Physics competitions for high school students range from individual problem-solving olympiads to team-based experimental challenges and research-driven contests. Depending on the competition, you might work through multi-stage theoretical exams covering classical mechanics, electromagnetism, thermodynamics, optics, and modern physics. You might also design and build a physical apparatus, run simulations using Python or MATLAB, analyze experimental data, or write a formal research paper defending an original investigation. Some competitions test your ability to solve complex problems under timed conditions, while others evaluate a months-long independent or team research project presented before a panel of expert judges.
Why should you participate in a physics competition?
Competing in a physics competition pushes you to engage with material well beyond what most high school curricula cover. You’ll develop fluency in applying mathematical frameworks, including calculus, differential equations, and linear algebra, to physical systems, and build hands-on experience with experimental design, error analysis, and scientific instrumentation. Many competitions also require proficiency in computational tools like Python or MATLAB for modeling and simulation, skills that are directly transferable to undergraduate research and engineering coursework. Strong performance in well-recognized competitions like the Physics Olympiad or the Regeneron Science Talent Search can open doors to national laboratories, university research placements, and merit-based scholarships. Even at the regional or semifinalist level, these competitions signal genuine technical depth to college admissions committees in ways that coursework alone cannot.
To help you find the right fit, we’ve shortlisted 15 physics competitions for high school students, ranging from accessible entry-level contests to some of the most selective science competitions in the country.
You can also check out these guides on broader science competitions or the best physics summer programs for high school students!
Key Takeaways
- Physics competitions for high school students span individual problem-solving olympiads, team-based experimental challenges, device-building contests, and long-term research competitions, giving you multiple formats to match your strengths
- Several competitions, including PhysicsBowl, the Stevens Physics Olympiad, and the University of Alabama Physics Contest, are free, accessible entry points that test foundational knowledge without requiring a finished research project
- High-stakes research competitions like Regeneron STS and Regeneron ISEF offer substantial prize money, with STS awarding $250,000 for first place and ISEF distributing roughly $4 million in total awards
- Many competitions emphasize hands-on engineering and design rather than pure theory, including the American Rocketry Challenge, the State of Iowa Physics Competition, and the NASA Drop Tower Challenge, which involve building and testing physical devices
15 Physics Competitions for High School Students
1. U.S. Physics Team / F=ma / USAPhO
Location: Online (F=ma and USAPhO exams); U.S. Physics Team Training Camp at the University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Cost/Prize: Free; Awards offered
Program Dates: F=ma Exam: February 12 | USAPhO Exam: April 10 | Training Camp: May 30 – June 9
Application Deadline: January 20
Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents currently attending a U.S. school and located within the U.S. to take the exams; Must not exceed age 20 of the competition year; Must be able to attend the full 10-day training camp
The U.S. Physics Team Program is a multi-round national competition co-sponsored by the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) and the American Institute of Physics (AIP). The competition runs in stages; you first take the F=ma exam, a multiple-choice test focused on mechanics, and if you advance, you’ll move on to the USAPhO, a more rigorous problem-solving exam. Top scorers from the USAPhO are then invited to a 10-day residential training camp at the University of Maryland, where you’ll work intensively with coaches and researchers to prepare for international competition. From that camp, a final team is selected to compete at the International Physics Olympiad, and a separate team competes at the European Physics Olympiad.
2. AAPT PhysicsBowl
Location: Various schools and testing centers across the U.S.
Cost/Prize: Free; Awards offered
Program Dates: March 18 – April 3
Application Deadline: February 23
Eligibility: High school students
The PhysicsBowl is an international multiple-choice competition organized by the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT). You’ll take a 40-question, 45-minute exam at your school, and your score is ranked against students in your regional division. The competition is split into two divisions: Division I is for first-year physics students, and Division II is for those in their second year, so you’re competing against students at a similar stage of their physics education. Your school’s team score is calculated from the top five individual scores, meaning strong performances contribute to school-level recognition as well. Specialized math and science schools compete in their own dedicated region. The exam covers topics from a standard high school physics course.
3. Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)
Location: Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix, AZ
Cost/Prize: Free; Awards offered
Program Dates: May 9 – 15
Application Deadline: Varies by affiliated fair; All affiliated fairs conclude by mid-April
Eligibility: 9th-12th graders; Must first compete at and qualify through a Regeneron ISEF-affiliated science fair in your area; Research must be no more than 12 months continuous and not performed more than 18 months before the ISEF event
Regeneron ISEF is one of the largest and most well-known pre-college science competitions in the world. For students doing original physics research, it’s one of the most credible stages at which to present that work. To compete at ISEF, you’ll first need to qualify through a Regeneron-affiliated local or regional science fair. ISEF itself is the final destination for those who place well enough at those qualifying events. Once there, projects are judged across 22 categories, with physics and astronomy being one of them. Each project is evaluated at least four times by expert judges, and category awards range from $600 for fourth place up to $6,000 for first. The top overall winner takes home $100,000, and the next two runners-up each receive $75,000. Beyond the main awards, the Special Awards program offers roughly $4 million in additional prizes, including tuition scholarships, summer internships, and lab equipment.
4. U.S. Invitational Young Physicists Tournament (USIYPT)
Location: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
Cost/Prize: $1,200 registration per team; Prizes not specified
Program Dates: January 30 – 31
Application Deadline: Invite-only basis
Eligibility: High school teams invited to compete
The USIYPT is a two-day physics tournament held at Caltech. You and your team will spend months before the tournament deeply researching four assigned physics problems, both theoretically and experimentally, and then defend your findings in live “Physics Fights” against other teams. A Physics Fight is structured like a competitive thesis defense, meaning your team will present its research, and an opposing team will engage you in a rigorous scientific conversation. A jury of judges will then evaluate how well both sides understand the theory, interpret the experimental evidence, and advance the discussion. The tournament runs through six or seven preliminary rounds followed by final rounds, with scoring weighted more heavily toward the reporting team than the opposing team.
5. American Rocketry Challenge (ARC)
Location: Qualifying flights at your local site; National Finals in the Washington, D.C. area
Cost/Prize: $175 registration per team; $100,000 offered in prizes
Program Dates: Qualification flights: July 15 – March 30 | National Finals: May 16
Application Deadline: December 6 (registration); March 30 (qualification flight submissions)
Eligibility: Teams of 3-10 students currently enrolled in grades 6-12; A team must be from a single school or a single U.S.-incorporated non-profit youth organization; Teams must be supervised by a school-approved adult
The American Rocketry Challenge is the largest student rocket competition in the world. Your team’s goal is to design, build, and launch a model rocket that carries one large hen egg to exactly 750 feet, stays airborne for between 36 and 39 seconds, and returns to the ground safely with the egg intact, all within a rocket that meets strict size and weight requirements. Teams fly their rockets in front of a certified observer from the National Association of Rocketry at least twice during the qualification window, and the combined score from your two best flights determines whether you advance. The top 100 scoring teams are invited to the National Finals, where first place earns $20,000 for the team and $1,000 for the school, with awards extending through tenth place. Alongside the main competition, there are optional parallel challenges, including a Mission Debriefing Challenge and a Rocket Reels Challenge, each with its own prize tracks.
6. Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS)
Location: Washington, D.C.
Cost/Prize: Free; $250,000 first-place prize
Program Dates: Finals Week: March 5 – 11 | Public Exhibition: March 8 | Winners Announced: March 10
Application Deadline: June 1 – November 5
Eligibility: High school seniors in the U.S. or its territories; U.S. citizens living abroad also qualify
Regeneron STS is the oldest science research competition for high school seniors in the United States. The competition recognizes 300 students as scholars annually, with each scholar and their school receiving an award. From that pool, 40 finalists are invited to Washington, D.C. for finals week, where they present their research publicly, meet with scientists and government leaders, and compete for a share of $3.1 million in total awards. Alumni of the competition have gone on to earn thirteen Nobel Prizes, which gives you a sense of the caliber of research the competition has historically recognized.
