# Engineering Programs & Competitions for High School Students Engineering programs for high schoolers range from university summer intensives to design competitions and real research placements in mechanical, electrical, aerospace, and biomedical engineering. Admissions officers look for evidence you have actually built something — these programs give you that evidence. 172 verified programs match this page; 23 of the featured listings are free; 3 can be done online. ## Programs (172 total, first 30 shown — full list on the canonical page) | Program | Organization | Cost | Format | Grades | Deadline | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Women's Technology Program at MIT](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/womens-technology-program-mit) | MIT | Free | in_person | Grade 11 | 2027-01-15 | | [James Dyson Award](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/james-dyson-award) | James Dyson Foundation | Free | virtual | Grades 11–12 | 2026-07-15 | | [NASA HUNCH (High School Students United with NASA to Create Hardware)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/nasa-hunch) | NASA | Free | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | 2026-09-30 | | [NASA Student Launch](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/nasa-student-launch) | NASA | Free | in_person | Grades 6–12 | 2026-09-22 | | [Beaver Works Summer Institute](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/bwsi) | MIT | Free | in_person | Grades 10–11 | 2027-02-01 | | [Geek Picnic Festival & Science Events](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/geek-picnic) | Geek Picnic | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | Rolling | | [Invent Now America Invention Competition](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/invent-now-america) | National Inventors Hall of Fame | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | Rolling | | [Robo-Magellan Robotics Competition](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/robomagellan) | Seattle Robotics Society | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | Rolling | | [Texas High School Aerospace Scholars (HAS)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/texas-high-school-aerospace-scholars-has) | NASA Johnson Space Center | Free | hybrid | Grade 11 | 2026-09-16 | | [Materials Science & Engineering Olympiad](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/materials-science-engineering-olympiad) | ASM Materials Education Foundation | Free | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | 2027-02-28 | | [New Jersey Governor's School of Engineering & Technology](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/new-jersey-governors-school-of-engineering-technology) | Rutgers University | Free | in_person | Grade 11 | 2027-01-08 | | [Columbia Engineering SHAPE](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/columbia-engineering-shape) | Columbia University | $3,500 | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2027-03-03 | | [NYU GSTEM Summer Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/nyu-gstem) | New York University (Courant Institute) | $5,900 | in_person | Grade 11 | 2027-03-02 | | [Secondary Student Training Program (SSTP)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/secondary-student-training-program-sstp) | University of Iowa Belin-Blank Center | $6,900 | in_person | Grades 10–12 | 2027-02-15 | | [Robofest Robotics Competition](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/robofest) | Lawrence Technological University | Free | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | 2027-02-08 | | [SAE Autonomous Vehicle Challenge](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/sae-autonomous-vehicle-challenge) | SAE International | $100 | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2027-01-08 | | [Duke Annual Robo-Climb Competition](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/duke-annual-robo-climb-competition) | Duke University | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | Rolling | | [SeaPerch Underwater Robotics Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/seaperch) | Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Foundation & RoboNation | Free | hybrid | Grades 6–12 | 2026-11-30 | | [ExploraVision Science Competition](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/exploravision) | Toshiba & NSTA | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2027-02-03 | | [Robotix Robotics Competition](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/robotix) | Technology Robotix Society, IIT Kharagpur | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | Rolling | | [BEST Robotics Competition](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/best-robotics-competition) | BEST Robotics | Free | in_person | Grades 6–12 | 2026-08-22 | | [E-Yantra Robotics Competition](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/e-yantra) | IIT Bombay (e-Yantra Project, CSE Dept.) | Free | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | 2026-08-25 | | [TARGET Science and Engineering Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/target-science-and-engineering-program) | Fermilab | Free | in_person | Grades 11–12 | 2027-02-01 | | [Lehigh University Pre-College Programs](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/lehigh-university-pre-college) | Lehigh University | Free | in_person | Grade 11 | Rolling | | [UC San Diego Research Scholars](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/uc-san-diego-research-scholars) | University of California San Diego | $5,200 | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | 2027-03-10 | | [Rice Office of STEM Engagement Programs](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/rice-engineering-program) | Rice University | $2,000 | in_person | Grades 10–11 | 2027-03-01 | | [DARPA Grand Challenge (Autonomous Vehicles)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/darpa-grand-challenge) | Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | Rolling | | [Simons Summer Research Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/simons-summer-research-program) | Stony Brook University | Free | in_person | Grades 11–12 | 2027-02-05 | | [Summit STEM Fellowship (SSF)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/summit-stem-fellowship-ssf) | Summit Education | $875 | virtual | All grades | Rolling | | [DARPA Prize Competitions](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/darpa-prize-competitions) | Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) | Free | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | Rolling | ## Frequently asked questions ### How many engineering programs are listed for high school students? ExtracurricularHub currently lists 172 verified engineering opportunities for high school students, each with cost, eligibility, deadline, and an official application link. ### Are any of these engineering programs free? Yes — 23 of the programs featured on this page charge no participation fee. Free programs are often funded and can be more selective, so apply early. ### Which deadlines are coming up soonest? The next deadlines: James Dyson Award (July 15, 2026); BEST Robotics Competition (August 22, 2026); E-Yantra Robotics Competition (August 25, 2026). Deadlines change every cycle — always confirm on the program's official site. ### Do engineering extracurriculars help with college admissions? Yes — sustained, escalating involvement in engineering (participation → awards or leadership → independent work) reads far stronger than scattered one-off activities. Pick one or two programs from this page and go deep. ## Related pages - [Stem for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/stem) - [Robotics Programs & Competitions for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/robotics) - [Internships](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/engineering-majors/internships) - [Summer Programs](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/engineering-majors/summer-programs) - [Browse all extracurriculars](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars) - [Find My Fit — 3-minute matching quiz](https://extracurricularhub.com/find-my-fit) --- Canonical page: https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/engineering Source: ExtracurricularHub (https://extracurricularhub.com) — a free directory of 1,826 verified extracurricular programs for high school students. Cite the canonical page above; always confirm binding details on each program's official site.