15 Investment Competitions for High School Students

Key Takeaways

• These 15 competitions span a wide range of formats, from live stock pitch presentations judged by industry professionals, like the Wall Street South Stock Pitch Competition, to long-running portfolio management challenges like the Wharton Global Investment Competition and Ithaca College’s Investment Competition.
• Costs vary considerably, with several free options like the Wharton Global Investment Competition and Stock Market Game, while others, like the Teen Investor Cup and Ascend Berkeley Stock Pitch Competition, charge registration fees ranging from modest to several hundred dollars.
• Team sizes and formats differ significantly, from individual essay-based competitions like InvestWrite to team-based challenges like the National Economics Challenge and Capitol Hill Challenge, which requires an invitation from the SIFMA Foundation.
• Several competitions specifically prioritize accessibility or underserved communities, such as the Capitol Hill Challenge’s focus on Title I public schools, while others are open broadly to any high school student nationally or internationally.
• If you want to pursue an independent, mentored research project rather than a team-based investment competition, Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs offers a path toward a formal academic paper across fields like economics, business, and data science.

If you’re a high schooler interested in finance, participating in an investment competition can be a worthwhile way to explore the field in great detail. These programs offer you the opportunity to delve into financial markets, test your analytical skills, and develop real-world strategies. By engaging in these challenges, you’ll not only enhance your resume for college applications but also gain practical experience that sets you apart. You will learn to navigate complex market dynamics, understand the nuances of various investment vehicles, and make informed decisions that mimic professional trading environments, all while developing a strong understanding of financial literacy and risk management.

Why should you participate in an investment competition for high schoolers?

During an investment competition, you will experience hands-on portfolio management using virtual cash, conducting in-depth company research, and potentially pitching your investment ideas to industry experts. You’ll gain tangible skills in financial modeling, fundamental and technical analysis, and effective communication of complex financial concepts. Many of these programs are nationwide or global, meaning you’ll get to compete from anywhere. This also allows you to access diverse perspectives and challenge yourself by competing against a broad pool of talent. You’ll also get to expand your understanding of global economic forces and foster critical thinking skills.

To help you get started, we’ve put together 15 Investment Competitions for high school students.

You can also check out these guides on free + online finance summer programs or stock market competitions for high school students!

1. Wharton Global High School Investment Competition

The Wharton Global High School Investment Competition is one of the world’s most prestigious high school investment competitions, created and run by the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. In this 10-week global challenge, your team will receive $500,000 in virtual cash to analyze a real business case study. Rather than rewarding participants solely on portfolio performance, Wharton emphasizes the quality and articulation of your investment strategy, meaning you’re judged on your reasoning and approach. You’ll submit two deliverables during the competition, showcasing your company and industry analysis, risk management framework, and diversification approach. Your team can progress through multiple rounds starting with initial judging, advancing to a virtual semifinal presentation, and potentially reaching the Global Finale held at Wharton’s campus in Philadelphia, where the top 10 teams compete.

2. Global Stock Pitch Competition

The Global Stock Pitch Competition is held through the Young Investors Society and challenges you to conduct professional-level financial analysis and present your “best stock idea” to a panel of expert judges. You’ll research a publicly traded company of your choice, develop deep insights into its business model, and prepare a comprehensive written analysis recommending whether to buy or sell the stock. Your submission requires a detailed stock pitch report, a PowerPoint presentation visually communicating your analysis, and a YouTube video of you or your team presenting the pitch, all evaluated by judges with real investment industry experience. The top 100 teams from state and international competitions advance to the Global Youth Investment Summit held in New York City, where they’ll participate in quarterfinal, semifinal, and potentially championship rounds.

3. Stevens Trading Day

Stevens Institute of Technology offers you a unique two-part investing experience combining a month-long virtual competition with an on-campus finals event where top competitors trade using Bloomberg terminals. During the virtual portion in February, you’ll manage a simulated equities portfolio, applying core investing concepts through hands-on practice with professional-grade trading software. If your portfolio ranks in the top 25, you’ll be invited to the Stevens Institute of Technology campus for an intensive finals experience where you’ll compete live using 24 Bloomberg terminals and hear from finance faculty about current market trends. All participants receive a certificate recognizing their involvement, strengthening your college applications and demonstrating serious engagement with financial markets.

4. Capitol Hill Challenge

This prestigious national competition uniquely connects you with members of Congress and focuses on civics education alongside financial literacy. Your team will manage a hypothetical $100,000 portfolio of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, impact investments, and cash, making real investment decisions that build critical thinking and financial reasoning skills. Participating schools are selected through invitation by the SIFMA Foundation, with priority given to Title I public schools serving underserved communities, making this a competition specifically designed to expand financial opportunity. The top 10 performing teams receive national recognition and awards, as well as direct engagement opportunities with government and business leaders. 

