the international competition.
15. Junior Science and Humanities Symposium
- Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
- Focus: Biology, Biomedicine, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Environment, Geosciences, Mathematics, Medicine, Physics, STEM, Technology
- Participation: In Person, Submission
The Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS) is a two-level competition where high school students present their STEM projects to judges and their fellow students. Students can also participate in workshops, discussions, and networking, as well as visit research labs. They compete in eight categories: Physical Sciences, Environmental Science, Biomedical Sciences, Mathematics & Computer Science, Medicine & Health/Behavioral Sciences, Engineering & Technology, Life Sciences, and Chemistry. The competition starts at a regional level, and winners move up to the national level. Prizes include scholarships, recognition, and opportunities to engage in future research. Please note, only U.S. citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents are eligible for the scholarship.
16. Destination Imagination Challenge Experience
- Grades: K-12
- Focus: STEAM-Imagine and Innovate through the creative process
- Participation: Virtual and In-Person
Destination ImagiNation is an international contest for students from kindergarten to college. It focuses on improving life skills such as problem-solving, creativity, and research. In this competition, students work in groups of five to seven to come up with solutions to various Team Challenges, making it a great choice for those who enjoy thinking creatively and solving problems.
- Grades: K-12
- Focus: STEAM-based creative-problem solving
- Participation: In Person
Odyssey is a competition where students form a team with a school or community group. They work together to solve a given problem. They are encouraged to be creative in their solutions, using bright costumes, inventive designs, and funny skits. This contest is all about creativity, teamwork, and fun.
- Grades: 5-12
- Focus: Drone principles and programming
- Participation: In Person
In the Aerial Drone Competition, teams learn about drones and how to fly them. They also learn programming, documentation, and communication skills. Teams compete to score goals by piloting their drones on a big square field and landing them on a specific spot. You can watch a video of the drones on their website.
- Grades: 4-12
- Focus: Geographic Mapping Competition
- Participation: Online
In this contest, high school students in the U.S. are asked to research a topic related to their home state. They have to collect, organize, analyze, and explain their data, then create a Story Map about their project. You can find examples on the competition’s website.
20. FPSPI Creating The Future Scholarship
- Grades: 4-12
- Focus: STEAM, Global Citizenship, and Social and Emotional
- Participation: Online
FPSPI is a worldwide competition for high school students. They use problem-solving skills to address local and global issues and think about the future. The scholarship is awarded to FPS students who are finishing high school. Usually, applicants have been involved with FPSPI for many years.
- Grades: 9-12
- Focus: project-based STEM Initiative
- Participation: In-Person
The Solar Car Challenge is an innovative education program that holds a yearly solar car race. In 2023, the race will go from Fort Worth, TX to Palmdale, CA. During the two-week event, teams will go through scrutineering sessions at the Texas Motor Speedway before starting the race. It’s an exciting competition that combines education and renewable energy technology.
- Grades: 4-12
- Focus: engineering design process to solve a real-world problem
- Participation: Video
The Tech Challenge is the main program of the Tech Interactive. It’s a competition where teams use engineering to solve a real-world problem. In April, there’s a two-day showcase where teams present their solutions. The challenge for 2023 is to create a structure that can protect vulnerable objects from strong winds. It’s a great opportunity for students to showcase their problem-solving and engineering skills.
23. North American Computational Linguistics Open Competition (NACLO)
- Ages: 13-18
- Focus: linguistics, computational linguistics and language technologies
- Participation: In-Person
NACLO is a top linguistics program for high school students. It challenges them to solve language problems, helping them learn about the fascinating variety and patterns of languages. They also explore interdisciplinary subjects like computational linguistics and language technologies. It’s a great way for students to dive into the world of linguistics and expand their knowledge of language.
24. Virginia Tech High School Programming Contest
- Grades: K-12
- Focus: Online Programming Contest
- Participation: Online
The VT programming contest is an online coding competition that has been running for nine years. It tests students’ coding skills in different programming languages like Java, Python, C, C++, Go, Scala, Racket, Ruby, and Haskell. The test consists of 8-12 problems of different levels of difficulty. Students can register for the contest on the day of the event. It’s a great opportunity for students to showcase their coding abilities and challenge themselves in a fun and competitive environment.
25. Genes In Space
- Grades: 7-12
- Focus: Solver a real-world challenge in space exploration
- Participation: Video
Genes in Space is a special competition where students create DNA experiments to tackle space exploration challenges. Some examples of these challenges include studying alien life, understanding cosmic radiation, exploring human survivability in space, and investigating space microbiomes. It’s a unique opportunity for students to combine their interest in genetics with the exciting world of space exploration.