15 Physics Competitions for Middle School Students
- Stephen Turban
- Sep 10
- 10 min read
Updated: Oct 5
If you are passionate about physics, one way to challenge yourself and see how you stack up against other students is by participating in competitions.
Physics competitions let you test your skills in ways that go beyond regular classwork. They often include written problems, experiments, or team challenges that show how well you can apply concepts and solve problems. Many competitions also give you a taste of how physics is used in research or industry.
For middle school students thinking about physics or engineering in the future, competitions are a short, cost-friendly way to test your skills and explore different topics. They can also strengthen your academic profile and show teachers and future schools what you can do.
To make it easier, we’ve put together a list of 15 physics competitions for middle school students!
Submission deadline: December 14
Eligibility: Middle school students in grades 6 - 8
Cost: Free
Prize: More than $11,000 in cash prizes and scholarships
The Junior Scholars Essay Contest invites students in grades 6 to 8 to wrestle with big questions, challenge common assumptions, and make their case with creativity and evidence.
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.
Essays are reviewed by a panel of distinguished professors and researchers from Cambridge, Oxford, Columbia, Brown, and Dartmouth. 6 winners (1 Gold, 2 Silver, and 3 Bronze) will share a total of more than $11,000 in cash prizes and scholarships, besides many scholarships for top submissions.
Location: Varies by region
Cost: $60–$100, depending on state
Dates: Regional and state tournaments vary in dates, but the national tournament will be held on May 23–24
Application Deadline: Varies by competition
Eligibility: All 6th to 9th graders in middle school: You will be organized into teams. Check more details here.
Science Olympiad is a team competition where you get to explore science in a hands-on, exciting way. If you're in middle or high school, you can join a team and compete in events that cover physics, biology, chemistry, engineering, and earth science. Some events ask you to build things like bridges or flying devices, while others involve solving science problems or doing experiments. Competitions happen at different levels like regional, state, and national and each one has a mix of events that change every year. If you’re into physics, you might really enjoy events like Optics or Air Trajectory, where you can test your skills and learn even more.
Location: Virtual; you have to submit project proposals online. National champions are invited to the National STEM Festival in Washington, D.C in June
Cost: Free
Dates: National STEM Festival typically held in June
Application Deadline: Submission closes November 12
Eligibility: Students in grades 7-12 who are enrolled in U.S. public, private, or home schools
National STEM Challenge is a nationwide competition for middle and high school students where you design a solution to a real-world problem using science or engineering. You choose a theme like Power the Planet, Space Innovation, or Tech for Good, and submit a three-page PDF explaining your project. Projects that include experiments or engineering design tend to score higher than purely theoretical ones. Each year, around 200 students are selected as National Champions and invited to Washington, D.C. for the National STEM Festival. There, you present your work and meet STEM professionals. The event is co-hosted by the U.S. Department of Education and EXPLR.
Location: Local schools and virtual for the National Olympiad
Cost: Free
Dates: Phase one is Fall (Oct 23) at each school. The top five from each school move to the national phase in Spring (Apr 23).
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Open to grades 6–8. Only the top 3 students from each school advance to the national round
The U.S. Physics Olympiad by Physcira is a national competition just for middle school students like you who want to explore physics in a fun and challenging way. The Olympiad has two parts. First, you’ll compete in a school-level round, which is held right at your school and supervised by a teacher or coach. If you’re one of the top performers, you’ll move on to the national round, which takes place in the spring. Both rounds are free to enter, and all the test materials are provided by the organizers. You’ll be tested on core physics topics like mechanics, electricity, and magnetism.
Location: Each region will have a Regional Championship
Cost: $200
Dates: Local qualifying events (October-March), Regional championship (April-June)
Application Deadline: December 19
Eligibility: Students ages 10-18
The REC Foundation Aerial Drone Competition is a national STEM event where you work in teams to pilot drones through obstacle courses, complete autonomous flight missions, and solve real-world challenges. You learn flight principles like lift, thrust, drag, gravity, and momentum while applying physics and programming to score points. The competition includes piloting, coding, documentation, and communication tasks. You also take part in interviews with judges and maintain a logbook of your work.