5. Ithaca College High School Investment Competition

During the Ithaca College High School Investment Competition, you’ll manage a substantial $1,000,000 virtual portfolio with 3-5 teammates, building a balanced investment strategy containing between 5 and 20 individual stocks during this semester-long competition. Ithaca emphasizes real-world investing experience, providing you with professional trading tools and allowing a maximum of 1,000 trades throughout the competition to encourage thoughtful decision-making. The competition judges winners purely on portfolio performance measured by total return, meaning your investment selections directly determine your standing. The top three teams share significant cash prizes that are distributed both to individual students and their schools. As a bonus incentive, high school seniors who win and then apply to Ithaca College receive automatic fee waivers, recognizing your demonstrated expertise.

6. Bentley University Summer Stock Market Challenge

This summer competition provides an accessible, flexible opportunity for you to engage with stock market investing during break time when you have more availability for focused learning. You’ll receive $50,000 in virtual funds to trade during a two-week intensive period, testing your ability to make rapid investment decisions and adapt to market movements in a compressed timeframe. The competition keeps things fun while educational, and previous winners have received prizes like Barnes and Noble gift cards and recognition among hundreds of competing high school students nationwide. The online platform makes participation possible from anywhere, and registration is straightforward. 

7. Teen Investor Cup

Teach Me Wall Street’s Teen Investor Cup is an international investing competition where you’ll compete with motivated teens from 20+ countries in real-time market challenges across 7 weeks. You’ll receive $100,000 in virtual cash to invest in stocks and ETFs, with daily trading during your chosen market hours, allowing flexibility with time zones and school schedules. The program includes optional group coaching calls offered at multiple times throughout the week, providing instruction and mentorship from finance professionals. Winners are determined by portfolio performance, with tiered cash prizes offered. Additionally, a special “Best Sustainable Investing Portfolio” award recognizes you for aligning investments with UN Sustainable Development Goals.

8. Stock Market Game

The Stock Market Game provides you with the broadest accessibility to stock market simulation, serving over 600,000 students annually across grades 4-12 in public, private, and parochial schools throughout the United States. You’ll manage a hypothetical $100,000 portfolio of stocks, bonds, ETFs, mutual funds, and ESG investments over a 3-9-month period depending on your school’s program calendar. The program integrates with the classroom curriculum, meaning your teacher likely provides instruction on investing fundamentals that you directly apply within the simulation. School participation is free, requiring only that a teacher registers and facilitates student access. The accompanying SMG InvestQuest offers a 30-40-minute introductory experience at beginner, intermediate, or advanced levels.

9. Bank of America: Financial Skills Challenge  

The Bank of America’s Financial Skills Challenge takes you through complete life stages starting as a college student with part-time employment, transitioning to graduation and your first full-time job, and experiencing the reality of independent housing costs, health insurance, and student loan obligations. Unlike purely investment-focused competitions, this challenges you to balance multiple financial responsibilities: building emergency savings, managing fixed and variable expenses, maintaining credit scores, achieving savings goals, and navigating unexpected life events. You’ll progress through the game by making monthly financial decisions while random life events test your ability to adapt, choose wisely early, and have better earning potential later. The platform includes dozens of lessons covering taxes, banking fees, and distinguishing needs from wants. You’ll earn a Financial Skills Certification upon completing all lessons and monthly game segments.

10. Wall Street South Stock Pitch Competition

The Wall Street South Stock Pitch Competition, hosted by the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County, is a live, presentation-based equity research competition in which you’ll develop and deliver an investment recommendation to finance professionals. You will analyze a company’s financial performance, industry position, and key drivers, then build a structured stock pitch with a clear buy-or-sell thesis. The competition takes place across multiple pitch rooms, where you will present to panels of finance executives and answer detailed questions about your assumptions, valuation approach, and risk factors. Its format closely resembles collegiate investment competitions, with an emphasis on analytical clarity, thorough research, and the ability to defend your recommendation under pressure.

11. National Personal Finance Challenge

The National Personal Finance Challenge tests your comprehensive personal finance knowledge across six critical areas: earning income, spending decisions, saving strategies, managing credit, making investments, and managing risk. The competition progresses through multiple rounds; you’ll start with an online 30-question challenge before top-scoring teams advance to state finals. State champions will then proceed to the national competition where you’ll tackle realistic financial scenarios. At the National Finals in Atlanta, GA, you’ll face case studies requiring you to create complete financial plans for fictional families, making strategic choices about savings goals, investment allocations, credit management, and insurance coverage. The competition covers remarkably relevant knowledge, and National Finals participants have all expenses covered (excluding travel). Top four teams compete in a Quiz Bowl for cash prizes, with first place earning $1,000.

12. National Economics Challenge

If you’re taking an economics class, this prestigious competition provides you with an outlet to demonstrate mastery of microeconomic and macroeconomic principles while competing against top economics students nationwide. Nearly 10,000 students annually participate, competing in either the Adam Smith Division for advanced students or the David Ricardo Division for first-time competitors. You’ll work in local teams with coaches who may be economics teachers or professionals. The competition structure requires you to master economic analysis, which in turn requires thinking logically about data, building analytical skills, and solving real-world economic problems. Teams advance from local to state level, with state champions proceeding to the National Finals held in Atlanta, Georgia. The Finals provide an all-expense-paid trip (excluding travel), and top teams win cash prizes up to $1,000 for first place.

