Competitions a 9th grader can enter

Grade 9 opens the high school divisions. Many students enter their first serious competition this year, and several programmes are explicitly designed for newcomers. Every competition on this page accepts students in grade 9 according to the organiser's own published eligibility, not our estimate. 41 of the 108 are free to enter. They are ordered easiest first, so if you have never competed before, start at the top.

108 competitions · 41 free · 55 online · 32 with preparation guides

Coding Bebras Challenge A short online computational thinking challenge with no programming required, from age 8 upward.

Grades1 to 12
CostUp to $5
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatIndividual
WhereOnline

Check site

Engineering Invention Convention Invent something that solves a real problem, document the process, and pitch it like an inventor.

Grades1 to 12
CostFree to $100
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatEither
WhereIn person

Check site

Business InvestWrite A free national essay competition on investing, judged on reasoning rather than returns.

Grades4 to 12
CostFree
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatIndividual
WhereOnline

Check site

Math Math Kangaroo A friendly international puzzle contest that starts in grade 1.

Grades1 to 12
Cost$21 to $30
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatIndividual
WhereIn person

Check site

Coding NASEF Scholastic Esports School-based esports leagues paired with a curriculum in production, broadcasting, analysis and game design.

Grades6 to 12
CostFree
FormatTeam
WhereOnline

Check site

Writing NYT Student Podcast Contest Make a five-minute podcast on any subject, free, judged by New York Times editors.

Grades7 to 12
CostFree
FormatEither
WhereOnline

Check site

Academic National Latin Exam A single low-cost exam sat at school, with medals and a very high award rate for prepared students.

Grades6 to 12
CostUp to $10
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatIndividual
WhereIn person

139 days left

Robotics SeaPerch Build an underwater robot from PVC pipe and motors for well under a hundred dollars, then race and manoeuvre it.

Grades1 to 12
Cost$50 to $300
FormatTeam
WhereIn person

Check site

Engineering The Paradigm Challenge Solve a real social problem however you like, from age four upward, with a large prize pool.

Grades1 to 12
CostFree
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatEither
WhereOnline

231 days left

Business The Stock Market Game Manage a virtual $100,000 portfolio against other school teams over a full trading season.

Grades4 to 12
CostFree to $30
FormatTeam
WhereOnline

Check site

Civics and social science Voice of Democracy Record a three-minute audio essay on a patriotic theme and compete for scholarships from local post to national level.

Grades9 to 12
CostFree
FormatIndividual
WhereBoth

49 days left

Writing Write the World Free monthly writing prompts with peer review and expert feedback built into the process.

Grades7 to 12
CostFree
FormatIndividual
WhereOnline

Check site

Coding ACSL A school-based league of short written and programming contests across four ability divisions.

Grades1 to 12
Cost$125 to $175
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatEither
WhereOnline

Check site

Business Blue Ocean Competition A fully online entrepreneurship pitch competition with no written business plan required.

Grades9 to 12
CostFree
FormatEither
WhereOnline

Check site

Business Business Professionals of America Competitive events in business, IT, digital media and management, with a strong technical event list.

Grades6 to 12
Cost$20 to $1,500
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatEither
WhereIn person

80 days left

Civics and social science C-SPAN StudentCam Make a short documentary on a national policy question, free, with a large cash prize pool.

Grades6 to 12
CostFree
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatEither
WhereOnline

130 days left

Math CEMC Contests Canada's national contest ladder, from grade 7 puzzles to the Canadian Computing Olympiad.

Grades7 to 12
CostUp to $20
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatIndividual
WhereIn person

Check site

Coding Congressional App Challenge Build an app, compete only against students in your own congressional district, and win a display in the U.S. Capitol.

Grades6 to 12
CostFree
FormatEither
WhereOnline

44 days left

Art and design Congressional Art Competition One winner per congressional district, with the winning artwork hung in the United States Capitol for a year.

