Top 12 Robotics Competitions for High School Students
Whether you’re interested in STEM, robotics, computer science, engineering, or AI, participating in robotics competitions for high school students is a great way to test your current skills and develop new ones. These competitions provide an opportunity to gain practical experience and develop essential teamwork and communication skills.
Many robotics competitions for high school students go beyond theory and classroom learning, encouraging you to design and build robots that solve problems. They’re a chance to gain experience in robotics while enhancing your critical thinking skills. Winning a robotics competition can help you stand out in college applications and even future job applications.
In this blog, we’ve highlighted 12 of the best robotics competitions for high school students for you to check out. Let’s get into it!
1. National Robotics Challenge
Location: Marion County Fairgrounds & Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Marion, Ohio
Cost: $85 per team or school + $15 per robot
Program Dates: April 16 – 18
Application Deadline: January 6 – February 21 (tentative)
Prizes: Gold, Silver, Bronze Awards (trophies/plaques) + $500 check for the winner’s school
Eligibility: Public, private, or homeschool students in grades 9-12; All hardware and software components must be constructed and programmed by the team members
One of the top robotics competitions for high school students, the National Robotics Challenge offers you the chance to develop creativity, engineering, problem-solving, and leadership skills. This contest began in 1986 and is one of the longest-running robotics competitions in the U.S. It is open to all, from 6th graders to graduate-level students. The National Robotics Challenge comprises twelve contest categories that test your knowledge of manufacturing, technology, robotics, and automation. It encourages you to see engineering as a means of problem-solving. Categories include Autonomous Vehicle Challenge (AVC), Additive Manufacturing Challenge, Robo Hockey, Robot Problem Solving, and more. You can find more information here!
2. FIRST Robotics Competition
Location: Most major states; See details here
Cost: $6,300; See more details here
Program Dates: Early January – April (tentatively); Specific dates depend on your region
Application Deadline: Registration opens May 14
Prizes: Scholarships and cash prizes
Eligibility: Students in grades 9-12; Each team requires 2 or more adult leads; 10 or more students per team
The FIRST Robotics Competition is one of the world's best robotics competitions for high school students. What makes this competition unique is its focus on pressing engineering problems that require collaboration with peers. You’ll work in teams of ten or more, designing, building, and programming robots. At the same time, you’ll work on creating a team identity and raising funds for your team. You can find more information here!
3. VEX Robotics Competition
Location: Various local, regional, national, and world competitions
Cost: $1,800 registration fee (tentative) + Competition product prices (varies)
Program Dates: April to May (tentative)
Application Deadline: Rolling
Prizes: Awards provided
Eligibility: Students in grades 9-12
The VEX Robotics Competition, hosted by the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation, provides robotics competitions for high school and middle school students worldwide. The goal of the contest is to encourage students to develop their STEM skills, creativity, and problem-solving abilities. The competitions are held at local, regional, and international levels. As a participant, you’ll build robots and compete in teams. While the specifics of the challenge change every year, each team’s robot’s skills will be tested against the clock. Aside from that, you’ll also improve your communication, collaboration, and time-management skills. The program offers kits or products to help you construct your robot.
4. B.E.S.T. Robotics Competitions
Location: Various local and regional locations; Details here
Cost: No registration or equipment costs
Program Dates: Not mentioned
Application Deadline: Registration should open in the fall
Prizes: Cash prizes, awards, and trophies
Eligibility: U.S. high school students; Must be a part of a BEST Robotics club
The B.E.S.T. Robotics Competitions for high school students aim to encourage students to pursue careers in fields like engineering, science, and technology. In the fall, around 850 middle and high schools participate in the competitions. They’re initially held at local (hub) levels, with teams advancing to the regional championships. As a participant, you will learn how to apply the engineering design process to analyze and solve problems while developing technological literacy skills. You’ll participate in teams mentored by engineers and other technical professionals. You’ll learn about the practical use of math concepts and applied physics, as well as the product development process.
5. The Botball Tournament
Location: Various locations across the U.S.
Cost: Full Kit Registration: $2,750 | Reuse Kit Registration: $1,750 onwards | Scholarships available
Program Dates: April (tentative)
Application Deadline: March 1 (tentative)
Prizes: Trophies or medals
Eligibility: High school students in 9th to 12th grade; Up to 12 students/team, typically
The Botball Educational Robotics Program is one of the top team-based robotics competitions for high school students. Your team will design and build an autonomous robot, whose actions will be based on information from sensors as well as a computer program written by your team. As a participant, you will develop skills such as computational thinking, analytical skills, communication, and adaptive learning. You will spend around seven to nine weeks building your robots before bringing them to the regional tournament to compete against other teams. You’ll receive a kit that includes tools such as the KIPR Wombat robot controller, LEGO pieces, sensors, motors, metal parts, and more. For more information on this competition, check out this guide!
6. MATE ROV Competition
Location: Various locations across the world; See here
Cost: No registration fee for students (the fee is typically paid by the Team Coach); Scholarships and grants available
Program Dates: Varies, based on the competition event’s location
Application Deadline: Varies, based on the competition event’s location
Prizes: Awards and medals; a $1,000 scholarship check is part of the Martin Klein MATE MARINER Award
Eligibility: Middle school students, high school students, and college students; Must be registered by a parent/legal guardian if under 18
The MATE (Marine Advanced Technology Education) ROV Competition is for students interested in underwater robotics, specifically remotely operated vehicles (ROV). The contest challenges participants to design ROVs equipped with the necessary tools, sensors, or programs to monitor the health of the ocean and other aquatic bodies. Many of the challenges in this competition involve designing and building robots to complete marine-related tasks. As a participant, you will have the opportunity to apply your physics, mathematics, and engineering skills to solve problems. You can find more information on the competition here!
