TL;DR
Looking for a physics competition for high school students? These 15 competitions range from Olympiad-style exams and research competitions to hands-on engineering challenges, team science contests, and physics-focused innovation programs. Some test your problem-solving skills under time pressure, while others let you conduct research, build and test devices, or present original ideas. If you want a more independent research experience, Horizon Academic Research Program lets you work one-on-one with a professor or PhD mentor on your own research question and produce a college-level research paper.
If you’re a high school student interested in physics and want to see where your problem-solving, research, or technical skills stand compared with other students who share the same interest, a competition can be a useful way to test yourself. Depending on the competition, you may solve unfamiliar problems under time pressure, investigate a research question, build and test a physical device, or explain a scientific phenomenon using evidence. In this guide, we’ve included 15 physics competitions covering Olympiad-style exams, original research, team tournaments, engineering challenges, science competitions, and innovation projects. If you’re interested in going deeper into physics through research, this guide to physics research opportunities for high school students is another good place to start.
What are physics competitions for high school students?
Physics competitions for high school students are contests that test how well you can apply physics concepts, mathematical reasoning, experimentation, or scientific research. Some use written or multiple-choice exams covering areas such as mechanics, electromagnetism, thermodynamics, optics, waves, and modern physics. Others ask you to investigate an open-ended problem, present original research, build a device, or develop an engineering solution.
The format matters when you’re choosing one. A student who enjoys solving problems quickly may prefer the AAPT PhysicsBowl or Stevens Physics Olympiad, while someone who wants to conduct independent research may prefer Regeneron ISEF or Regeneron STS.
If you’re still deciding what kind of physics project you want to pursue, Horizon’s 20 Physics Research Topics for High School Students can help you narrow down possible areas of interest!
How do these physics competitions differ?
The competitions in this guide have very different entry points. The table below groups them by the kind of work you’ll actually do, which can make it easier to narrow your options if you’re deciding between an exam, research project, engineering challenge, or broader STEM competition.
| If you want to | Programs to consider | What you’ll do |
| Solve difficult physics problems | U.S. Physics Team / F=ma / USAPhO, AAPT PhysicsBowl, Stevens Physics Olympiad | Take timed physics exams |
| Conduct original research | Regeneron ISEF, Regeneron STS | Develop and present an original research project |
| Research physics as a team | USIYPT | Investigate assigned problems and defend your findings |
| Build physical devices | American Rocketry Challenge, State of Iowa Physics Competition | Design, build, test, and refine devices |
| Work with microgravity | NASA Drop Tower Challenge | Design and test a device under apparent weightlessness |
| Combine physics and photography | AAPT High School Physics Photo Contest | Photograph and explain a physical phenomenon |
| Compete across several sciences | National Science Bowl | Answer rapid-fire science questions as a team |
| Build an innovation project | Conrad Challenge, MIT THINK Scholars Program | Develop an engineering or technology solution |
| Imagine future technology | Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision | Research an existing technology and design a future version |
What types of physics competitions can you enter?
Physics competitions aren’t all testing the same thing. Some measure how quickly you can solve physics problems, while others give you weeks or months to investigate a question or build something. Understanding these formats can help you choose a competition that matches your current skills and the kind of work you actually want to do.
Physics Olympiads and timed exams
If you enjoy solving unfamiliar problems under time pressure, competitions such as the U.S. Physics Team / F=ma / USAPhO, AAPT PhysicsBowl, and Stevens Physics Olympiad are built around that format.
Research and science competitions
If you prefer investigating a question over a longer period, Regeneron ISEF, Regeneron STS, and USIYPT offer research-focused formats. You can also explore Horizon’s guide to research competitions for high school students if you’re looking for opportunities beyond physics specifically.
Engineering and hands-on challenges
Competitions such as the American Rocketry Challenge, State of Iowa Physics Competition, and NASA Drop Tower Challenge let you apply physics through design, construction, testing, and experimentation.
