10 Economics Competitions for High School Students
- Stephen Turban
- Jan 16, 2023
- 7 min read
Updated: Mar 25
In the last few decades, there’s been a steady increase in the number of economics majors.
For those looking to study economics at a top university, competing and winning economics-oriented competitions is one way to stand out. You’ll expose yourself to incredible problem-solving opportunities, network with high-caliber peers and have a shot at impressing admissions officers. Note that the following information is based on the most recent program, with dates subject to change but generally similar from year to year.
In this blog, we list out 10 economics competitions for you to consider. We’ve included investment challenges, essay writing competitions, and Olympiads.
Eligibility: Students from any country enrolled in high school (as of December 31) can apply. More details on eligibility here!
Location: Virtual
Program dates: Submissions open March 9, winners announced on May 17.
Submission deadline: April 26. Apply here!
Prizes: Winners will receive a total of $11,000 in cash prizes and scholarships.
The Lumiere Scholars Essay Award is an international essay competition open to high school students (grades 9 to 12) worldwide. 6 winners (1 Gold, 2 Silvers, 3 Bronzes) will share more than $11,000 in cash prizes and scholarships. Prompts are contributed by professors from Oxford, Cambridge, Columbia, Brown, and Dartmouth.
As a participant, you will choose one of the five prompts and submit an argumentative essay on the chosen question. Submissions should be formal academic essays, in English, featuring a clear central argument, well-organized reasoning, use of relevant sources, and thoughtful analysis of opposing perspectives. Entries are judged on five criteria: originality, analysis, evidence, structure, and presentation.
The award seeks well-reasoned, research-based argumentative essays rather than original research papers. You are not expected to conduct primary data collection or advanced data analysis to submit.
Eligibility: Students from any country enrolled in high school (grades 9–12) can apply.
Location: Virtual
Competition dates: Submissions open March 23, winners announced on May 16.
Submission deadline: April 26. Submit your essay here!
Prizes: Winners will receive up to $2,490 in scholarships toward any Veritas AI program.
Singularity: AI Essay Contest is an international essay competition where high school students write about the future of AI - its risks, its possibilities, and what it means for the world. Prompts are contributed and judged by researchers from MIT, Yale, and Oxford. Free to enter and open worldwide, winners receive up to $2,490 in scholarships to any Veritas AI programs.
Visit https://www.veritasai.com/singularity-ai-essay-contest for more info.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Prizes: Top entries will receive cash prizes up to $1000 and full scholarships to the Horizon Academic Research Program. Select essays will be published and featured on Horizon’s website.
Contest dates: Winners announced on March 1st
Application deadline: February 1st. Apply here!
Eligibility: Students from any country enrolled in high school (as on September 1st, 2026) can apply. More details on eligibility here!
The Horizon Academic Essay Prize is a selective essay contest for high school students from around the world. Each essay will be evaluated by Horizon’s Academic Advisory Board, composed of faculty from top institutions like Yale, Harvard, Oxford, and Cambridge. The theme for the 2026 edition is “The Pursuit of Progress”, and requires participants to submit a well-researched essay. Last year ~ 2,000 students entered from around the world, and winners were awarded $474.5K in cash prizes and scholarships.
Submissions must take the form of a formal academic essay, written in English, and should include a clear thesis, structured argumentation, engagement with relevant sources, and critical analysis of competing viewpoints. The competition encourages depth over breadth, and will reward essays that pursue a well-defined line of inquiry with originality and nuance. Entries are judged on five criteria: originality, depth of analysis, use of evidence, structure and coherence, and clarity of language.
Aimed at furthering literacy in the subjects of finance and economics, the IEO, or International Economics Olympiad is an opportunity you should consider. The Olympiad tests students on their logical thinking, creative application, and problem-solving skills in economics and finance, along with a business case presentation.
Tip: IEO's study materials make for an excellent reference while prepping for the Olympiad.
Dates: July 26 - August 1
Application Deadline: 31 May
Location: Virtual
Prizes: Medals, statutes, special prizes
Eligibility: The competition is open to students from all around the world, make sure to check your eligibility here!
An international competition aimed at fostering better engagement with economics and its development in a global society, the World Economics Cup tests students on a variety of topics across various formats. The competition is a great way to understand pure economics and solve problems using economics concepts.
