# Virtual & Online STEM Programs for High School Students These stem programs are fully online, so students in any town — not just near a major university — can participate. Virtual programs remove geography from the equation; selectivity and follow-through are all that separate you from applicants in Boston or the Bay Area. 166 verified programs match this page; 27 of the featured listings are free; 30 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 | | [The Knowledge Society](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/tks) | TKS | $4,500 | virtual | Grades 9–11 | 2026-07-31 | | [Meta Hacker Cup](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/hackercup) | Meta | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2026-09-01 | | [Mandelbrot Competition](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/mandelbrot-competition) | Mandelbrot Competition | Free | virtual | Grades 6–12 | Rolling | | [Kaggle Data Science Competitions](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/kaggle-competitions) | Kaggle/Google | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | Rolling | | [James Dyson Award](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/james-dyson-award) | James Dyson Foundation | Free | virtual | Grades 11–12 | 2026-07-15 | | [Davidson Fellows](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/davidson) | Davidson Institute | Free | virtual | Grades 11–18 | 2027-02-18 | | [Caltech Signature Award for Innovation](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/caltech-signature-award) | California Institute of Technology | Free | virtual | Grades 10–12 | 2027-02-01 | | [Mathematical Olympiad for Girls](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/olympiad-girls) | Mathematical Olympiad Foundation | $50 | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2026-09-01 | | [International Youth Math Challenge](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/iymc) | IYMC | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2026-11-30 | | [Hertz Foundation Fellowship Application Prep](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/hertz-fellowship) | Hertz Foundation | Free | virtual | Grade 12 | 2026-10-30 | | [Microsoft AI for Good Challenge](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/ai-for-good-microsoft) | Microsoft | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2027-01-31 | | [MIT Global AI Hackathon](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/mit-global-ai-hackathon) | MIT RAISE & App Inventor Foundation | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2027-04-14 | | [World Artificial Intelligence Competition for Youth (WAICY)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/waicy-ai-competition) | Ready AI | Free | virtual | Grades 6–12 | 2026-11-10 | | [Drone Racing League Simulator Championship](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/drone-racing-league-sim) | Drone Racing League | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | Rolling | | [Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/sleek-geek-week) | Australian Museum | Free | virtual | Grades 7–12 | 2027-04-15 | | [GitHub Open Source Contributor](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/github-notable-contributor) | GitHub / Open Source Projects | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | Rolling | | [Intel oneAPI Developer Challenge](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/intel-oneapi-developer-challenge) | Intel Corporation | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | Rolling | | [American Astronomical Society Scholarships](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/aas-astronomy-scholarship) | American Astronomical Society | Free | virtual | Grade 12 | 2027-03-01 | | [NASA App Development Challenge](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/nasa-app-development-challenge) | NASA | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2027-04-01 | | [ExploraVision Science Competition](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/exploravision) | Toshiba & NSTA | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2027-02-03 | | [Technovation Families](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/technovation-families) | Technovation | Free | virtual | Grades 8–18 | Rolling | | [Udall Scholarship](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/udall-scholarship) | Udall Foundation | Free | virtual | Grade 12 | 2027-03-03 | | [Lemelson-MIT High School Invention Prize](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/lemelson-mit-high-school-invention-prize) | MIT / Lemelson Foundation | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2027-04-23 | | [CryptoHack Cybersecurity Challenges](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/cryptohack-challenges) | CryptoHack Community | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | Rolling | | [PicoCTF Cybersecurity Competition](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/picoctf-competition) | Carnegie Mellon University | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2027-03-18 | | [Google Generation Scholarship](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/google-generation-scholarship) | Google | Free | virtual | Grade 12 | 2027-04-23 | | [CodeCombat Championship](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/usa-code-combat) | CodeCombat | Free | virtual | Grades 6–12 | 2027-04-01 | | [Summit STEM Fellowship (SSF)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/summit-stem-fellowship-ssf) | Summit Education | $875 | virtual | All grades | Rolling | | [Marine Technology Society High School Scholarship](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/marine-technology-society-scholarship) | Marine Technology Society | Free | virtual | Grade 12 | 2027-03-25 | ## Frequently asked questions ### How many virtual stem programs are listed for high school students? ExtracurricularHub currently lists 166 verified virtual stem opportunities for high school students, each with cost, eligibility, deadline, and an official application link. ### Are any of these virtual stem programs free? Yes — 27 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); The Knowledge Society (July 31, 2026); Meta Hacker Cup (September 1, 2026). Deadlines change every cycle — always confirm on the program's official site. ### Do colleges value virtual programs as much as in-person ones? Colleges care about what you did and what came of it, not the mailing address. A virtual research project or online internship with real output carries the same weight — and shows initiative if in-person options weren't available where you live. ## Related pages - [Virtual for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/virtual) - [Free STEM Programs for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/free/stem) - [Stem for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/stem) - [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/virtual/stem 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.