15 Physics Competitions for High School Students
1. U.S. Physics Team / F=ma / USAPhO
Location: Online exams with in-person proctoring at a U.S. location; U.S. Physics Team training camp at the University of Maryland
Cost: $75 per school ($37.50 for AAPT members) plus $15.50 per student
Program Dates: F=ma on February 12; USAPhO on April 10; USAPhO Plus on May 10; U.S. Physics Team training camp from May 30–June 9
Application Deadline: January 20
Eligibility: F=ma is open to U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, and students attending U.S. schools who are located in the U.S.; USAPhO requires U.S. citizenship or permanent residency and U.S. location
The U.S. Physics Team pathway starts with the F=ma exam, which focuses primarily on mechanics. If you advance, you can move on to the USAPhO, a more challenging written physics exam. The strongest performers may be invited to the U.S. Physics Team training process, where they prepare for international competition.
Best suited for: Students who enjoy difficult physics problems and want to pursue Olympiad-style competition.
2. AAPT PhysicsBowl
Location: Schools or other approved/proctored testing locations
Cost: $10 per student
Program Dates: March 18–April 3; schools select one testing day within this window
Application Deadline: February 23
Eligibility: High school students; Division I is for students taking their first physics course, while Division II is for students taking a second or later physics course or students who want a greater challenge
The AAPT PhysicsBowl is an international high school physics competition featuring a 40-question, 45-minute multiple-choice exam. Questions cover topics and concepts typically taught in high school physics, and schools compete in regional divisions. The exam can be administered online or using a printable PDF, but it must be proctored under the required supervision rules.
Best suited for: Students who want to test their physics knowledge through a timed Olympiad-style competition without completing a research project.
3. Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)
Location: Los Angeles, California
Cost: No direct participation cost for finalists’ families; affiliated fairs are responsible for finalist registration, travel, housing, and reasonable project-shipping expenses
Program Dates: May 8–14
Application Deadline: No individual deadline; students must qualify through an ISEF-affiliated science fair, which handles finalist registration and required paperwork
Eligibility: Students in grades 9–12 or equivalent who have not reached age 20 by May 1 preceding ISEF and qualify through an ISEF-affiliated science fair
Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) is a research competition rather than a traditional physics exam. If you’ve completed an original science or engineering research project, you can qualify through an ISEF-affiliated science fair and advance to the international fair. ISEF has 22 categories covering science, engineering, and mathematics, including Physics and Astronomy.
If you’re planning research specifically for a competition, Horizon’s guide to research competitions for high school students can help you understand the different formats before choosing one.
Best suited for: Students who already have substantial original research to present.
4. U.S. Invitational Young Physicists Tournament (USIYPT)
Location: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
Cost: Not specified
Program Dates: January 30–31
Application Deadline: Invitation-only
Eligibility: Teams of 3–4 students from the same high school, accompanied by at least one supervisory teacher
The U.S. Invitational Young Physicists Tournament is built around team research rather than a written exam. You and your teammates investigate four assigned physics problems, combining theoretical analysis with experiments. During the two-day tournament, teams present their work and defend their conclusions in live “Physics Fights,” where one team reports its findings and another team questions and critiques the work.
Best suited for: Students who enjoy collaborative physics research, experimentation, and defending scientific conclusions in discussion.
5. American Rocketry Challenge
Location: Qualification flights at sites across the U.S.; National Finals at Great Meadow, The Plains, Virginia
Cost: $195 team registration fee; teams selected for the National Finals pay an additional $395 Finals registration fee
Program Dates: Registration opens July 15; qualification flights run through April 4; National Finals on May 15
Application Deadline: December 6
Eligibility: Teams of 3–10 students in grades 6–12, with an adult team advisor
The American Rocketry Challenge is a year-long student engineering competition that turns physics and aerospace concepts into a hands-on design challenge. You and your teammates design, build, test, and launch a model rocket while working within strict performance and safety requirements. To qualify for the National Finals, teams must complete official qualification flights and rank among the top 100 teams based on their qualifying scores.