7. AAPT High School Physics Photo Contest
Location: Online
Cost/Prize: Free; Awards offered
Program Dates: Registration and submission: March 2 – May 15
Application Deadline: May 15
Eligibility: 9th-12th graders or equivalent international grade level
The AAPT High School Physics Photo Contest is an international competition that asks you to submit a photograph that captures a physical phenomenon, along with a written explanation of the physics behind it. There are two categories: Natural, for phenomena you find occurring in the world around you, and Contrived, for setups you deliberately engineer or arrange to create a specific physical effect. Entries are judged in two stages; first, a committee of physics teachers reviews all submissions and selects 100 photos based on the quality of both the image and the written explanation. Those 100 finalists are then displayed and judged at the AAPT Summer Meeting to determine the final winners. First place earns a $100 cash prize and a certificate, with second and third place receiving $75 and $50, respectively. The teachers of the top three winners also receive a $100 Vernier gift certificate.
8. Stevens Physics Olympiad
Location: Stevens Institute of Technology, New Jersey
Cost/Prize: Free; Awards not specified
Program Dates: May 30
Application Deadline: Pre-registration required (day-of registration not accepted)
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12
The Stevens Physics Olympiad is a free, in-person physics competition. The exam features between 10 and 20 problems spanning mechanics, electromagnetism, thermodynamics, quantum physics, optics, wave phenomena, and astronomy. The competition runs for two and a half hours, and all you are required to do is register in advance through an online DocuSign form. The organizing team notes that scores may look lower than expected given the difficulty level of the problems, so the competition is worth approaching as a genuine learning benchmark rather than just a ranking exercise.
9. National Science Bowl (NSB)
Location: Regional competitions held nationwide; National Finals in Washington, D.C.
Cost/Prize: Free; Awards not specified
Program Dates: Regional competitions: January – March | National Finals: April 30 – May 4
Application Deadline: Regional registration opens October 6; Deadlines vary by region
Eligibility: High school students forming teams of four students, one alternate, and one teacher-coach
The National Science Bowl is a DOE-sponsored academic competition and is one of the largest science competitions in the country. Teams of four students face off in a fast-paced buzzer-style question-and-answer format, competing across subjects including physics, biology, chemistry, Earth science, energy, and mathematics. The pathway starts at a regional competition; there are 65 high school regional tournaments held between January and March each year, with the winning team from each region earning an all-expenses-paid trip to the National Finals in Washington, D.C. At the national level, rounds run on two 10-minute halves, and questions are notably more difficult. Beyond the competition itself, the national event includes science seminars, hands-on activities, and sightseeing in D.C.
10. University of Alabama High School Physics Contest
Location: University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL
Cost/Prize: Free; Awards may be offered
Program Dates: January 30
Application Deadline: Registration forms due by the Thursday before the contest; Contest information is sent to schools each October
Eligibility: High school students and home-schooled students at equivalent levels; Any number of students may be entered in the written exam; Ciphering teams must have 4 members and are divided into 5 divisions: small public high schools, large public high schools, private high schools, small magnet high schools, and large magnet high schools
The University of Alabama High School Physics Contest is a university-hosted physics competition that draws schools from Alabama and surrounding states every January. The competition has two parts: an individual written exam covering introductory physics topics and a team ciphering competition in which four-student teams race to solve problems under strict time pressure. In the ciphering round, each of the four team members takes turns answering four questions each. Scores are projected live on screen and updated in real time after each question, which makes for a genuinely competitive atmosphere. Beyond the competition itself, the day includes a career panel where professionals from industry, government, and universities speak with students, a program for teachers, a physics show, and informal time on campus. The top two finishers in the written exam who choose to attend the University of Alabama receive four-year in-state tuition scholarships, and top performers across both events are eligible to apply for the E. Scott Barr scholarship program, which awards $1,200 per year to students majoring in physics.