Location: Qualifying rounds: Online | Grand Final competition: Barcelona
Cost: Varies depending on the grade and topic
Dates: Qualifying exams: November-March | Final: July 9 - July 15
Application Deadline: April 1
Eligibility: Grade 1-12 students are eligible. Participant must register according to their current grades
The International STEM Olympiad is a global online competition for students in grades 1–12. You take part in multidisciplinary challenges that blend science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, with many tasks focused on physics. You’ll apply concepts like motion, energy, electricity, magnetism, and forces to solve real-world problems through virtual experiments and data analysis. The competition is structured in progressive rounds, starting with online qualifiers and leading to a global final in cities like Barcelona, Paris, or New York.
Location: California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Awards totaling over $30,000 are distributed, including cash prizes in various categories.
Dates: April 12 - April 13
Application Deadline: Vary by region but generally fall in mid to late March
Eligibility: Students throughout the State of California in grades 6-12
The California Science & Engineering Fair is the final statewide competition for students in grades 6–12 who advance from regional and county fairs. If you’re selected, you’ll present your original research to professional judges at the state level, competing alongside hundreds of students from across California. You can choose from a wide range of disciplines, including physics and astronomy. If your project focuses on forces, motion, energy, or other physics topics, you’ll be evaluated for creativity, clarity, and scientific rigor. Standout entries in physics receive recognition, and top winners in the senior division may qualify for national competitions like the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair.
Location: The Final will be organised in Washington D.C.
Cost: $25 Registration Fee
Dates: The competition is typically held in January or February
Application Deadline: Typically in October
Eligibility: Open to students in grades 6–8, including public, private, homeschool, and youth organizations
The Future City Competition is a nationwide STEM contest where you, as a middle school student, work in teams to design a city of the future. You’ll tackle real-world challenges like sustainability, transportation, energy, and infrastructure, using engineering and physics principles to bring your ideas to life. You’ll apply physics thinking throughout your project, especially in structural design, energy systems, and environmental modeling. To compete, you’ll write an essay, build a scale model (often using recycled materials), create a project plan, and present your city to a panel of judges.
Location: Qualifying rounds: Online | National Championship: Hyatt Regency Orlando.
Cost: No cost for ORQE. The cost to compete in the Regionals of the National Science Bee is $49 per tournament, with a $10 surcharge if registered after the deadline.
Dates: The Online Regional Qualifying Exam (ORQE) is available in the fall. Regional Finals take place between October and May. The National Championships occur on Memorial Day weekend
Application Deadline: 12 days in advance of each tournament
Eligibility: Elementary and middle school students
The National Science Bee is a buzzer-based academic quiz competition where you, as a student in grades K–8, can test your science knowledge in a fast-paced, fun environment. You’ll answer questions across life science, earth science, chemistry, astronomy, and physics including topics like forces, motion, electricity, light, and space science, all tailored to your grade level. To qualify, you start with the free Online Regional Qualifying Exam (ORQE), available each fall. If you pass, you move on to regional tournaments held online or in person, where you compete in buzzer rounds. Top finishers advance to the National Championships, held annually over Memorial Day weekend in Orlando.
Location: Regional rounds are held in different locations every year. Science Bowl Finals are held in Washington, DC.
Cost/Stipend: No cost
Dates: April 30 - May 4
Application Deadline: Registration opens in October
Eligibility: Middle and high school students
The National Science Bowl is one of the most prestigious science competitions in the U.S., organized by the Department of Energy. If you're in middle or high school, you can join a team of 4–5 students to compete in fast-paced quiz rounds that test your knowledge of physics, chemistry, biology, math, earth science, and energy. You start by competing in one of 65 high school or 50 middle school regional tournaments. If your team wins, you’ll earn an all-expenses-paid trip to the national finals in Washington, D.C., held in late April or early May. The format is buzzer-based, and you’ll need quick recall, teamwork, and deep understanding of scientific concepts, including mechanics, electricity, and energy systems in physics.