Best suited for: Students who enjoy designing, building, testing, and refining physical engineering systems rather than solving only written problems.
6. Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS)
Location: Washington, D.C., for finalists
Cost: Free
Program Dates: March 11–17
Application Deadline: November 5
Eligibility: Students in their final year of secondary school who live in and attend school in the U.S. or its territories; U.S. citizens living abroad may also qualify under the competition rules
Regeneron STS is designed around individual scientific research. You submit an original, independent research project along with the academic and application materials required by the competition. The competition selects 300 scholars, with 40 finalists invited to Washington, D.C., for the Regeneron Science Talent Institute. Physics projects can qualify as long as they meet the research and eligibility requirements.
Best suited for: High school seniors who have completed an original, independent research project and want to compete at the national level.
7. AAPT High School Physics Photo Contest
Location: International contest; photo submissions are made online, with the Top 100 photos judged at the AAPT Summer Meeting
Cost: $10 per photo for non-AAPT members; $5 for AAPT members
Program Dates: Annual contest running from March through May
Application Deadline: School/teacher registration deadline: May 15; students have until May 29 to upload their photo and essay
Eligibility: Students in grades 9–12 or equivalent international grade level
The AAPT High School Physics Photo Contest asks you to photograph a physical phenomenon and explain the physics behind it. You can enter either the Natural category, featuring phenomena found in the world around you, or the Contrived category, featuring phenomena created through an arrangement of materials or objects. AAPT selects 100 photos based on the quality of the photograph and the accompanying physics explanation, with the Top 100 displayed and judged at the following AAPT Summer Meeting.
Best suited for: Students who enjoy physics, photography, and explaining science visually.
8. Stevens Physics Olympiad
Location: Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey
Cost: Free
Program Dates: TBA
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12
The Stevens Physics Olympiad is a free, in-person competition covering a broad range of physics. The exam features 10–20 problems and may cover mechanics, electromagnetism, thermodynamics, quantum physics, optics and waves, and astronomy. The competition is designed to challenge high school students and expose them to different areas of physics.
Best suited for: Students in grades 9–12 who want a broad physics problem-solving challenge.
9. National Science Bowl
Location: Regional competitions across the U.S.; National Finals in Washington, D.C.
Cost: Varies by regional competition
Program Dates: Regional competitions run January–March; National Finals are April 29–May 3
Application Deadline: Registration opens October 5; Team 1 registration must be submitted by November 23; Individual regional events may have earlier deadlines.
Eligibility: High school teams of 4–5 students with a teacher or adult coach
The National Science Bowl is broader than a physics competition, but physics makes up an important part of its question set. Teams compete in a fast-paced buzzer format covering physics, chemistry, biology, Earth science, energy, mathematics, and other science topics. You need to answer quickly and work effectively with your teammates, which makes the experience quite different from an individual physics Olympiad.
Best suited for: Students who enjoy fast-paced team competitions across multiple science subjects.
10. University of Alabama High School Physics Contest
Location: University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Cost: Free
Program Dates: Typically late January
Application Deadline: Contest information is sent to schools in October each year
Eligibility: High school and homeschooled students at equivalent levels
The University of Alabama High School Physics Contest combines an individual written exam with a team ciphering competition. In the ciphering round, four-person teams solve physics problems under time pressure, with scores updated throughout the event. The contest also includes a teachers’ program, a physics show, a career panel, and opportunities to experience campus life at the University of Alabama.
Best suited for: Students who want both individual testing and team-based physics problem-solving.
11. State of Iowa Physics Competition
Location: University of Northern Iowa, Maucker Union, Cedar Falls, Iowa
Cost: Not specified
Program Dates: April 6
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12
The State of Iowa Physics Competition is built around five events: Catapult, Mousetrap Car, The Flying Machine, Optical Slalom, and Fermi Questions. You use everyday, inexpensive materials such as mousetraps, compact discs, rubber bands, and mirrors to build devices or complete physical challenges, while Fermi Questions ask you to estimate quantities that are difficult or impossible to measure directly. The competition has preliminary and final rounds on the same day, with the preliminary round determining which teams advance to the finals.
