Olympiad Programs & Competitions for High School Students

Olympiads are the most selective academic competitions available to high schoolers — national and international contests in math, science, informatics, and linguistics with a defined qualification ladder.

Strong olympiad results are among the few extracurricular achievements that admissions committees at top STEM schools treat as hard evidence.

51 verified programs match this page; 27 of the featured listings are completely free; 5 can be done online.

Featured programs

Browse 30+ curated programs for high school students:

• International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI) — IOAI Foundation: Compete in the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence to enhance AI and machine learning skills, boost college applications, and gain hands
• Mathematical Olympiad for Girls — Mathematical Olympiad Foundation: Elite math competition for high school girls to tackle USAMO-level problems. Boosts problem-solving skills, stands out on college applications, and in
• Mathematical Olympiad Program — MAA: Intensive math competition program for elite high school students. Enhance problem-solving skills, boost college applications, and train with top USAM
• International Chemistry Olympiad Team Member — American Chemical Society: Compete globally in the International Chemistry Olympiad, a free STEM competition for high schoolers. Build advanced chemistry skills and boost your c
• International Mathematical Olympiad Team Member — Mathematical Association of America: Join a global competition to represent the USA at the prestigious International Mathematical Olympiad. Build advanced math skills and boost college ap
• USA Physics Olympiad — AAPT: Compete in the elite USA Physics Olympiad to sharpen problem-solving skills, enhance college applications, and aim for the International Physics Olymp
• Economics Olympiad Regional Competitions — Various Universities: Regional rounds of the International Economics Olympiad. Top performers advance to national team selection for global competition.
• U.S. Earth Science Olympiad (USESO) & IESO Team Selection — United States Earth Science Organization (USESO): Competitive pathway for top U.S. high schoolers to represent the nation at the International Earth Science Olympiad.
• International Biology Olympiad (IBO) Team USA — Center for Excellence in Education: Only 4 students represent USA at IBO. Extremely prestigious, with team members regularly admitted to Harvard, MIT, Stanford for biology/pre-med.
• USAJMO (USA Junior Mathematical Olympiad) Qualifier — Mathematical Association of America: Junior version of USAMO for 10th graders and below. Top ~230 AMC 10/AIME scorers invited.
• International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL) Team Selection — USA Computing Olympiad: US team selection for International Linguistics Olympiad.
• USAMO Qualifier — Mathematical Association of America: Qualification to take the USA Mathematical Olympiad. Top ~250 AMC/AIME performers invited. Gateway to MOSP and IMO team.
• United States of America Mathematical Olympiad — Mathematical Association of America (MAA): A premier proof-based math competition for top high school students in the U.S., taken by invitation after qualifying exams.
• KFUPM Mathematics Olympiad — King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM): A national math competition in Saudi Arabia for top high school students, organized annually by KFUPM.
• Regional Mathematical Olympiad (RMO) India — Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), TIFR: The Regional Mathematical Olympiad is India’s second-stage exam in the national math olympiad program, selecting students for INMO.
• Canadian Mathematical Olympiad (CMO) — Canadian Mathematical Society: A national proof-based math competition for top high school students in Canada, serving as a key step toward international math Olympiads.
• Australian Mathematical Olympiad (AMO) — Australian Mathematics Trust: A selective national proof-based math contest for top Australian high school students, part of the Olympiad training pathway.
• Mediterranean Mathematics Competition — Mathematical Society of South-Eastern Europe (MASSEE): An international math contest for high school students from Mediterranean and MASSEE member countries.
• Balkan Mathematical Olympiad (BMO) — Mathematical Society of South Eastern Europe (MASSEE): An annual regional math Olympiad for high school students from Balkan and invited countries, featuring challenging proof-based problems.
• Asian Pacific Mathematics Olympiad (APMO) — Asian Pacific Mathematics Olympiad Committee: An international proof-based math competition for top high school students across the Asian and Pacific region.
• Harvard-MIT Chemistry Olympiad (HMChO) — Harvard-MIT Partnership: Join a free online chemistry competition for high school students (Grades 9-12) to boost STEM skills, enhance college applications, and tackle challen
• USA Biology Olympiad (USABO) — Center for Excellence in Education: Compete in the USA Biology Olympiad to enhance lab skills, deepen biology knowledge, and boost college applications. Open to high school students in g
• USA Astronomy & Astrophysics Olympiad (USAAAO) — USAAAO: Compete in a hybrid astronomy and physics competition for high schoolers! Build STEM skills, boost college applications, and aim for the International
• MIT MathRoots — Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Transform your math skills in this free, proof-based summer program for high schoolers. Build STEM expertise and boost college applications at MIT Mat
• United States Astronomy & Astrophysics Olympiad (USAAAO) — USAAAO: Compete in the USAAAO to advance astronomy and physics skills while boosting your college applications. Open to high schoolers passionate about STEM a
• Penn Chemistry Olympiad Summer Camp (PENNCHEM outreach) — University of Pennsylvania Chemistry Outreach: Boost problem-solving skills and shine on college applications with this free online chemistry summer program for high schoolers. Perfect for Olympiad
• Bay Area Mathematical Olympiad (BAMO) — Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI): A four-hour, five-problem proof olympiad held each February for West Coast students, with a BAMO-8 division for grade 8 and below and BAMO-12 for grad
• International Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad (IAAO) — International Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad: Elite international science olympiad testing theoretical and practical astronomy skills. Team USA selection through USAAAO.
• U.S. Earth Science Olympiad (US team for IESO) — USEarthScienceOlympiad: Exam and training pipeline to the International Earth Science Olympiad.
• International Astronomy Olympiad (IAO) Team Member — IAO: Represent USA at International Astronomy Olympiad. Team of 5 selected through USA Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad.

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