20 Engineering Competitions for High School Students
If you’re a high school student passionate about engineering, then we hope you’re looking to participate in engineering competitions. Competitions allow you to apply your theoretical knowledge in practical, real-world challenges. Many competitions will hone your leadership and project management skills, while also allowing you to develop collaborative skills.
In this list, we outline 20 engineering competitions for high school students. We’ve attempted to cover different types of engineering from aerospace engineering to environmental engineering - there’s something for everyone!
1. NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge
Location: U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Huntsvill, AL
Cost: No cost
Eligibility: US and International High Schools, Colleges and Universities. Each team will have to have a mentor who is over 21 years of age.
Prize: Not mentioned
Registration + Submission Deadline: September-end (tentatively, based on previous years deadlines).
Note. There are separate registrations for each round, i.e. if your team qualifies to another round, you will have to register again. You can find the deadlines for all the rounds here!
The NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge is a highly prestigious competition (owing to its association with NASA). This challenge will allow you to design, develop, build AND test human-powered rovers that are capable of traversing challenge terrains and have a task tool for the completion of various mission tasks.
You will earn points on the successful completion of design reviews, through designing and assembling a rover that meets the criteria, and successfully completing the mission tasks. Some of the tasks include a weight and time requirement, and having the rover traverse a course (approximately half-mile) that will include a stimulated field of asteroid debris, boulders, erosion ruts, crevasses and an ancient streambed!
If you are interested in aerospace engineering and space exploration, this competition is great as you will learn the mechanics of designing and assembling a rover, while also realizing the importance of real-time decision making!
Location: Germany (for 2024)
Cost: $100 per team
Eligibility: Age Group 1: 10-13, Age Group 2: 14-20. Each team should have between 2-4 members.
Note. For detailed eligibility criteria, see here.
Prize: Varies based on competition.
Registration + Submission Deadline: The deadline for 2024 was June 18th, 2023. The deadline for 2025 is TBA.
Competition Dates: 17th November 2024
RoboRAVE is an international competition where students in teams of 2-4 members create self-designed robots to compete against each other. This competition allows participants from the entire world to participate. Founded in Albuquerque (New Mexico, USA), RoboRAVE is hosted in many countries on five different continents. Before participating, you should practice languages such as Python, Arduino, and Scratch.
3. Imagine Cup
Location: Virtual
Cost: No Cost
Eligibility: Must be 16 or older. Maximum four (4) members per team
Prize: Each winning team is awarded $100,000, as well as mentorship from Microsoft experts and grant money.
Registration + Submission Deadline: December 2023; please register here
Be sure to complete the student-focused training to help you through the competition!
Competition dates: After the submission, there are multiple rounds. The schedule is available here.
This competition seeks to honor the most innovative, accessible, ground-breaking, and appealing software built with Microsoft tools and technology. The Competition may be structured differently based on the country/region you are representing. Please make sure to read your local country/region competition rules. This is a team-based event where you can choose between the AI, Social Impact, or Mixed Reality Streams. In these streams, you will have to design and propose a technological project that addresses an issue in the relevant streams. Apart from using Microsoft tools and tech, you’ll need to practice your skills in UI and UX design. Check out this guide on everything you need to win the Microsoft Image cup!
4. iGEM
Location: Virtual; however, the Grand Jamboree takes place in person in Paris.
Cost: Regular Competition Program Fee - $5,500; Late Competition Program Fee - $6,500
Note. There is an additional $3,000 fee for registering for the Grand Jamboree. Moreover, there are also team member ticket fees for everyone who wishes to attend.
Eligibility: Open to all high school students
Prize: Trophies and certificates awarded to top-2 teams. There are village awards, conditional to the accomplishments presented by the team. You can find the categories for the village prizes and more details about awards here.