Best suited for: Students who enjoy hands-on physics, engineering, and building things.
12. NASA Drop Tower Challenge
Location: Remote participation; devices are tested at NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio
Cost: Free
Program Dates: Device preparation: January–February; devices must arrive at NASA by February 18; drop-tower testing takes place February–March; written reports are due May 1
Application Deadline: October 26
Eligibility: Students in grades 8–12 from eligible U.S. schools and organizations
The NASA Drop Tower Challenge: Fluid Shift asks student teams to design and build small devices that use wetting properties to move water during apparent weightlessness. Selected devices are sent to NASA Glenn Research Center and tested in its 2.2 Second Drop Tower, where they fall about 24 meters (79 feet). Teams analyze video and experimental results from their tests and submit a written report, with NASA anticipating selecting up to 30 teams for device testing.
Best suited for: Students who want to combine physics, engineering, experimentation, and space science.
13. Conrad Challenge
Location: Virtual during the Activation and Innovation stages; Innovation Summit at Space Center Houston, Houston, Texas
Cost: Free for Phase 1; $499 per team for the Innovation Stage; $499 per attendee for the Innovation Summit; financial aid is available
Program Dates: Activation Stage: August 27–October 29; Innovation Stage: October 29 –January 7; Innovation Summit: April 21–24
Application Deadline: Phase 1 ends October 29; Innovation Stage submissions are due January 7
Eligibility: Teams of 2–5 students ages 13–18 with an adult coach; international students can participate
The Conrad Challenge is a global STEM innovation competition rather than a dedicated physics contest. You work in a team to identify an important real-world problem and develop an original innovation to address it. The competition moves from brainstorming and problem definition in the Activation Stage to developing and presenting your innovation in the Innovation Stage, with selected finalists invited to showcase their work at the Innovation Summit at Space Center Houston.
Best suited for: Students who want to apply physics to engineering, sustainability, aerospace, or technology.
14. Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision
Location: Online, with Awards Week in Washington, D.C., for national winning teams
Cost: Free
Program Dates: Year long competition
Application Deadline: January 27
Eligibility: U.S. and Canadian citizens living in the United States, Canada, U.S. territories, or qualifying U.S. DoDEA schools abroad; high school teams compete in grades 10–12 and consist of 2–4 students with a coach
Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision asks teams to take an existing technology and imagine how it could develop at least 10 years into the future. You research the technology’s current state, identify the scientific advances needed, and develop a future version with your team. Physics-related projects can involve areas such as energy, optics, materials science, acoustics, and electromagnetism.
Best suited for: Students who like combining physics with technology, research, writing, and future-focused design.
15. MIT THINK Scholars Program
Location: Online, with an MIT component for finalists under the current program structure
Cost: Free
Program Dates: Annual application cycle
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Eligible high school students under the program’s current rules
The MIT THINK Scholars Program is built around science, technology, and engineering project proposals. The competition asks you to explain an idea, define your goals, and provide a realistic plan for completing it within one semester and a $1,000 budget. Physics projects are welcome alongside ideas in areas such as software, green technology, and practical engineering.
Best suited for: Students who have a strong research or engineering idea but haven’t completed the project yet.
