15 Math Competitions for High School Students
If you’re a high school student with a passion for math and looking to challenge yourself, consider participating in a math competition. They’re a great way to go beyond the classroom and strengthen your foundational knowledge in areas like algebra, geometry, or trigonometry. They also make a great addition to your resume, college applications, and even your SOP, offering college admissions officers proof of your drive and dedication to the subject.
Why should you participate in math competitions in high school?
Many math competitions are hosted by prestigious universities across the nation, such as Princeton, Harvard, MIT, and Yale, and are often held at the international level as well. This offers the opportunity to network with high school students from across the globe, university faculty or professors, or college students attending these prestigious universities. As a competitor, you will have the opportunity to develop your critical thinking skills and learn to solve problems creatively. You’ll also learn how to work under pressure, as many of these competitions are time-based. Math competitions also give you the chance to improve your teamwork skills, as most of them require competitors to participate in teams.
To help with your search, here are 15 math competitions for high school students.
If you’re looking for AI competitions, check out our blog here.
1. American Mathematics Competition (AMC): 10/12
Location: Virtual
Cost and Prizes: $55 onwards; certificates awarded
Dates: November 5; November 13
Application Deadline: Varies by application round and program
Eligibility: High school students in grades 12 and below (AMC 12); High school students in grades 10 and below (AMC 10)
The American Mathematics Competition (AMC) is one of the top math competitions for middle and high school students in all 50 U.S. states and more than 30 countries. As a high school student, you can choose between the AMC 10 and 12, both of which serve as qualifiers for prestigious international mathematics competitions such as the International Mathematical Olympiad. While the AMC 10 and AMC 12 are both 25-question, 75-minute multiple-choice competitions, they differ in their subject matter. The AMC 10 primarily covers topics such as elementary algebra, basic geometry, elementary probability, and related areas. In contrast, the AMC 12 focuses on topics like trigonometry, advanced algebra, and more advanced geometry.
2. Immerse Education Essay Competition
Location: Virtual
Cost and Prizes: Free; 10 full scholarships and an additional 50-75% scholarships to any program awarded. Dates: July & August
Application Deadline: November 3 – January 14
Eligibility: Students between the ages of 13 and 18
The Immerse Education Essay Competition is a highly selective opportunity that gives you the chance to win a full or partial scholarship to Immerse’s programs and a university of your choice. As a participant, you will be expected to submit a 500-word essay responding to a specified prompt within a chosen field, such as mathematics. Here are some sample questions to give you a better idea of what you’ll be working with: Explore the importance of symmetry in a specific area of mathematical scholarship (math); Discuss the concept of machine learning fairness and the measures needed to prevent AI bias (AI); How is engineering design fostering innovation and sustainability? (engineering). Your essay will be assessed by academic experts, giving you the chance to put your academic writing and research skills, as well as your critical thinking and editing skills, to the test.
3. American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME)
Location: Same venue as AMC 10 or AMC 12
Cost and Prizes: Tentatively, free (additional costs may apply); None
Dates: Tentatively: February 5 (AIME I); February 11 (AIME II)
Application Deadline: None; Invite-basis only
Eligibility: Students who excelled on the AMC 10 and/or AMC 12
If you do exceptionally well in AMC 10 or AMC 12, you will be invited to participate in the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME), which is part of the MAA AMC series of exams that serve as a selection process for the USA team competing in the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO). However, only the top 2.5% of AMC 10 participants and the top 5% of AMC 12 participants will be invited to participate in AIME. The exam itself will be much more difficult than AMC and will be a 15-question, 3-hour examination, with each answer an integer between 0 and 999. The top scorers in this competition will be invited to participate in the USAMO and USAJMO.
4. Lumiere Scholars Essay Award
Location: Virtual
Cost and Prizes: Free to enter; $11,000 in cash prizes and scholarships for 6 winners
Dates: Multiple cohorts
Application Deadline: March 9 – April 26 (spring submissions)
Eligibility: High school students
The Lumiere Scholars Essay Award is a free-to-enter essay competition for high-achieving high school students. As a competitor, you will be expected to submit an essay of 2,000 words on a predetermined prompt. Your essay should be a research-based argumentative piece, rather than an original research paper, as primary data collection and analysis are not required. Participating in this competition will give you the chance to explore complex questions, form original arguments, and put your research and academic writing skills to the test. Your essay will be assessed by esteemed professors and researchers from prestigious colleges such as Oxford, Cambridge, Cornell, and Brown. Six winners will be announced at the conclusion of the competition, each receiving a share of over $11,000 in cash prizes and scholarships.