Registration Deadline: End-march (tentatively, based on previous year’s schedule)
Competition dates: May to December (including Grand Jamboree)
The Internationally Genetically Engineered Machine competition is another competition that gives you the opportunity to compete against undergraduate and graduate students! IGEM is a worldwide synthetic biology competition, where you will work in teams on a project that addresses a real-world problem. For example, the high school winning team of 2022 IGEM - Lambert_GA designed a program that uses padlock probes with rolling circle amplification to quantify microRNAs via fluorescence to improve detection of coronary artery disease! You can go to all the other previous projects here.
If you’re interested in bioengineering, we highly recommend this program as you will learn how to design and engineer a biological system from scratch, and use interchangeable biological parts and standard molecular biology techniques!
Location: Certain locations hold in-person competitions while the rest are virtual
Cost: No cost
Eligibility: Open to all high school students.
Prize: Varies by region but awards and cash prizes are usually included
Registration Deadline: Late March (every year)
Competition dates: Varies by region
Organized by the Biotechnology Institute, BiGENEius is an opportunity for you to showcase your research in the field of biotechnology. The program has 3 tracks:
- The Global Healthcare Challenge - This track focuses on the intended or anticipated outcomes of novel work in healthcare-related sciences (medical biotechnology).
- The Global Sustainability Challenge - This track focuses on the intended or anticipated outcomes of agricultural applications' work, and mainly deals with agricultural biotechnology.
- The Global Environment Challenge - Projects in this track focus on the outcomes of the work impacting industrial and environmental issues, relating to industrial and environmental biotechnology.
If your project is within the top 5% of all applications, you will also be invited to the BIO International Convention to present their research to judges who are industry and academic subject matters. Previous projects by winners include finding solutions for Transradial Amputees, and researching the effect of soap nut gray water on soil microbiomes!
Location: Virtual, the visit to MIT’s campus is the only in-person element
Cost: No Cost
Eligibility:
- Applicants must be full-time high school students (i.e. attending a public, private, or home school) at the time of application
- Applicants must have permanent U.S. residency during the academic year
- U.S. citizenship is not required
- U.S. citizens living outside the country are not eligible
- Applicants may only submit one proposal per academic year
- Proposals may be written by either an individual or a group of two students.
Prize: $1,000 funding, weekly-mentorship with the THINK team (for technical guidance) and a paid trip to MIT’s campus!
Registration Deadline: January (tentatively, based on previous years)
Competition dates: Finalists are announced on early February and projects are completed by June (tentatively, based on previous years)
THINK Scholars is another research competition, hosted by MIT undergraduate students! However, the uniqueness of THINK Scholars is that they do not expect a previously-done research paper, instead they cater to students who have done extensive research on the background of a potential research project and are looking for additional guidance in the early stages of their project. As a result, you will only have to submit a written research proposal.
Your proposal has to outline a novel science, technology, or engineering idea. The THINK team will then choose semifinalists, who have to participate in a video interview. After this, 6 finalists are shortlisted and will receive an all-expenses paid trip to MIT, as well as continued mentor- ship and funding to implement their proposed projects during the spring of the following year!
Previous projects have included analyzing Seaweed as a Potential Staple in the Global Freshwater Crisis, the creation of Contrail Reduction Algorithm and Data Live E-system (CRADLE) (a fully computerized program that aims to alleviate contrail airplane routes), and more!
Location: Virtual
Cost: No Cost
Eligibility:
- Open to all high school students who are U.S. or Canadian citizens, and reside/ enroll full-time in a school within the U.S. or Canada.
- Must not be older than 21.
- Must enroll in teams of 2-4 with a teacher/coach and optional mentor.
Note. Only students who were selected as regional/national finalists can compete in subsequent years (with a new team).
Prize: Up to $240,000 in savings bonds and other prizes, e.g. a paid trip to Washington, DC or a Chromebook.
Registration Deadline Submission Deadline: January 31, 2024 (For both registration and submission)
Hosted by Toshiba/National Science Teaching Association, Exploravision is a competition which aims to stimulate real research and development. In this competition, you (and your team) will choose a current technology, conduct research, envision its future (within 10 years or so), and describe this development - the steps, pros, cons and obstacles.