You must register for the WEC as a team from a school and go through 3+ rounds of MCQs on basic concepts of micro and macroeconomics, material-based objective questions, as well as team presentations.
The WEC does not merely test students on the basis of pre-learned information, which varies from country to country, but provides enough academic guidance and background knowledge in the competition beforehand.
Dates: November 12-13
Application Deadline: Applications are currently open on the WEC website
Location: Virtual
Prizes: Medals
Eligibility: All high school students
Sponsored by the Council for Economic Education, the National Economics Challenge (NEC) sees participation from almost 10,000 students every year!
Apart from key micro and macroeconomic principles, you are also tested on your knowledge of global economics. Once you qualify for the First Round National Challenge and National Semi-Final Level after participating in the NEC in your state, your team is rewarded with a fully-funded trip to NYC, where you will challenge teams from other states.
Dates: State-wise dates vary, the National Semifinals is from April 24-28 and the National Finals is from May 20-22
Application Deadline: Varies from state to state
Location: State-wise, National Semifinals, and Finals are held in NYC
Prizes: Cash prizes of up to $1,000, awards
Eligibility: All high school students residing in the US
Another prestigious event organized by the Council for Economic Education, the National Personal Finance Challenge aims to educate students on financial literacy and test their application of personal finance concepts and skills in their day-to-day lives.
The NPFC sees over 20,000 students participate every year! As part of the competitions, you will be taught about earning income, spending, saving, investing, managing credit, and managing risk. Once you qualify for state-level rounds, the National Finals will be as follows - your team will be given a fictitious family scenario, and you have to prepare and present a personal finance plan to a panel of judges.
If you're just starting out as a finance enthusiast or budding economist, feel free to check out this free toolkit offered by the CEE.
Dates: Varies from state to state, National Finals will be held on June 4-5
Application Deadline: Varies from state to state, you can access state-wise applications here
Location: Varies for state-level rounds, National Finals will be held in Cleveland, Ohio
Prizes: Cash prizes of up to $2,000 for each team member
Eligibility: All high school students residing in the US
8. InvestWrite
InvestWrite is geared at testing students' understanding of financial concepts and clearly communicating them to an audience of industry experts. As a participant, you are required to submit an essay (of not more than 1000 words) based on the Stock Market Game program, a tool to help students learn the basics of investing and financial markets.
You are judged based on how clear your understanding of the topic is, how concisely you've delivered it, as well as how sound the critical analysis of your essay topic is. This can be a great choice for you if your strength is in written research and articulating findings on paper!
If selected, your essay is sent for a National Round and an International Round.
Dates: To be announced in January
Application Deadline: Early January for Spring entries
Location: Virtual submission
Prizes: Certificates, gift cards
Eligibility: Students from Grades 9-12 can participate
An annual challenge held at Northwestern University, the Northwestern Economics Tournament (NET) challenges students on their knowledge of AP level Microeconomics and Macroeconomics, economic history, current events, and modern economic research through both individual and team-based rounds.
The NET invites hundreds of bright high schoolers from around the country, and is divided into two rounds - an asynchronous, team-based Power Round, and an in-person Econ Bowl. Alongside the challenge, you will also engage with professors and students from NWU, and attend lectures. Students are encouraged to participate in the NET, regardless of their prior exposure to economics!
Dates: March 28 - April 2
Application Deadline: January 17
Location: Virtual/NWU Campus
Prizes: Cash Prizes
Eligibility: Open to all high-school students
Note: Here are some sample questions that can help you prepare for the challenge!
A highly prestigious economics competition hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the High School Fed Challenge challenges students to author research in economics and gives them a chance to get published in the Journal of Future Economists.
Students are encouraged to work as a team and focus on honing their teamwork, research, data literacy, and analytical writing. The competition is as follows - every year, participants are given a theme and must pursue research and analysis on any topic related to the theme. Submissions of their academic papers will be judged by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
The winning team will have its papers published in one of the most coveted Economics journals in the country, as well as recognition.
Dates: March 15
Application Deadline: February 15
Location: Virtual
Prizes: Publication and recognition in the Journal of Future Economists.
Eligibility: All high school students are eligible to apply
You can also check out other competitions open to high school students, such as the Economics Poster Competition, Pirates Pitch Competition for High School Students, Capitol Hill Challenge, and University of Texas at Dallas Top Trader Competition.
One other option—the Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you’re interested in pursuing independent research in economics, consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4,000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.
Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.