11. State of Iowa Physics Competition
Location: Maucker Union, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA
Cost/Prize: $3 per student; Awards offered
Program Dates: April 7
Application Deadline: April 4
Eligibility: High school students; Each school may bring up to 3 entries per event; Only a school’s highest-scoring event team per event advances to the final round
The State of Iowa Physics Competition is a hands-on, device-building contest held annually at the University of Northern Iowa, supported by the UNI Department of Physics and the Iowa American Association of Physics Teachers. You and your team spend the competition designing, building, and operating devices to meet specific physical challenges across five events: Catapult, Mousetrap Car, The Flying Machine, Optical Slalom, and Fermi Questions. The competition runs in two rounds on the same day, a preliminary round in the morning and a final round in the afternoon, with the top ten teams per event from different schools advancing to the finals. Medals go to the top three finishes in each event, and trophies and medals are awarded to students from the top three overall school teams in the final round.
12. NASA Drop Tower Challenge
Location: Online; Selected devices are tested at NASA’s 2.2 Second Drop Tower at Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH
Cost/Prize: Free; Travel support of $500 offered; Awards not specified
Program Dates: Testing: February – March; Reports due: May 1; ASGSR conference in fall
Application Deadline: Check the website for the current cycle’s deadline
Eligibility: 8th-12th graders from U.S. schools, including the fifty states, tribal nations, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and all DoDEA schools; Each student may belong to only one team, and each team may submit only one proposal
The NASA Drop Tower Challenge is an annual design challenge where teams create paddle wheels engineered to rotate in water using only the wetting properties of their surfaces, no mechanical movement allowed. The twist is that the rotation has to result entirely from hydrophilic or hydrophobic surface properties, and it has to work in microgravity, because NASA drops the devices 24 meters (79 feet) in their 2.2 Second Drop Tower to simulate apparent weightlessness. You’ll start by submitting a proposal with conceptual drawings and a short entry form. If selected, you’ll build your paddle wheels and ship them to NASA for testing. Up to 30 teams are selected for testing each year, and historically, nearly 100% of proposing teams have been selected. A small number of top-performing teams are then invited to present their results at the annual meeting of the American Society for Gravitational and Space Research (ASGSR).
13. The Conrad Challenge
Location: Virtual (phases one and two); Innovation Summit @ Space Center Houston, Houston, TX
Cost/Prize: Free ($499 for the Innovation Summit); Awards offered
Program Dates: Phase One (Activation Stage): August 28 – October 30 | Phase Two (Innovation Stage): October 31 – January 8 | Phase Three (Innovation Summit): April 22 – 25
Application Deadline: January 8
Eligibility: High school students competing in teams from anywhere in the world
The Conrad Challenge is a global student innovation competition where teams design a solution to a real-world problem across one of five categories: The Water Challenge, Health and Nutrition, Energy and Environment, Cyber Technology and Security, and Aerospace and Aviation. For students interested in physics, the Energy and Environment and Aerospace and Aviation categories offer a direct path to competing with physics-grounded projects involving energy systems, propulsion, sustainability engineering, or aerospace design. The competition moves through three phases: the Activation Stage, where teams form and define their problem; the Innovation Stage, where you’ll develop your solution; and the Innovation Summit, where finalists present in person. Only Innovation Stage finalists advance to the Summit. Winning teams receive an all-expenses-paid trip to world-renowned STEM institutions, support from intellectual property lawyers for patent filing, and academic scholarships. The competition emphasizes entrepreneurship and leadership alongside technical innovation.
14. Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision
Location: Online; Awards Weekend in Washington, D.C.
Cost/Prize: Free; Prizes offered
Program Dates: Regional Winners Announced: March 12 | National Winners Announced: April 28 | ExploraVision Awards Weekend: June 3 – 6
Application Deadline: February 9
Eligibility: Students in K-12 enrolled in public, private, or home school in the U.S. or Canada; Students compete in teams of 2-4 with a teacher or coach; The high school category is grades 10-12; Each team may only submit one project per year
ExploraVision is one of the largest K-12 science competitions in the world, and for high school students interested in physics and technology, it offers a genuinely different kind of challenge. You and your team pick a real technology, investigate its current scientific principles and limitations, and then design a vision for what that technology could look like 10 or more years from now. Your written project walks through the present state of the technology, its history, your future vision, and the scientific breakthroughs required to get there. Physics-grounded projects involving optics, energy systems, acoustics, materials science, or electromagnetism. Regional judging is done by NSTA district judges and Ph.D. scientists from NASA, NIH, NSF, and the FDA. Twenty-four regional winning teams advance to national judging, and eight finalist teams attend the ExploraVision Awards Weekend in Washington, D.C.