5. USA Mathematical Olympiad and Junior Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO and USAJMO)
Location: 29 locations across the US and Canada
Cost and Prizes: Free; Distinctions such as Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Honorable Mention
Dates: March 21 and March 22
Application Deadline: None; Invite-basis only
Eligibility: Top-scoring AMC 12 participants (USAMO); Top-scoring AMC 10 participants (USAJMO)
The USA Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO) and Junior Mathematical Olympiad (USAJMO) are both prestigious, invitation-only national-level competitions, open exclusively to the highest performers in the AIME. The qualification criteria may vary slightly each year, but generally are structured as follows: AMC 12 Score + 20 x the AIME Score (for USAMO qualification) and AMC 10 Score + 20 x the AIME Score (for USAJMO qualification). The examinations will consist of six-question, two-day, nine-hour assessments focused on essays or proofs. You will be able to see your results in 3-4 weeks. The awards vary slightly from one competition to another. For the USAMO, approximately 6% of competitors will receive the Gold prize, approximately 12% will receive the Silver, and approximately 18% will receive the Bronze. For USAJMO, on the other hand, winners will be named, and approximately 20% of contestants will be recognized. Honorable Mention distinctions are also awarded for both the USAMO and the USAJMO.
6. Harvard/MIT Mathematics Tournament (HMMT)
Location: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA; MIT, Cambridge, MA
Cost and Prizes: $80 per team or $10 per individual (financial aid offered); Prizes awarded (not specified). Dates: November 8 (Harvard); February 14 (MIT)
Application Deadline: September 21 (Harvard); September 21 (MIT)
Eligibility: High school students under the age of 21
HMMT is a student-organized competition that aims to spark interest in math and go beyond traditional curricula. You can either compete in HMMT as an individual or as part of a team. However, participation is limited to one of their two tournaments: either the Harvard-hosted or the MIT-hosted one. During the tournaments, you will take part in individual assessments, a team round, and the guts round. HMMT also hosts two additional events: the Friday Night Event, held before the tournament and offering opportunities for social engagement, and the Sunday Education session, which features classes led by faculty, students, and alumni from Harvard and MIT and takes place after the tournaments. For more information on the rounds, testing, and the registration process, see here, here, and here.
7. Princeton University Mathematics Competition (PUMaC)
Location: Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
Cost and Prizes: Tentatively $12.50/student (main comp) or $5/student (power round comp); Trophies, medals, and cash certificates awarded
Dates: Tentatively, November 20 (power round test due) & November 22 (main comp)
Application Deadline: September 9 – October 7 (tentative); Rolling
Eligibility: Students below the age of 20; More info here
PUMaC is an annual mathematics competition run by the Princeton University Math Club and is entirely student-run. To participate, you can either register as a team of up to eight people or as an individual competitor. PUMaC offers two separate competitions: the Power Competition and the Main Competition, both held at Princeton University. The Power Competition will consist solely of the Power Round, a proof-based test released a week before the competition. On the other hand, the Main Competition will consist of the Power Round, Individual Tests, a Team Round, and Individual Finals. During the Individual Tests round, you will be expected to select two of the four topics: Algebra, Combinatorics, Geometry, and Number Theory. For more information on the competition rules, see here.
8. Stanford Math Tournament (SMT)
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA + Virtual
Cost and Prizes: $30 per student (financial aid offered); Prizes awarded (not specified)
Dates: April 17 – 18
Application Deadline: December 3 – February 18
Eligibility: High school students
SMT hosts two tournaments: an in-person competition for U.S. high school students on the Stanford campus and an online competition open to middle and high school students. The Stanford Math Tournament is a high school math tournament run by Stanford University students and is one of the largest university-run math contests, with over 2,000 students participating globally. You can participate in the in-person SMT tournament as an individual competitor or as part of a team from your school or a local mathematical organization. The tournament itself is split into several components: a Power Round (80-minute exam focused on proof-writing), a Team Round (50-minute exam consisting of 15 short-answer questions), the General Test (110-minute individual exam with 25 short-answer questions), the Subject Tests (two 50-minute individual exams covering topics such as Algebra, Calculus, Geometry, etc.), and the Gut Round (80-minute live-scored team exam). For more information on the application process, see here.
9. Math Majors of America Tournament for High Schools (MMATHS)
Location: Various locations across the U.S.
Cost and Prizes: $15 or $20 per student; Medals or cash prizes may be awarded
Dates: November 15
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students (or advanced middle school students)
MMATHS is a team-based high school mathematics competition held annually at Yale University and at several other sites across the U.S. To register, you must have a team of six students, either from your school or other schools. However, if you can’t find enough people for your team, the organizers will help you find them. The tournament is split into four rounds: Individual, Team, Tiebreaker, and Guts. During the Individual round, you will have 75 minutes to solve 12 problems; whereas, in the Team round, you will solve 12 problems within 45 minutes. The Tiebreaker round is for those who tied 12th or above during the Individual round; you will have to solve 2-3 problems within 10 minutes. Finally, during the Guts round, you will have 60 minutes to answer 27 questions, given in sets of three. You will receive the next set only after the current one is completed. For information on the scoring techniques, see here. You can also find more information regarding the schedule and logistics for each site here.
