USAPhO vs Physics Bowl: Which Program Is Right for You?
USAPhO is the national olympiad ladder — qualify through F=ma, and strong results put you among the country's best physics students; AAPT's Physics Bowl is a 40-minute school-administered contest with division rankings that thousands of students take as a season warm-up. Physics Bowl is a fine first credential; USAPhO qualification is the one that changes an application.
Below is a side-by-side comparison of USA Physics Olympiad and AAPT Physics Bowl Competition. A blank row is a fact we do not hold — not a zero, and not a no.
| USAPhO | Physics Bowl | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Not listed | Not listed |
| Application deadline | Dates not announced — researched October 12, 2026 | Dates not announced — researched October 12, 2026 |
| Grade eligibility | Not listed | Not listed |
| Format | Hybrid | In person |
| Location | College Park, MD, United States | Various, Various, International |
| Program dates | Not listed | Not listed |
| Application destination | Not listed | Not listed |
| Organizer | AAPT | American Association of Physics Teachers |
USA Physics Olympiad
AAPT Physics Bowl Competition
Frequently asked questions
Which is better for college applications, USAPhO or Physics Bowl?
We do not rank enrichment programs by admissions value. Use the comparison to assess whether each program's documented constraints fit your situation, and check the details that decide it for you on each program's official page.
Related comparisons
USAPhO vs Physics Bowl is 1 of 56 comparison pages. No other comparison page shares either program yet.
How we count
Our comparison list has 56 pairs covering 91 catalog programs. Those numbers count this list only. They are not a ranking or the size of the full catalog.
We don't rank programs or name one of them the best.
When we don't list a cost, it is unknown, not free. Check the official page.
Catalog-wide numbers, and what each was counted out of, are on Statistics.