Previous winners have created technologies such as a hand-held food allergen detector and a device that can help people who have lost limbs to regain movement in real time! This competition is a chance for you to enhance your ability to analyze data and trends, along with engaging in long-term planning.
Location: Competitions in most major states. You can find them here
Cost: Differs based on level and event but ranges from $500-$6,000.
Eligibility: High School Students between the ages of 14-18. Teams must have at least 10 students with 2 adult mentors.
Note. Teams are usually affiliated with schools or local educational institutions, or organizations, so it’s best to check whether an organization already exists. If not, you can always independently organize one!
Prize: Scholarships and cash prizes are awarded to the top scorers.
Registration + Submission Deadline: The deadline for the first payment is November 13th, 2023. Submission Deadline is yet to be announced.
Competition Dates: Early January through April, tentatively based on the 2023 schedule. 2024 is yet to be announced.
While not a coding competition, the FIRST Robotics Competition involves heavy use of coding as you build an industrial-sized robot that is capable of competing in a complex field game at competitions. Furthermore, this competition also challenges you to fundraise for your team, so you’ll have to flex your non-technical skills as well. In terms of basic skills students would need to compete, it is beneficial if you know prototyping, CAD (computer-aided design), and programming languages like Java, C++, or LabVIEW.
9. Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC)
Location: Virtual (apart from National Finals Fly-off)
Cost: $350
Eligibility: Teams of 3-10 students currently enrolled in grades 6 through 12. Teams must be supervised by an adult approved by the principal of the school, or by an officially-appointed adult leader of the youth organization.
Note. The application for a team must come from a single school or a single U.S. incorporated non-profit youth organization (excluding the National Association of Rocketry, Tripoli Rocketry Association, or any other rocket club or organization).
Prize: You can win from $1,500-$20,000 if your team is in the top 10 during national finals.
Registration + Submission Deadline (For 2024): December 1st, 2023 for registration, and 7th-14th April for submissions (The submission deadline is based on the competition you choose, you can find more details here!)
Are you interested in aerospace engineering? If you are, TARC is definitely a competition you should look out for! The goal of this competition is to work in teams of 3-10 people and create a rocket that can carry one large egg to a high altitude, stay airborne, and then return safely. The top contestants can even take part in a national fly-off and compete for monetary prizes!
Apart from actually building the rocket, you can additionally participate in 2 competitions - the presentation competition, and the marketing competition. In the presentation competition, your team will have to present the process behind the design, how you utilized the test flight information and what lessons your team have learned. On the other hand, the marketing competition is a chance for you to explore video-marking to generate excitement about the team, the challenge, and aerospace and space exploration as a whole! These side-competitions are a great way to explore other skills, while still focusing on aerospace engineering.
Participating in TARP will allow you to develop practical experience with aerospace-specific skills, such as aerodynamic design, material selection, flight dynamics, regulatory compliance and more.
10. Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) (Particularly, the category of Robotics and Intelligent Machines)
Location: Hosted in different cities every year. ISEF 2024 will be in Los Angeles, California.
Cost: Starts from $800 (Note. The fee depends on the number of projects you intend to submit. Moreover, if you qualify as a finalist, you will have to pay an additional fee. You can find all the details here.)
Eligibility:
- Must be in grades 9-12 or equivalent
- Must not have reached age 20 on or before May 1 preceding ISEF.
- Must compete in an Intel ISEF-affiliated science fair in order to be eligible to win the right to attend the Intel ISEF.
Prize: Scholarships and prizes of close to $5 million are available for winning teams in 22 science categories.
Registration + Submission Deadline: Different deadlines depending on the target affiliated fair. Please find the list here. Registration for 2024 may not have opened.