How to choose a physics competition
If you’re deciding between competitions, start with the kind of experience you want. Some focus on timed problem-solving, while others require research, teamwork, engineering, or a project idea.
| Competition | Format | Research required? | Best for |
| U.S. Physics Team / F=ma / USAPhO | Timed exam | No | Olympiad-style problem solving |
| AAPT PhysicsBowl | Timed exam | No | High school physics testing |
| Regeneron ISEF | Research fair | Yes | Original research |
| USIYPT | Team research | Yes | Experimental physics |
| American Rocketry Challenge | Engineering | No | Building and testing |
| Regeneron STS | Research competition | Yes | Independent research |
| AAPT High School Physics Photo Contest | Photo + explanation | No | Physics and photography |
| Stevens Physics Olympiad | Timed exam | No | Broad physics problems |
| National Science Bowl | Team quiz | No | Fast-paced science |
| University of Alabama High School Physics Contest | Exam + team event | No | Individual and team physics |
| State of Iowa Physics Competition | Hands-on events | No | Physics and engineering |
| NASA Drop Tower Challenge | Engineering + experiment | No | Space physics |
| Conrad Challenge | Innovation project | No | STEM innovation |
| Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision | Future technology project | No | Physics and technology |
| MIT THINK Scholars Program | Project proposal | No | Early-stage research ideas |
FAQs
The right physics competition depends on what you want to test. AAPT PhysicsBowl and the U.S. Physics Team focus on physics problem-solving, while Regeneron ISEF and Regeneron STS focus on original research. Engineering-focused options include the American Rocketry Challenge and NASA Drop Tower Challenge.
You don’t need a completed research project for competitions such as AAPT PhysicsBowl, Stevens Physics Olympiad, or the University of Alabama High School Physics Contest. These competitions focus primarily on physics knowledge and problem-solving. The National Science Bowl is another option if you prefer a broader team science competition.
Regeneron ISEF and Regeneron STS are designed around original scientific research, while USIYPT uses team-based theoretical and experimental investigation. If you have a research idea but haven’t developed a full project yet, the MIT THINK Scholars Program and Horizon Academic Research Program are options to explore.
Yes. Several competitions on this list are free, including Regeneron STS, Stevens Physics Olympiad, the University of Alabama High School Physics Contest, NASA Drop Tower Challenge, Conrad Challenge during Phase 1, Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision, and the MIT THINK Scholars Program. Other competitions have individual, school, or team registration fees.
The American Rocketry Challenge asks teams to design, build, test, and launch model rockets. The State of Iowa Physics Competition has hands-on events involving devices and physical challenges. The NASA Drop Tower Challenge involves designing devices that are tested at NASA Glenn. The Conrad Challenge and Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision also allow physics-based engineering and technology projects.
You don’t apply directly to Regeneron ISEF. You first need to qualify through an ISEF-affiliated science fair. That fair handles the finalist registration and required paperwork. Eligible students are generally in grades 9–12 or equivalent and must meet the competition’s current age and research requirements.
Yes. You can start with a focused research question, develop a method, collect or analyze evidence, and write up your findings before looking for a suitable competition. Horizon’s 20 Physics Research Topics for High School Students is useful if you haven’t settled on a question yet. If you already have an idea and want structured mentorship, you can also explore the Horizon Academic Research Program.
More Resources for Physics and Research
If you’re exploring physics beyond competitions, these Horizon resources can help you decide what to do next:
- 20 Physics Research Topics for High School Students – ideas for turning a broad interest in physics into a focused research question.
- 14 Great Physics Research Opportunities for High School Students – research-focused opportunities specifically related to physics.
- 15 Research Competitions for High School Students – broader research competitions across different subjects.
- 21 STEM Competitions for High School Students – options beyond physics, including science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
- 15 Science Competitions for High School Students – broader science competitions if you want to explore subjects beyond physics.
- 15 University-led Physics Programs for High School Students – physics programs that offer academic and research exposure outside competitions.
- Best Online Research Programs for High School Students Globally – useful if you want research experience that doesn’t require relocating.
Want to take your physics interest into research?
A competition can show you what you enjoy, but you don’t have to stop there. If you’ve found a physics topic you want to investigate independently, the Horizon Academic Research Program gives high school students a structured way to work on research with mentorship. You can explore a subject in greater depth, develop a research question, and work toward a substantial research project rather than simply preparing for an exam.
Image source: University of Northern Iowa