International competitions for students & youth
Global competitions with cash prizes, scholarships and trips, grouped by stage: school students, university students, postgraduates, or open to all. Enter your age to see the competitions whose age rule lets you take part.
17 competitions
- Open to allNo age limit
MIT Solve 2027 Global Challenges (US$10,000 Grant per Team)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
The MIT Solve 2027 Global Challenges are open to anyone with a technology-based solution to a global problem, with a US$10,000 grant for every selected team.
Deadline: 6 Nov 2026United StatesDetails & rules - Open to allNo age limit
NASA International Space Apps Challenge 2026 (Free Hackathon, All Ages)
NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
The NASA International Space Apps Challenge 2026 is a free hackathon for all ages on 14–15 November 2026, in person in cities worldwide or online.
Deadline: 14 Nov 2026United StatesDetails & rules - University studentsAges 18–30
Sony World Photography Awards 2027: Student and Youth Competitions (Free Entry)
World Photography Organisation
Two free competitions in the Sony World Photography Awards 2027: Student entries close on 27 November 2026 and Youth entries on 5 January 2027, with a trip to London and Sony equipment.
Deadline: 27 Nov 2026United KingdomDetails & rules - School studentsNo age limit
Phystech.International Olympiad for High School Students (MIPT)
Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT)
An international olympiad organized by MIPT in mathematics and physics for foreign high school students.
Deadline: 15 Dec 2026RussiaDetails & rules - School studentsAges 13–19
The Earth Prize 2027 for School Students (US$100,000+ in Prizes)
The Earth Foundation (The Earth Prize)
The Earth Prize 2027 is a free global sustainability competition for school students aged 13 to 19, with more than US$100,000 in prizes.
Deadline: 10 Jan 2027SwitzerlandDetails & rules - School studentsAges 14–18
Diamond Challenge 2027 for High School Entrepreneurs (US$100,000+ Prizes)
Horn Entrepreneurship – University of Delaware
The Diamond Challenge 2027 is a global entrepreneurship and social innovation competition for high school students aged 14 to 18, with more than US$100,000 in prizes.
Deadline: 14 Jan 2027United StatesDetails & rules - PostgraduatesNo age limit
St. Gallen Symposium Global Ideas Competition 2027 (CHF 20,000 + Funded Trip)
St. Gallen Symposium & Oxford University
The Global Ideas Competition of the St. Gallen Symposium invites master’s and postgraduate students born in 1997 or later to answer the 2027 question “What could we solve if we could agree?” with an anonymous Solution Br
Deadline: 1 Feb 2027SwitzerlandDetails & rules - University studentsPostgraduatesAge 18+
Microsoft Imagine Cup 2027 – Global Student Startup Competition
Microsoft (Imagine Cup)
Imagine Cup is Microsoft’s global competition for student founders building AI-powered startups.
Deadline: 28 Feb 2027United StatesDetails & rules - School studentsUniversity studentsPostgraduatesNo age limit
SPbU Open International Competition for Foreign Citizens (State-Funded Places)
Saint Petersburg State University
An official annual competition by Saint Petersburg State University allowing foreign citizens to compete via portfolio evaluation and online tests for state-funded places financed by the Russian federal budget across Bachelor's, Master's, and PhD levels.
Deadline: 28 Feb 2027RussiaDetails & rules - School studentsNo age limit
Arab Reading Challenge – 11th Season 2026–2027
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives
The Arab Reading Challenge is the largest Arabic reading competition for school students, with AED 500,000 for the overall champion; dates for the 11th season have not been announced.
Next cycle not announced yetUnited Arab EmiratesDetails & rules - University studentsPostgraduatesNo age limit
Hult Prize 2027 Global Student Challenge ($1 Million Seed Funding)
Hult Prize Foundation & Hult International Business School
The world’s largest student social-entrepreneurship competition: a US$1 million seed-funding prize for the winning team.
Next cycle not announced yetUnited KingdomDetails & rules - Open to allNo age limit
Hosted by Tsinghua University's PBC School of Finance and WeBank, this international competition invites university students to develop AI-driven solutions for real-world financial challenges.
Next cycle not announced yetChinaDetails & rules - University studentsNo age limit
Global Undergraduate Awards 2027
Global Undergraduate Awards (The Undergraduate Awards)
The Global Undergraduate Awards 2027 is a free competition for the best undergraduate coursework in 25 categories; submissions open in late November 2026 and usually close in early June.
Next cycle not announced yetIrelandDetails & rules - University studentsNo age limit
Huawei ICT Competition 2026–2027 (Global Final in China)
Huawei (ICT Competition)
The Huawei ICT Competition is an annual contest for university students in three tracks: Cloud (cloud and AI), Network (datacom, security, WLAN) and Computing (openEuler, openGauss, Kunpeng).
Next cycle not announced yetChinaDetails & rules - University studentsPostgraduatesNo age limit
IEEEXtreme 20.0 – 24-Hour Global Programming Competition (31 October 2026)
IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
IEEEXtreme is IEEE’s global 24-hour online programming competition for teams of IEEE student members, each team advised and proctored by an IEEE member, often through a university IEEE Student Branch.
OpenUnited StatesDetails & rules - School studentsAges 13–18
Breakthrough Junior Challenge (US$250,000 Scholarship)
Breakthrough Prize Foundation
The Breakthrough Junior Challenge is a science video competition for students aged 13 to 18, with a US$250,000 college scholarship as the top prize; the 2027 cycle is expected to open around May.
Next cycle not announced yetUnited StatesDetails & rules - Open to allAges 18–35
Stars of Science (Qatar Foundation) for Arab Innovators
Qatar Foundation
Stars of Science is Qatar Foundation's programme that takes the innovations of young Arabs aged 18 to 35 to market; the next season has not been announced.
Next cycle not announced yetQatarDetails & rules
Age and stage rules as stated by each organiser; check the competition page before applying.