Grades7 to 12
CostFree
FormatIndividual
WhereIn person

Check site

Engineering Destination Imagination Team creative problem solving across technical, scientific, engineering, fine arts and service challenges.

Grades1 to 12
Cost$165 to $5,500
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereIn person

Check site

Art and design Doodle for Google Redesign the Google logo around an annual theme, with a scholarship and a day on the homepage at stake.

Grades1 to 12
CostFree
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatIndividual
WhereOnline

Check site

Engineering ExploraVision Pick a technology, project it twenty years forward, and write the paper explaining how it gets there.

Grades1 to 12
CostFree
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereOnline

137 days left

Business FBLA More than seventy competitive events in business, technology and finance, competed through a school chapter.

Grades6 to 12
Cost$20 to $600
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatEither
WhereIn person

Check site

Robotics FIRST Tech Challenge A smaller, cheaper robotics league with the same season structure as FRC and a far lower barrier to entry.

Grades7 to 12
Cost$300 to $3,000
FormatTeam
WhereIn person

Check site

Engineering Future City Design a city a century from now, in simulation, in an essay, and as a physical model built from recycled materials.

Grades6 to 12
Cost$25 to $25
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereIn person

Check site

Business Global Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge A twelve-hour online startup sprint: the problem is revealed on the day and you pitch by the end of it.

Grades9 to 12
CostNot confirmed
FormatTeam
WhereOnline

Check site

Science HOSA Over sixty competitive events across clinical skills, health knowledge and leadership, from middle school upward.

Grades6 to 12
Cost$20 to $1,500
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatEither
WhereIn person

79 days left

Academic International Geography Bee A buzzer geography competition with online qualifying, filling the gap left by the discontinued National Geographic Bee.

Grades3 to 12
Cost$10 to $500
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatIndividual
WhereBoth

Check site

Writing JEA Write-off Competitions On-site journalism contests held at national conventions across news, feature, sports, design and photojournalism.

Grades9 to 12
Cost$10 to $30
FormatIndividual
WhereIn person

169 days left

Debate and speech Model United Nations Represent a country in simulated UN committees, negotiate resolutions, and compete for awards at hundreds of conferences.

Grades6 to 12
Cost$25 to $1,500
FormatEither
WhereBoth

Check site

Academic NACLO Solve puzzles in languages you have never seen, with no prior linguistics knowledge required.

Grades6 to 12
CostFree
FormatIndividual
WhereIn person

Check site

Academic National History Bee and Bowl Buzzer competition in history, run as both an individual bee and a team bowl, with online qualifying.

Grades2 to 12
Cost$10 to $800
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatEither
WhereBoth

Check site

Academic National History Day Original historical research presented as a paper, exhibit, documentary, performance or website.

Grades6 to 12
CostFree to $150
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatEither
WhereIn person

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Business National Personal Finance Challenge A team competition on earning, spending, saving, investing and managing credit, free to enter.

Grades9 to 12
CostFree
FormatTeam
WhereBoth

Check site

Writing New York Times Student Editorial Contest Write a 450-word evidence-based opinion piece on anything you care about, judged by Times editors.

Grades7 to 12
CostFree
FormatEither
WhereOnline

Check site

Writing Ocean Awareness Contest A free international contest accepting art, writing, film, music and interactive media on a yearly ocean and climate theme.

Grades6 to 12
CostFree
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatEither
WhereOnline

Check site

Engineering Odyssey of the Mind Teams solve a long-term creative problem over months, then face a spontaneous problem they have never seen.

Grades1 to 12
Cost$290 to $400
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereIn person

Check site

Science PhysicsBowl A 40-question, 45-minute physics exam sat at school, with divisions matched to how much physics you have taken.

Grades9 to 12
CostUp to $20
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatIndividual
WhereIn person

Check site

Art and design Poetry Out Loud Memorise and perform published poems, from a classroom contest all the way to a national final in Washington.