Competition dates: May 2024 (tentatively, based on 2023 schedule)
ISEF is a program of Society for Science & the Public (the Society) and is the world’s largest international pre-college science competition. Contestants are selected from regional, district, and state ISEF affiliated fairs. Related to computer science, the competition categories include: Robotics and Intelligent Machines, Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Engineering Mechanics (Mechanical Engineering), Mathematics, and Earth and Environmental Sciences.
Note that projects can be individual or team-based. Each ISEF competition has specific guidelines (to be released) that you should make sure to view before picking a competition. In general, it would be good to focus on strengthening not just your programming skills, but also data analysis and visualization, research, and general problem-solving skill sets. Here is a blog on everything you need to know about ISEF!
11. MATE (Marine Advanced Technology Education) ROV Competition
Location: Depends on your location, you can find locations near you here!
Cost: $250-450 per team.
Eligibility:
- Open to middle school (grades 5-8), high school (grades 9-12), community and technical college, and four-year university students as well as home-schooled students of comparable grade levels.
- Elementary school (grades K-4) students are eligible to participate, but only in the SCOUT class and only if their regional event can accommodate their participation.
- Teams must have at least three students with at least one faculty member or adult mentor involved in the process.
Note. These are just their main general guidelines (You can find more detailed general guidelines here!) . The level-specific requirements can be found on their pages!
Prize: Stand to win trophies, memberships to the Marine Technology Society, Cash Awards of upto $500, and even machinery!
Registration + Submission Deadline: Differs for each regional competition. You can find the dates and links to each competition here!
Competition Date: June-end (tentative, based on previous years deadlines)
A unique robotics competition, the MATE ROV competition challenges students to create an underwater robot with the goal of tackling climate change. Depending on your experience and age, you can choose one of five different levels — SCOUT, NAVIGATOR, RANGER, PIONEER, and EXPLORER. However, to compete in the MATE ROV World Championship, you must qualify at participating regionals in the Ranger, Pioneer, or Explorer class!
For the overall challenge, you will have to design, build and maintain functional Remote Operated Vehicles (ROVs). But your chosen level will also determine the expectations from your ROVs.
For instance, Ranger classes are for students who have an intermediate understanding of robotics and electricity, and you will be expected to build functional and operable ROVs that are ready to take on several underwater classes. In the Explorer class (which is intended for high school students with significant experience in underwater robotics), your mission will be to build upon the complex structure of the Pioneer class challenges through real-world scenarios.
12. Davidson Fellows Scholarship
Location: Virtual
Cost: No Cost
Eligibility:
- Be 18 or younger as of the application deadline (Note. There is no minimum age for eligibility).
- Be a U.S. citizen residing in the United States, or a Permanent Resident of the United States residing in the United States, or be stationed overseas due to active U.S. military duty.
- Teams of two are eligible. Both team members must meet eligibility requirements.
Prize: Scholarships from $10,000 to $50,000
Submission Deadline: February 14th 2024
The Davidson Fellows Scholarship is an extremely prestigious scholarship and you can win upto $50,000 for your submission. Engineering is one of the few categories listed and your submission should revolve around creating a novel idea with a high impact, innovative solution, and demonstration of extraordinary accomplishments (among other things).
An advantage of this scholarship competition is that you have complete flexibility over your project! Moreover, through participating in the Davidson Fellows Scholarship, you will learn how to conduct highly advanced research in a niche subject and present your findings to a wider audience. One of the winners, for example, made a low-cost, mind-controlled prosthetic arm. You can read more about it here!
13. Samsung Solve for Tomorrow
Location: Virtual
Cost: No Cost
Eligibility: Middle and high school students in grades 6-12 from publicly financed schools. All applications must be submitted by someone 21 years (or older), who is employed by the school.
Prize: You can stand to win upto $100,000 in prizes for your school.
Registration + Submission Deadline: August 29th, 2023 - October 27th, 2023 (2023-2024 Edition)
Samsung’s prestigious high school competition tasks students with creating a STEM solution to a community problem. If your idea is selected, you can then move on to the regional and national finals and execute the project with funding. Do keep in mind that you need to apply through a school teacher and not on your own.