15. MIT THINK Scholars Program
Location: Online
Cost/Prize: Free; finalists receive up to $1,000 in project funding
Program Dates: Applications typically open in late fall and close in early winter
Application Deadline: January 1
Eligibility: Full-time high school students with a permanent U.S. address; Students may apply individually or as a team of two
The MIT THINK Scholars Program is run by MIT undergraduates as part of MIT TechX. The program asks you to submit a 10-page research or innovation proposal outlining a problem you want to investigate, the science or engineering behind it, and a realistic plan for completing the work within a semester. Physics-grounded projects are entirely within scope; past proposals have spanned areas from green technology and energy systems to engineering and biomedical applications. If you’re selected as a finalist, you’ll receive up to $1,000 in funding to carry out your project, weekly mentorship meetings with MIT undergraduate mentors who will help you troubleshoot and refine your work, and an all-expenses-paid four-day trip to MIT’s campus, where you’ll tour research labs, meet with faculty, and present your findings. Finalists, semifinalists, and commended students are all publicly listed on the MIT THINK website.
One more option – Horizon Academic Research Program
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, and chemistry, 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 1000+ 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 are physics competitions for high school students?
Physics competitions for high school students are structured contests that test understanding of physical concepts through written exams, experimental design, device-building challenges, or original research presentations. Formats range from timed multiple-choice tests like PhysicsBowl to multi-month research projects evaluated by expert judges, such as Regeneron STS.
Do I need advanced physics knowledge to enter these competitions?
It depends on the competition. PhysicsBowl Division I and the University of Alabama Physics Contest are designed for first-year physics students working with introductory material. More advanced competitions like the U.S. Physics Team Program and the Stevens Physics Olympiad cover topics including quantum physics, thermodynamics, and electromagnetism, requiring stronger preparation. Research-based competitions like Regeneron STS and ISEF require a completed, original investigation rather than testing on standard curriculum content.
Are there free physics competitions for high school students?
Yes. PhysicsBowl, Regeneron ISEF, Regeneron STS, the AAPT High School Physics Photo Contest, the Stevens Physics Olympiad, the National Science Bowl, the University of Alabama Physics Contest, the NASA Drop Tower Challenge, the Conrad Challenge, ExploraVision, and MIT THINK Scholars are all free to enter. A few competitions, like USIYPT and the American Rocketry Challenge, do charge a team registration fee.
Which physics competitions involve building and testing physical devices?
The American Rocketry Challenge has teams design and launch a model rocket to precise altitude and timing specifications. The State of Iowa Physics Competition includes hands-on events like Catapult, Mousetrap Car, and Optical Slalom. The NASA Drop Tower Challenge requires building paddle wheels that rotate using only surface tension properties, tested in NASA’s actual microgravity drop tower facility.
How do I qualify for Regeneron ISEF as a physics student?
You first need to compete at and qualify through a Regeneron ISEF-affiliated local or regional science fair, since ISEF itself is the culminating event rather than an open-entry competition. Your physics research must be no more than 12 months of continuous work and not performed more than 18 months before the ISEF event. Once qualified, projects are judged in the physics and astronomy category alongside 21 other scientific categories.
Which physics competitions support students who don’t yet have a finished research project?
MIT THINK Scholars Program is specifically designed for students with a research idea rather than a completed project, providing funding, mentorship, and a campus visit to help you carry the work forward. The Conrad Challenge similarly moves through phases that start with problem definition before developing a full solution, making it accessible to students earlier in their research process.
When should I register for physics competitions?
Deadlines are spread throughout the year. MIT THINK Scholars closes January 1, and the U.S. Physics Team application closes January 20. PhysicsBowl closes February 23, and ExploraVision closes February 9. The Conrad Challenge closes January 8, and the American Rocketry Challenge registration closes December 6. Regeneron STS has a long window from June through November. Reviewing competition calendars in late summer helps you plan research timelines and registration deadlines well in advance.
Image Source: University of Northern Iowa