Grades8 to 12
CostFree
FormatIndividual
WhereIn person

176 days left

Math Purple Comet! Math Meet A free, online, team-based maths contest open to any school or club in the world.

Grades6 to 12
CostFree
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereOnline

184 days left

Coding Technovation Girls A free global season where girls aged 8 to 18 build an app or AI project and pitch it as a venture.

Grades3 to 12
CostFree
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereOnline

Check site

Environment The Earth Prize A global environmental sustainability competition for teenagers, free to enter, with a substantial prize pool.

Grades7 to 12
CostFree
FormatTeam
WhereOnline

Check site

Chess and strategy US Chess Scholastic National Championships National championships separated by grade, age and rating, so beginners are never paired against masters.

Grades1 to 12
Cost$30 to $200
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatEither
WhereIn person

Check site

Robotics VEX Robotics Competition The largest robotics competition in the world by team count, with tournaments running most weekends.

Grades6 to 12
Cost$300 to $3,000
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereIn person

Check site

Coding WAICY A project-based global AI competition with tracks for art and video as well as technical builds.

Grades4 to 12
CostFree to $100
FormatEither
WhereOnline

Check site

Robotics World Robot Olympiad An international robotics competition running in over eighty countries, with categories from age six upward.

Grades1 to 12
Cost$50 to $2,000
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereIn person

Check site

Debate and speech World Scholar's Cup A team academic competition combining debate, collaborative writing, a quiz bowl and a scholar's challenge, with rounds in dozens of countries.

Grades6 to 12
Cost$100 to $3,000
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereBoth

Check site

Engineering eCYBERMISSION Solve a problem in your own community using science or engineering, entirely online, for free.

Grades6 to 9
CostFree
FormatTeam
WhereOnline

165 days left

Coding picoCTF A free capture-the-flag cybersecurity competition designed specifically for students with no security background.

Grades6 to 12
CostFree
PreparationComfort with a command line and basic scripting
FormatTeam
WhereOnline

Check site

Math AMC 10 and AMC 12 The 75-minute exam that opens the door to the US math olympiad ladder.

Grades1 to 12
CostFree to $70
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatIndividual
WhereIn person

33 days left

Academic Academic Decathlon Ten events on one annual theme, with teams that must include students across the full range of grade point averages.

Grades9 to 12
Cost$100 to $1,500
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereIn person

Check site

Writing Adroit Prizes A respected literary prize for secondary students, judged by working writers, with free entry available.

Grades9 to 12
Cost$15 to $15
PreparationA portfolio of poetry or prose ready for outside judging
FormatIndividual
WhereOnline

Check site

Art and design All American High School Film Festival The largest high school film festival in the world, screening student work in Times Square.

Grades6 to 12
Cost$20 to $75
FormatEither
WhereIn person

Check site

Engineering American Rocketry Challenge Design a rocket that carries eggs to an exact altitude and returns them intact, to the second.

Grades6 to 12
Cost$100 to $1,000
FormatTeam
WhereIn person

85 days left

Coding Battlecode Write an AI that commands a team of virtual units against other students' AIs, with a high school bracket.

Grades9 to 12
CostFree
PreparationConfident independent programming, and about a month of sustained work
FormatEither
WhereOnline

Check site

Writing Bennington Young Writers Awards A three-category writing prize from a college known for its writing programme, with scholarship money attached.

Grades9 to 12
CostFree
FormatIndividual
WhereOnline

50 days left

Robotics Botball Fully autonomous robotics where all the programming is done in advance and nothing is driver-controlled.

Grades6 to 12
Cost$500 to $3,000
FormatTeam
WhereIn person

Check site

Science Brain Bee A neuroscience competition running from local chapters up to a world championship.

Grades9 to 12
CostFree to $400
PreparationReading Brain Facts or Neuroscience: The Science of the Brain
FormatIndividual
WhereBoth

Check site

Science Breakthrough Junior Challenge Explain a hard scientific idea in a three-minute video, for a $250,000 scholarship package.