From identifying a problem to developing a STEM solution and then executing it, you will study communities, understand social impact, conduct data analysis and get hands-on STEM experience. Moreover, you can get one-on-one mentorship from a Samsung employee as you develop your project and build a prototype.
14. Junior Science and Humanities Symposium
Location: The regional competitions will differ based on your home region. However, if you can’t find a region near you, there is a virtual option as well!
Cost: No cost
Eligibility: Students must be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States or U.S. territory
Note. You can find more details about the rules for submissions here!
Prizes: Certificates, connection to future research opportunities ( through other Department of Defense STEM programs and networks with university and industry professionals. You will also gain access to Department of Defense, university, and industry laboratory tours, speakers, and activities to provide insight into STEM careers and professional development!
Registration + Submission Deadline: Based on the region. You can expect the nationals to be in the month of April (based on previous years).
The JSHS is a renowned science fair sponsored by the US government where you can present your research work and compete for scholarships and career opportunities. The major disciplines presented at the National JSHS (from the engineering category) include Aerospace/Aerodynamics, Electrical Engineering, Energy - Solar, Vehicle Development, Devices, Mechanical Engineering and Robotics!
The contest also comes with a mentorship program, a valuable resource that isn’t often available in other similar competitions. A highly selective competition, the national symposium has an acceptance rate of 3%.
Apart from the skills learned in completing a research project, you will also learn how to present your work through the contest’s oral or poster competition (for selected students). You will even learn from experienced professionals through the mentorship program.
If you’ve completed or are in the process of completing a research project, you should consider this contest since the application requires a finished product!
15. WorldWide Bridge Building Competition
Location: Based on your region.
Cost: No Cost
Eligibility: Open to all high school students.
Note. To participate in the International Bridge Building Contest, you would have to place 1st or 2nd in a Regional Contest.
Prize: The winner of the International Contest each year will receive a 1/2 tuition scholarship to Illinois Institute of Technology.
Registration + Submission Deadline: Based on your region, however you can expect it to be from January to April (based on tentative dates given on the website).
Organized by the Illinois Institute of Technology, this competition asks students to individually build an efficient model bridge within a specific set of requirements. The multi-round competition has a regional level that you must pass to qualify for the international level.
You will be able to test and learn the fundamental principles of physics with your very own hands and get a taste of life as an engineer. Structural analysis, material testing, prototyping, and CAD modeling are a few of the skills you will learn.
If you’re interested in pursuing careers in mechanical engineering, construction, or physics, you should have this competition on your radar as it provides incredible value in those fields. This is ideal if you want to hone their individual performance rather than work as a team.
Location: Multiple Locations
Cost: No Cost
Eligibility: Open to all high school students in schools that have signed up with the Robotics Education and Competition Foundation.
Prize: Awards but no cash prize
Registration + Submission Deadline: Rolling deadline. The best time to register is the May-June period, as you can participate in multiple rounds.
Competition Dates: Estimated to be late April to early May, based on the 2023 schedule.
The VEX Robotics competition is a highly prestigious, annual international event where teams of students design a robot that competes with other robots in a series of challenges and activities. Each round of the competition is two minutes long, with a 15-second autonomous period and a 1:45-minute controlled driving period. If you want to participate in this, you need to ensure your school is signed up to the Robotics Education and Competition Foundation. Furthermore, you should ensure to practice your skills in not just RobotC for VEXCode, but also design and knowledge of sensors and feedback mechanisms.
Location: Based on your region
Cost: No cost
Eligibility: Your team must be affiliated/endorsed by an educational institution. You must be at least 16-years of age (however, there are exceptions for 14/15 year olds).
Prize: Not mentioned
Registration Deadline: September 21st - October 31st, 2023 (Phase 1 registration).