10. Purple Comet! Math Meet!
Location: Online
Cost and Prizes: Free; Certificates offered
Dates: April 14 – 23
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students under the age of 20
Purple Comet! Math Meet! is a free, international team-based mathematics competition for middle and high school students. To participate, you must have a team of no more than 6 people, plus a supervisor who will register your team. High school-level teams will have 90 minutes to work together and solve 30 mathematics problems. These problems will cover a wide range of topics, including advanced algebra, geometry, trigonometry, probability, functions, and more. You can find examples of the problems you would encounter here and here. For more information on the contest rules, see here.
11. Trig-Star
Location: Various locations across the U.S.
Cost and Prizes: Tentatively, no cost; Up to $4,000 awarded at the national level
Dates: May 1 – 31 (national competition)
Application Deadline: May 1 (state winners); June 1 (national tests).
Eligibility: High school students
Trig-Star is an annual, nation-wide mathematics competition hosted by the National Society of Professional Surveyors; it focuses on the practical application of Trigonometry. The competition aims to promote excellence in high school mathematics by highlighting high-achieving students and educating participants about the practical applications of mathematics in the surveying profession. There are two tiers to this competition. The first is conducted at local high schools, with each participating school selecting a single winner. The second tier is held at the national level, where state winners compete for the prestigious National Trig-Star title. The competition offers awards both at the local level (provided by local chapters or sponsors) and the national level (provided by the National Society of Professional Surveyors).
12. Girls in Math at Yale
Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT
Cost and Prizes: $15 or $20 per student; Prizes not specified
Dates: February 28; March 1 (ContestDojo)
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school girls and gender-expansive youth
Girls in Math at Yale is an annual high school mathematics competition hosted at Yale University. An unofficial version of the contest is also held virtually through ContestDojo, a day or two after the official one. This competition is open to students from underrepresented genders and aims to cultivate an appreciation for math among younger generations. To participate, you must register as a team; if you can’t find one, the organizers will help. This competition is structured similarly to MMATH, consisting of four rounds: Individual, Team, Tiebreaker, and Guts. For information on the scoring techniques, see here. You can also find more information regarding the schedule and logistics here.
13. Gunn Math Competition
Location: Henry M. Gunn High School, Palo Alto, CA
Cost and Prizes: Free; Up to $7,500 in prizes
Dates: March 29
Application Deadline: March 25
Eligibility: Students in grade 12 or below
The Gunn Math Competition is a top high school math contest run on the West Coast. The contest is divided into two divisions, A and B, with Division A open to more experienced competitors and Division B open to beginners. In Division A, you can expect the difficulty level to range from AMC 10 to AIME. Division B, on the other hand, will range from ACM 8 to 10 in terms of difficulty. To participate, teams must have at least 4 members. If you do not have a team, you can register as an individual competitor and specify your interest in forming a team on the registration form, or connect with potential teammates via the official Discord server. The tournament itself is split into several rounds: the Individual round, where you answer 10 problems in 60 minutes; the Team Round, where you answer 10 (Division A) or 15 (Division B) questions in 60 minutes; the Guts Round, which is a 90-minute team event with 27 short-answer questions; and a potential Tiebreaker round. For information on the prizing and scoring or the schedule, see here and here.
14. Rocket City Math League
Location: Registered high school chapters with the University of Oklahoma – Mu Alpha Theta, Norman, OK
Cost and Prizes: Free; Offered (not specified)
Dates: Interschool Schedule: November 12 – December 9/12; Individual Rounds: 3 rounds from January – March (details here)
Application Deadline: Not specified; Rolling
Eligibility: Middle, high school, and two-year college students enrolled in pre-algebra through precalculus and above math courses
The Rocket City Math League is a free, international math contest open to middle and high school students and two-year college students. To participate, you should be enrolled in math courses from pre-algebra through precalculus or higher. The competition is divided into four rounds, each further segmented according to your level. The tests and prizes will be sent to participating schools via email or mail. See here for more information on the schedule.
15. Math League High School Contest
Location: Various locations across the U.S.; Virtual options available.
Cost and Prizes: $75 – $90 (tentative); Medals awarded
Dates: Varies by region; More info here
Application Deadline: September 30 (tentative)
Eligibility: High school students
The Math League High School Contest hosts a series of math contests for high school students throughout the year, culminating in national and international competitions. Winners of state contests will be invited to participate in the US National High School Championship in May, and winners of that contest will go on to participate in the International Championship in July. You can apply to participate in this competition through your high school; the local contests vary by region. For an idea of the type of questions you’ll experience during this competition, you can sign up for their mailing list and receive a free contest problem set.
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