Grades8 to 12
CostFree
PreparationDeep understanding of one concept in physics, life sciences or mathematics
FormatIndividual
WhereOnline

3 days left

Coding Codeforces Free short-format algorithmic contests several times a month, open to anyone with a rating attached.

Grades6 to 12
CostFree
PreparationImplementing algorithms under time pressure in C++, Java or Python
FormatIndividual
WhereOnline

Check site

Business Conrad Challenge A year-long innovation competition where teams build a product and a business around a real global problem.

Grades6 to 12
CostFree to $499
FormatTeam
WhereBoth

Check site

Coding CyberPatriot Teams defend deliberately broken computer systems against a clock, from middle school upward.

Grades6 to 12
CostFree to $250
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereOnline

Check site

Business DECA Hundreds of role-play and written business events, competed through a school chapter up to an international conference.

Grades9 to 12
Cost$20 to $600
FormatEither
WhereIn person

Check site

Business Diamond Challenge Pitch a business or social venture concept against teams from more than a hundred countries, for a prize pool above $100,000.

Grades9 to 12
CostFree
FormatTeam
WhereBoth

Check site

Robotics FIRST Robotics Competition Build a 125-pound robot in six weeks, then compete in a stadium alliance game.

Grades9 to 12
Cost$500 to $8,000
FormatTeam
WhereIn person

66 days left

Writing Foyle Young Poets A free international poetry award for 11 to 17 year olds, with a hundred winners chosen each year.

Grades6 to 12
CostFree
FormatIndividual
WhereOnline

322 days left

Environment GENIUS Olympiad An international project competition on environmental issues, spanning science, art, writing, business and robotics.

Grades8 to 12
CostNot confirmed
PreparationA completed project on an environmental theme, plus funds for the finalist fee and travel
FormatEither
WhereIn person

Check site

Business Harrington Foundation Accelerator A free eight-week virtual accelerator ending in a live pitch, with real investment for the winner.

Grades7 to 12
CostFree
FormatIndividual
WhereOnline

Check site

Math IM²C A team modelling challenge with national rounds worldwide feeding an international judging round.

Grades9 to 12
CostFree
PreparationA strong result in COMAP's HiMCM or MidMCM
FormatTeam
WhereOnline

Check site

Robotics MATE ROV Competition Build an underwater remotely operated vehicle and run real ocean-industry missions in a pool.

Grades1 to 12
Cost$100 to $3,000
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereIn person

Check site

Environment NCF-Envirothon Field-based environmental science: teams are tested outdoors on soils, forestry, wildlife, water and a current issue.

Grades9 to 12
CostFree to $1,000
FormatTeam
WhereIn person

Check site

Business National Economics Challenge The only national economics competition for United States high school students, run in two divisions.

Grades9 to 12
CostFree
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereBoth

Check site

Civics and social science National High School Mock Trial Championship Argue a full fictional case as attorneys and witnesses in a real courtroom, judged by real judges.

Grades9 to 12
Cost$50 to $1,500
FormatTeam
WhereIn person

79 days left

Science National Ocean Sciences Bowl A buzzer-based ocean science quiz competition for high school teams, run through regional bowls.

Grades9 to 12
CostFree to $300
FormatTeam
WhereIn person

Check site

Science National Science Bowl A fast buzzer competition across all sciences and maths, run free by the Department of Energy since 1991.

Grades6 to 12
CostFree to $50
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereIn person

72 days left

Writing Profile in Courage Essay Contest Write about an elected official who took a politically courageous stand, for a $10,000 first prize.

Grades9 to 12
CostFree
FormatIndividual
WhereOnline

121 days left

Scholarships and challenges Prudential Emerging Visionaries Awards for young people using financial or social innovation to solve a problem in their community.