7. RoboCup: Junior Leagues
Location: Various locations around the world; The international competition is held in Salvador, Brazil
Cost: $160 (regular); $290 (late)
Program Dates: July 15 – 21; See schedule here
Application Deadline: April 1 – June 13 (regular); June 14 – June 30 (late)
Prizes: Trophies and certificates
Eligibility: Students between the ages of 14-19; Teams should consist of at least 1 mentor and 2 student members; Mentors should be 19+; More details here
RoboCup (also known as the Robot World Cup Initiative) is an annual global robotics competition founded in 1996 by university professors. While the event aims to promote robotics and AI research through soccer, it also hosts competitions in various other areas. As a participant in RoboCupJunior, you’ll participate in the Soccer League, Rescue League, or OnStage League. The competition allows you to enhance your creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. It provides a platform for research into AI and robotics. This program starts with local competitions and workshops that introduce you to the foundations of robotics and programming. Winning teams will advance to the regional qualifying tournaments, followed by the super-regional competitions, and ultimately, the international competition.
8. STEM-ED: Aerospace Robotics Competition
Location: Antelope Valley, CA, New England, Philadelphia, PA, Mid-Atlantic, VA, San Diego, CA
Cost: $500
Program Dates: April (tentative)
Application Deadline: October 26
Prizes: Trophies, awards, cash prizes
Eligibility: High school students
STEM-ED’s two-day Aerospace Robotics Competition will give you the chance to learn about aerospace engineering principles and unmanned and autonomous systems. You’ll work with UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), creating and programming one to act independently without human input. Your UAV should be able to carry out various virtual autonomous flight tasks and compete against other UAVs and student pilots in a semi-autonomous flight round. You’ll also be expected to present your vehicle, team, analysis, and competition plan to a panel of judges.
9. Zero Robotics
Location: In-person at your respective schools or organizations
Cost: Free
Program Dates: January 13 – February 21
Application Deadline: January 6. Invite-only tournament; fill out this form to be considered
Prizes: Not specified
Eligibility: Teams should have at least 5-25 high school students and an adult advisor
Zero Robotics is a premier robotics competition for high school students, offering an opportunity to gain experience programming satellites on the International Space Station (ISS). It aims to provide students interested in computer programming, robotics, and space engineering with access to space. As a participant, you will program strategies that control the satellite’s speed, direction, rotation, and other parameters to navigate through specific obstacles and achieve clear objectives. After competing in a series of virtual competitions in a simulated environment, finalists will have the opportunity to compete in a live championship aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
10. World Robotics Olympiad
Location: Various competitions across the world
Cost: Varies by competition
Program Dates: Varies by competition
Application Deadline: Varies by competition
Prizes: Trophies and cash prizes
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9-12; Teams should have at least 3 members and be guided by a coach (18+)
The World Robotics Olympiad (WRO) is one of the top global robotics competitions for high school students. During this competition, you will enhance your STEM knowledge by designing and programming robots to solve problems. The WRO has four categories you can participate in: RoboMission, RoboSports, Future Innovators, and Future Engineers. For RoboMission, you will design and construct an autonomous robot that can solve a varied set of challenges, whereas with RoboSports, you will play a sports game against another team. The Future Innovators and Future Engineers categories will have you creating robotics solutions related to the season’s theme.
11. National Robotics League (NRL)
Location: Varies
Cost: Varies; Cost-effective
Program Dates: May to June
Application Deadline: Not specified
Prizes: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students
An initiative of the National Tooling & Machining Association (NTMA), the National Robotics League (NRL) encourages you to design and build remote-controlled robots to compete against other teams in a gladiatorial-style competition. As one of the best robotics competitions for high school students, it offers a project-based STEM learning experience. You will compete in arena battles, test your creations, and be evaluated by industry experts. Participating in the NRL will also give you the chance to learn about the technical skills required for manufacturing jobs like machining and welding, as well as mechanical and electrical engineering. You’ll also develop project management skills and enhance your communication and teamwork abilities.
12. SeaPerch
Location: Local, regional, and international competitions
Cost: Various kit costs
Program Dates: September to June
Application Deadline: Not mentioned
Prizes: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9-12
SeaPerch is an international, invitation-only competition that focuses on underwater robotics, specifically remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). During the program, you will design and build an underwater robot that navigates a series of obstacles, testing its maneuverability, control, and utility. You will also be expected to present technical papers that emphasise your engineering skills. SeaPerch offers a platform for exploring robotics, marine science, and environmental conservation through hands-on learning.
If you’re looking to build a project/research paper in the field of AI & ML, consider applying to Veritas AI!
With Veritas AI, which was founded by Harvard graduate students, you can work 1-on-1 with mentors from universities like Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and more to create unique, personalized projects. In the past year, we had over 1000 students learn AI & ML with us. You can apply here!
Image Source - FIRST Robotics Competition Logo