Competition Dates: April 3rd - 7th, 2024 (Regional competitions)
Focusing on environmental engineering, the Shell Eco-Marathon tasks its participants with building an energy-efficient vehicle and competing with each other on a race track. This is an international program and a multi-round competition (with regional events in the US, France and Indonesia) culminating in a world championship.
Through this competition, you will get an in-depth look at automotive engineering and energy optimization. Additionally, you will work with a multidisciplinary team and learn to work with simulations, data analysis, environmental legislation and more!
18. American Computer Science League
Location: Virtual
Cost: No Cost
Eligibility: Must be an elementary, middle, or high school student. Please check if your school has registered for the competition.
Prize: Certificates and cash prizes (amount not disclosed).
Registration + Submission Deadline: To be announced for 2023 – 2024. The deadline is likely to be December 31st, 2023, tentatively based on previous years.
Competition Dates: Varies based on division.
ACSL organizes computer programming and computer science contests for K-12 schools, organizations, and local groups. ACSL offers multiple divisions, and each challenge tests students in various age groups and abilities. Each season is divided into four contests, testing students on fundamental concepts in computer science, ranging from Number Systems to Boolean Algebra to Digital Electronics. In the upper divisions, each contest also includes a problem to solve by programming using Python, C++, or Java. Check out our ultimate guide on the American Computer Science League!
19. CyberPatriot’s National Youth Cyber Defense Competition
Location: Maryland
Cost: $205 for Open Division (discounts are provided for early registration by July 2023).
Eligibility: Must be in middle school or high school. Students in JROTC programs have their own divisions.
Prize: Scholarship money (exact amount varies). The top team will have all expenses covered for the final round in Maryland.
Registration + Submission Deadline (2023-2024): April 1st to October 3rd, 2023
Competition Dates: From October 2023 to March 2024
CyberPatriot's National Youth Cyber Defense Competition is the world's largest cybersecurity competition and is open to all schools and approved youth organizations. This is a team-based event where high school and middle school students are placed in the position of newly hired IT professionals tasked with managing the network of a small company. Each team will be given a set of virtual operating systems where they have to find and fix cybersecurity vulnerabilities while still maintaining critical services. To participate, you must start learning or have a strong understanding of computer networking concepts such as IP addressing, subnetting, routing, protocols like IP and DNS and more.
Participants should also ensure they have familiarity with commonly used operating systems, like macOS, Linux, and Windows. That being said, this competition does want to encourage growth, so don’t be afraid of trying it if you’re a beginner.
20. The Genes in Space Challenge
Location: Virtual (apart from the Finals)
Cost: No cost
Eligibility: Open to students between the grades 7-12, residing in the United States. You can work alone or in pairs. You must be available to present at the finals.
Prize: The winning experimental design will be conducted aboard the International Space Station, pending approval from The ISS U.S. National Laboratory!
Submission Deadline: January 10th, 2023 - April 15th, 2023
Genes in Space is an interactive challenge for young engineers. Instead of building a product, participants must design an experiment that uses biotechnology to solve an issue faced during space exploration. In 2024, your task will be to design a DNA Experiment that addresses challenges in space travel and deep space exploration.
Winners get the incredible opportunity to have their experiments conducted aboard the International Space Station during the Genes in Space-3 mission!
Using the GIS toolkit to develop your experiment, you will work with cutting-edge tools like a fluorescence viewer, a PCR thermal cycler, and BioBits cell-free system. Most importantly you will study the cross-section of biotechnology and space exploration, learning how things work differently in space.
If you’re looking to build unique projects in the field of AI/ML, consider applying to Veritas AI!
Veritas AI was founded by Harvard graduate students, and through the programs, you get a chance to learn the fundamentals of AI and computer science while collaborating on real-world projects. You can also work 1-1 with mentors from universities like Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and more to create unique, personalized projects. In the past year, we had over 1000 students learn data science and AI with us. You can apply here!
Image Source: Microsoft Imagine Cup Logo