13. Kansas High School Investment Competition

The Kansas High School Investment Competition emphasizes deep company research and analytical writing over portfolio performance outcomes. You and your team will have to research a single publicly traded company, preparing three detailed reports over 90 days. You will also receive periodic feedback from judges who will read your work and provide constructive criticism, helping you improve your analysis. The final submission includes your recommendation to buy or sell the stock with supporting financial analysis and business case. The top five teams present your findings to a panel of industry professionals and university faculty at Kansas State University’s College of Business, giving you real practice presenting your ideas to expert audiences. 

14. Ascend Berkeley Stock Pitch Competition

The Ascend Berkeley Stock Pitch Competition is an equity research challenge in which you will analyze a publicly traded company and build a structured investment recommendation. You’ll examine financial statements, assess company performance, study industry conditions, and apply valuation concepts to form a clear thesis backed by evidence. The process also involves identifying major growth drivers and risks, then turning your analysis into both a written and presentation-based pitch. In the competition, you’ll present your recommendation to judges, defend your assumptions, and respond to questions about your reasoning. It begins with an open preliminary round, and the strongest teams advance to a global final round for deeper evaluation.

15. InvestWrite Competition

InvestWrite is an innovative writing competition specifically for students actively participating in The Stock Market Game, allowing you to deepen your learning by reflecting on investment concepts through essay writing. After managing your portfolio in The Stock Market Game, you will write essays about your investing decisions, demonstrating your understanding of key concepts like diversification, risk, asset allocation, and long-term investing strategy. Essays are evaluated on three criteria: (1) the strength of your investment rationale, (2) your understanding of the subject matter, and (3) your writing clarity and style. Volunteer judges with investment industry expertise review essays and select winners, providing meaningful feedback on your financial reasoning. 

One more option – Horizon Academic Research Program

If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like investigative journalism, media studies, political reporting, data journalism, and the ethics of news and information, consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs! This is a selective virtual research program that lets you engage in advanced research and develop a research paper on a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1,000+ high school students so far and offers 600+ research specializations for you to choose from. You can find the application link here!

Frequently Asked Questions 

What kinds of investment competitions are available to high school students?

You’ll find a mix of formats, including large-scale portfolio management challenges like the Wharton Global Investment Competition and Ithaca College’s Investment Competition, live stock pitch presentations like Wall Street South and the Global Stock Pitch Competition, and personal finance-focused challenges like the National Personal Finance Challenge and Bank of America’s Financial Skills Challenge. There are also school-integrated options like the Stock Market Game and InvestWrite, which pair investing simulation with classroom curriculum.

Do you need a team to participate?

Most of these competitions require you to compete as part of a team, typically ranging from 3 to 6 students. The Wharton Global Investment Competition requires teams of 4 to 6, Ithaca College’s competition requires 3 to 6, and the National Economics Challenge typically uses teams of 3. A few, like InvestWrite, are structured as individual essay submissions rather than team-based portfolio management.

Are there free options available?

Yes, several competitions on this list don’t charge a fee. The Wharton Global Investment Competition, the Capitol Hill Challenge, Ithaca College’s Investment Competition, the Stock Market Game, and the National Economics Challenge are all free to participate in. Others, like the Teen Investor Cup and Ascend Berkeley Stock Pitch Competition, do charge a registration fee.

Which competitions offer the largest cash prizes?

The Wall Street South Stock Pitch Competition distributes $10,000 in cash prizes among its top teams, and Ithaca College’s Investment Competition offers prizes of $1,000, $2,000, and $3,000 to its top three teams. Several others, including the National Personal Finance Challenge and National Economics Challenge, offer smaller prizes up to $1,000 for first place.

Which competitions focus on written analysis rather than live trading performance?

If you prefer research and analytical writing over managing a live portfolio, the Global Stock Pitch Competition, the Kansas High School Investment Competition, and the Ascend Berkeley Stock Pitch Competition all center on producing a detailed written stock pitch and defending it to judges. The Kansas competition in particular emphasizes analytical writing over portfolio performance, judging you on the quality of your research reports rather than investment returns.

Is there a way to pursue independent research instead of a team-based investment competition?

Yes. If you’d rather work one-on-one with a mentor on an original research project than compete in a team-based investment challenge, Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs pairs you with a professor or PhD scholar to develop a 20-page research paper you can submit for academic publication, across fields like economics, business, and data science. The program also provides a letter of recommendation and detailed feedback, and covers over 600 research specializations. You can find the application here.

When should you apply?

Deadlines for these competitions are spread throughout the year, so it helps to plan ahead. The Ascend Berkeley Stock Pitch Competition has an early priority deadline of November 15, followed by the Ithaca College Investment Competition (November 16) and Stevens Trading Day (December 1 to January 20). The Global Stock Pitch Competition and Kansas High School Investment Competition both run deadlines into February, while the Wharton Global Investment Competition opens registration in August for a fall competition. Since several of these, like the Bank of America Financial Skills Challenge and Stock Market Game, operate on a rolling or school-based schedule, it’s worth checking with your teacher or program coordinator for exact local timing.

Image source: Stevens Institute of Technology