11. AAPT PhysicsBowl
Location: Participating schools or authorized test centers worldwide
Cost: PhysicsBowl exams are $10 per student. You will need five students to qualify for the team competition
Dates: March 19 - April 4
Application Deadline: February 24
Eligibility: Primarily for high school students, but K–12 students may participate if they are ready for high school-level physics
The AAPT PhysicsBowl is a national physics competition for high school students and exceptional middle schoolers, organized by the American Association of Physics Teachers. You’ll take a 45-minute multiple-choice exam with 40 questions that test your understanding of mechanics, waves, optics, electricity and magnetism, thermodynamics, and modern physics. You compete in one of two divisions. Division I is for first-year physics students, while Division II is for students who have taken more advanced coursework. Each division answers a different set of questions from a shared master exam.
Location: Online
Cost: Free
Dates: January 8 - May 1 | Final round: October
Application Deadline: May 1
Eligibility: Students in grades 5-8
The Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge is a national competition for students in grades 5–8. You enter by making a 1–2 minute video with your original idea to solve a real-world problem. Judges look at creativity, science knowledge, and how clearly you explain. If you’re chosen as one of ten finalists, you get summer mentorship from a 3M scientist. In the fall, you present at the 3M Innovation Center in Minnesota for a chance to win $25,000 and the title of “America’s Top Young Scientist”. Even though physics isn’t a separate category, many projects involve physics concepts like energy, forces, motion, and materials science, especially in areas like robotics, automotive technology, and climate solutions.
Location: Randall Museum, San Francisco, CA
Cost: Not specified
Dates: Public Science Festival: March 22
Application Deadline: Project drop off: March 10
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8
San Francisco Middle School Science Fair at the Randall Museum lets you present original research in a public setting. You follow the Scientific Method: form a hypothesis, run experiments, analyze results, and defend your work to judges who are scientists and educators. If your project involves people, animals, or controlled substances, you need approval from the Scientific Review Committee or Institutional Review Board before starting. Projects span all STEM fields, with many focused on physics through experiments in motion, energy, forces, and materials. Top entries qualify for the California Science & Engineering Fair.
Location: At the team’s school, unless invited to finals (Great Meadow, The Plains, VA)
Cost: $175 per team, $365 to enter into finals
Dates: The final will be held on May 16
Application Deadline: December 6
Eligibility: Students currently enrolled in grades 6 through 12
American Rocketry Challenge is the largest student rocket competition in the world, open to U.S. middle and high school students. You join a team of 3 to 10 members and design, build, and launch model rockets that meet strict flight goals, like hitting a target altitude, staying airborne for a set time, and returning a payload safely to the ground. Each year’s challenge changes slightly, but always involves precision flight and engineering design.
You apply physics constantly, using mechanics, aerodynamics, and materials science to solve real problems. You test your rocket, analyze flight data, and refine your design to improve performance. Top teams qualify for the National Finals in Virginia, where about 100 teams compete for $100,000 in prizes and a chance to represent the U.S. internationally.
Location: Virtual competition from home
Cost: Free
Dates: Competition takes place on November 26, from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. CET
Application Deadline: Registration closes on November 26 (registration opens September 1)
Eligibility: Teams of up to 5 members. Categories A, B, and C are for high school and primary school students; Open category available for anyone else
Physics Brawl Online is a fast-paced international physics competition where you and up to four teammates solve problems from home over three hours. Organized by FYKOS, a student group from Charles University in Prague, it’s been running for over a decade and draws hundreds of teams worldwide. You start with seven problems. Each time you solve one, you get a harder one immediately. After 90 minutes, a special “Hurry-up” round begins with bonus problems from different physics fields. You can use books, software, and the internet. All problems have numerical answers, and teams are ranked by level. It’s free to join and open to anyone interested in physics.
One more option—The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program
The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program is a program for middle school students to work one-on-one with a mentor to explore their academic interests and build a project they are passionate about. Our mentors are scholars from top research universities such as Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Yale, Duke, and LSE.
The program was founded by a Harvard & Oxford PhD who met as undergraduates at Harvard. The program is rigorous and fully virtual. We offer need-based financial aid for students who qualify. You can find the application in the brochure! To learn more, you can reach out to our Director, Dhruva, at dhruva.bhat@lumiere.education, or go to our website.
Multiple rolling deadlines for JEP cohorts across the year, you can apply using this application link! If you'd like to take a look at the upcoming cohorts + deadlines, you can refer to this page!
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a Ph.D. 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.
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