Grades9 to 12
CostFree
FormatIndividual
WhereOnline

Check site

Academic Quiz Bowl (NAQT HSNCT) Buzzer-based team quiz across every academic subject, with a huge published archive of past questions.

Grades6 to 12
Cost$50 to $2,000
FormatTeam
WhereIn person

Check site

Robotics RoboCupJunior International robotics with three distinct leagues: robot soccer, disaster rescue, and performance.

Grades5 to 12
Cost$50 to $2,000
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereIn person

Check site

Engineering STEM Racing (formerly F1 in Schools) Design, manufacture and race a miniature air-powered car, and run the team like a racing outfit. Rebranded from F1 in Schools to STEM Racing in 2024.

Grades6 to 12
Cost$200 to $3,000
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereIn person

Check site

Writing Scholastic Art and Writing Awards The longest-running recognition programme for creative teenagers in the United States, across 29 categories.

Grades7 to 12
Cost$15 to $40
FormatIndividual
WhereOnline

80 days left

Science Science Olympiad A 23-event team tournament covering everything from anatomy to bridge building, run at invitational, regional, state and national level.

Grades6 to 12
Cost$50 to $500
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereIn person

Check site

Coding USACO Free, worldwide algorithmic contests on a four-division ladder, and the route to Team USA at the IOI.

Grades6 to 12
CostFree
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatIndividual
WhereOnline

Check site

Civics and social science We the People A simulated congressional hearing where your class testifies as constitutional experts before a panel of judges.

Grades6 to 12
CostFree to $1,000
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereIn person

Check site

Business Wharton Investment Competition Manage a virtual portfolio for a fictional client and defend your strategy to Wharton judges.

Grades9 to 12
CostFree
FormatTeam
WhereBoth

27 days left

Engineering Zero Robotics Write code that controls a real satellite aboard the International Space Station.

Grades9 to 12
CostFree
FormatTeam
WhereOnline

Check site

Math AIME Fifteen problems, three hours, integer answers only. Invitation required.

Grades1 to 12
CostUp to $25
PreparationA qualifying score on AMC 10 or AMC 12
FormatIndividual
WhereIn person

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Math ARML Fifteen-student regional teams competing in relays and a power round over one intense weekend.

Grades1 to 12
Cost$100 to $800
PreparationComfort with olympiad-style problems, and a place on a regional team
FormatTeam
WhereIn person

Check site

Science Chemistry Olympiad A local exam, a national exam, then a study camp that picks the four-person United States team.

Grades9 to 12
CostUp to $25
PreparationFamiliarity with a full first-year high school chemistry curriculum
FormatIndividual
WhereIn person

Check site

Music From the Top Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award A scholarship award for outstanding young classical musicians with financial need, including a national radio appearance.

Grades3 to 12
CostFree
PreparationRepertoire ready for broadcast performance, plus demonstrated financial need
FormatIndividual
WhereBoth

58 days left

Debate and speech Harvard Speech and Debate Tournament One of the largest invitational tournaments in the country, over Presidents' Day weekend, with a full novice field.

Grades6 to 12
Cost$100 to $2,000
FormatEither
WhereBoth

Check site

Science JSHS Present original research to a live audience of scientists at a regional symposium, with scholarships attached.

Grades9 to 12
CostFree
PreparationOriginal independent research, usually with a mentor
FormatIndividual
WhereIn person

Check site

Writing John Locke Institute Essay Competition A free global essay prize in seven academic subjects, judged by academics from Oxford and Princeton.

Grades7 to 12
CostUp to $20
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatIndividual
WhereOnline

Check site

Music MTNA Performance Competitions A structured national competition ladder for young performers, from state through division to national finals.

Grades6 to 12
Cost$25 to $150
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatEither
WhereIn person

81 days left

Math Math Prize for Girls The largest cash prize in pre-college mathematics, open to girls and non-binary students.

