# Free Competitions Programs for High School Students Every program on this page costs $0 to attend — cost should never be the reason a strong student skips competitions opportunities. Many free programs are more selective than paid ones precisely because they are funded; treat their deadlines seriously. 166 verified programs match this page; 30 of the featured listings are free; 10 can be done online. ## Programs (166 total, first 30 shown — full list on the canonical page) | Program | Organization | Cost | Format | Grades | Deadline | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Presidential AI Challenge](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/presidential-ai-challenge) | White House Office of Science and Technology Policy | Free | virtual | Grades 1–12 | 2027-01-20 | | [Mandelbrot Competition](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/mandelbrot-competition) | Mandelbrot Competition | Free | virtual | Grades 6–12 | Rolling | | [Putnam Competition](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/putnam) | MAA | Free | in_person | Grades 11–12 | 2026-12-05 | | [Kaggle Data Science Competitions](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/kaggle-competitions) | Kaggle/Google | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | Rolling | | [Tournament of Champions Debate](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/tournament-of-champions) | Various | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2027-04-17 | | [Knowledge Matters Virtual Business Challenge](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/knowledge-matters) | Knowledge Matters | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2026-10-22 | | [PennApps Hackathon](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/pennapps-hackathon) | University of Pennsylvania | Free | in_person | Grades 10–12 | 2026-08-18 | | [World Artificial Intelligence Competition for Youth (WAICY)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/waicy-ai-competition) | Ready AI | Free | virtual | Grades 6–12 | 2026-11-10 | | [National High School Musical Theatre Awards (Jimmy Awards)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/jimmy-awards) | Broadway League | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2027-04-18 | | [International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/international-olympiad-ai) | IOAI Foundation | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2027-06-01 | | [USA Physics Olympiad](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/usapho) | AAPT | Free | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | 2027-01-20 | | [International Youth Math Challenge](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/iymc) | IYMC | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2026-11-30 | | [Davidson Fellows](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/davidson) | Davidson Institute | Free | virtual | Grades 11–18 | 2027-02-18 | | [Wharton Investment Competition](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/ghsic) | Wharton/UPenn | Free | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | 2026-12-08 | | [Young Playwrights Festival](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/young-playwrights-festival) | Young Playwrights Inc. | Free | in_person | Grades 10–12 | 2027-01-29 | | [CSAW High School Forensics Competition](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/csaw-hs) | NYU Tandon | Free | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | 2026-09-01 | | [Meta Hacker Cup](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/hackercup) | Meta | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2026-09-01 | | [Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/global-student-entrepreneur-awards-gsea) | Entrepreneurs' Organization | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2026-12-01 | | [Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Design Competition](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/nanoscience-nanotechnology-design-competition) | North Carolina State | Free | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | Rolling | | [CodeCombat Championship](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/usa-code-combat) | CodeCombat | Free | virtual | Grades 6–12 | 2027-04-01 | | [Materials Science & Engineering Olympiad](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/materials-science-engineering-olympiad) | ASM Materials Education Foundation | Free | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | 2027-02-28 | | [USA Biolympiad (USABO) National Camp](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/usa-biolympiad-usabo-national-camp) | Center for Excellence in Education | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2026-11-08 | | [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 | | [Mahaquizzer All-India Solo Quiz](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/mahaquizzer) | Karnataka Quiz Association (KQA) | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2026-12-13 | | [UNA-USA Global Classrooms Model UN](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/una-usa-global-classrooms-model-un) | United Nations Association of the USA | Free | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | 2027-04-15 | | [USA Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO) National Finalist](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/usa-chemistry-olympiad-usnco-national-finalist) | American Chemical Society | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2027-01-31 | | [Lockheed Martin Code Quest](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/lockheed-martin-code-quest) | Lockheed Martin Corporation | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2027-03-15 | | [International BioGENEius Challenge](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/international-biogeneius-challenge) | Biotechnology Institute | Free | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | 2027-02-28 | | [Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Bel Canto Award](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/joan-sutherland-richard-bonynge-bel-canto-award) | Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Foundation | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2027-03-15 | | [National Cyber Scholarship Competition](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/national-cyber-scholarship) | Cyber Scholarship Foundation | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2027-02-01 | ## Frequently asked questions ### How many free competitions programs are listed for high school students? ExtracurricularHub currently lists 166 verified free competitions opportunities for high school students, each with cost, eligibility, deadline, and an official application link. ### Are any of these free competitions programs free? Yes — 30 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: PennApps Hackathon (August 18, 2026); E-Yantra Robotics Competition (August 25, 2026); CSAW High School Forensics Competition (September 1, 2026). Deadlines change every cycle — always confirm on the program's official site. ### Why are these programs free? Most free programs are funded by universities, government agencies, or nonprofits with a mission to broaden access. Free rarely means easy to get into — funded programs are often the most selective. ## Related pages - [Free for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/free) - [Virtual & Online Competitions Programs for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/virtual/competitions) - [Competitions for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/competitions) - [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/free/competitions 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.