Grades1 to 12
CostFree
PreparationAn AMC 10 or AMC 12 score above the year's cutoff
FormatIndividual
WhereIn person

Check site

Debate and speech NSDA National Tournament The largest academic competition in the world, reached by earning qualifying points on your district circuit.

Grades6 to 12
Cost$100 to $3,000
FormatEither
WhereIn person

184 days left

Science Physics Olympiad (F=ma) A 25-question mechanics exam that opens the pathway to the United States physics team.

Grades9 to 12
CostFree to $50
PreparationFluency with mechanics: kinematics, forces, energy and momentum
FormatIndividual
WhereOnline

Check site

Environment Stockholm Junior Water Prize An international water research prize with national competitions in over thirty countries.

Grades9 to 12
CostFree
PreparationA completed water-related research paper
FormatEither
WhereIn person

Check site

Writing The Concord Review The only journal in the world that publishes academic history papers by secondary students.

Grades9 to 12
Cost$40 to $100
PreparationA research essay with endnotes and a bibliography, at a standard close to undergraduate work
FormatIndividual
WhereOnline

50 days left

Science USA Biolympiad An open biology exam that narrows to twenty finalists and the four-person United States team at the International Biology Olympiad.

Grades9 to 12
Cost$125 to $125
PreparationFamiliarity with a full first-year high school biology curriculum
FormatIndividual
WhereOnline

41 days left

Science USAAAO Two rounds of astronomy and astrophysics exams leading to the US team for the international olympiad.

Grades9 to 12
Cost$20 to $30
PreparationSelf-directed study of the IOAA syllabus, beyond school astronomy
FormatIndividual
WhereIn person

Check site

Scholarships and challenges Davidson Fellows Scholarship Scholarships of up to $50,000 for a significant piece of work in science, technology, mathematics, literature, music or philosophy.

Grades1 to 12
CostFree
PreparationA completed piece of work at or close to college graduate level
FormatIndividual
WhereOnline

Check site

Math HMMT One of the hardest and best-run student math tournaments in the world, held twice a year in Boston.

Grades6 to 12
Cost$20 to $100
PreparationRegular practice on olympiad-level problems
FormatEither
WhereIn person

8 days left

Coding International Olympiad in AI The newest international science olympiad, with a scientific round and a practical machine learning round.

Grades1 to 12
CostFree to $500
PreparationProgramming plus an understanding of machine learning fundamentals
FormatTeam
WhereBoth

170 days left

Math PUMaC A team math tournament at Princeton with a live power round and a strong international field.

Grades6 to 12
Cost$20 to $100
PreparationExperience with proof-based problems
FormatTeam
WhereIn person

Check site

Science Regeneron ISEF The world's largest pre-college science research competition, reached by winning your way up through affiliated fairs.

Grades9 to 12
CostFree to $50
PreparationAn ongoing research project and a win at an affiliated fair
FormatEither
WhereIn person

Check site

Debate and speech Tournament of Champions The championship of the national debate circuit, entered only by collecting bids at qualifying tournaments.

Grades9 to 12
Cost$200 to $6,000
PreparationBids earned at qualifying tournaments across a season
FormatEither
WhereIn person

Check site

Chess and strategy World Youth Chess Championship The international age-group championship, entered through your national chess federation.

Grades1 to 12
Cost$500 to $5,000
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatIndividual
WhereIn person

Check site

Questions people ask about this

What competitions can a 9th grader enter?

The 108 listed on this page all accept grade 9 students. They span maths, science, coding, robotics, writing and business, and range from single exams you can sit at school to team projects that run for months.

Are there free competitions for 9th graders?

Yes, 41 of the 108 here have no entry fee for the student. Be aware that a free entry is not the same as a free competition: team events can carry materials and travel costs, which each listing states separately.

Is 9th grade too young to start competing?

No. Several of these have divisions designed specifically for this age, judged only against peers in the same grade band. Starting early and doing well is far better than starting at the hardest thing available and being discouraged.

Competitions a 9th grader can enter

Questions people ask about this

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