Economics Competitions for High School Students
EC Finder currently lists 34 economics competitions for high school students. Of these, 20 are free to participate in and 24 offer virtual participation. Examples include Berkeley Economic Review High School Essay Contest, Blue Ocean Student Entrepreneur Competition, and Boston Global Investment Competition (BGIC).
- 34
- listed
- 20
- free
- 24
- virtual
- 33
- with a listed deadline
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are economics competitions for high school students?
- Economics Competitions for High School Students are curated extracurricular listings for high school students interested in economics. Each listing includes eligibility, cost, and deadline details where known, so you can compare options and find the right fit for your college application profile.
- When are the application deadlines?
- 33 of the 34 competitions listed here have a specific deadline month noted. Deadlines vary by program, so check each listing for exact dates.
- Are any of these competitions free?
- Yes — 20 of the 34 competitions listed here are free to participate in.
- Can I participate virtually?
- Yes — 24 of the 34 competitions listed here offer virtual or online participation.
- Are economics competitions good for a college application?
- Yes — economics competitions are a common way for high schoolers to show sustained interest and initiative in economics on college applications.
34 activities found·Browse by category
Berkeley Economic Review High School Essay Contest
Annual essay competition where students analyze economic issues and policy questions, with winning essays published in Berkeley Economic Review.
Blue Ocean Student Entrepreneur Competition
A large virtual pitch competition where high schoolers worldwide identify an unmet need and record a video pitch for an original business idea grounded in Blue Ocean Strategy principles.
Boston Global Investment Competition (BGIC)
An international stock-pitching competition judged by hedge fund managers and Wall Street professionals, where middle and high schoolers research companies and present investment ideas in a live final round.
CaseCatalyst
A fully virtual four-week case competition in which high school teams solve real challenges submitted by partner startups, mentored by university students and consulting professionals, with top teams earning startup internships.
CCEE National Economics Challenge – California State Round
California Council on Economic Education's state portal for NEC, used to register California teams and run the state-level contest.
Council for Economic Education – Student Programs Hub
Central page listing CEE's student-facing econ opportunities (NEC, personal finance challenge, stock market game, etc.).
DECA Competitive Events & International Career Development Conference
Business and marketing competitive events covering nearly 60 role-play, case-study, prepared, and online events across marketing, finance, hospitality, management, entrepreneurship, and personal financial literacy. Top state competitors advance to the International Career Development Conference (2026: Atlanta).
Economics World Cup (EWC)
International economics competition with online qualifiers and continental/world rounds, covering theoretical and applied economics.
FBLA Competitive Events & National Leadership Conference
Future Business Leaders of America's competitive events span 50+ business and career-related areas (accounting, marketing, public speaking, business plan). Students compete at state conferences, then top placers advance to the National Leadership Conference each summer (2026 NLC: Henry B. González Convention Center, San Antonio).
Georgetown Entrepreneurship Academy
A two-week residential Georgetown University summer program where high schoolers learn startup fundamentals, prototype testing, and market research, culminating in a team pitch competition.
Harvard Crimson Global Case Competition (HCGCC)
A fully virtual global business case competition where teams of high schoolers act as consultants to solve a real company's strategic challenge and pitch solutions to judges, with mentorship from top consulting firms and universities.
Harvard Pre-Collegiate Economics Challenge
Online economics case competition where teams analyze real-world economic scenarios and present solutions, hosted by Harvard undergraduates.
High School Fed Challenge
Teams research an assigned economic theme (2025-26: "economics of music") and write podcast scripts, with top entries published in the Fed's Journal of Future Economists.
High School Fed Challenge (Federal Reserve Bank of New York)
Macro and monetary policy competition where teams act like the FOMC: analyze the U.S. economy, develop a policy recommendation, and submit to the New York Fed.
High School International Economics Essay Competition (HIEEC)
Global essay competition where students analyze contemporary economic issues and policy questions with international perspectives.
IEOx Essay Challenge
International economics essay competition covering topics in microeconomics, macroeconomics, and global economic policy.
Institute of Economic Affairs Essay Competition
UK-based economics essay competition covering classical liberal economics, market theory, and policy analysis, open to international students.
International Economics Olympiad (IEO)
Global olympiad combining economics theory, data analysis, and business case problem-solving; participants reach IEO via their country's national selection.
InvestWrite Essay Competition
SIFMA Foundation essay competition where students research investments and write reports on stock market strategies and portfolio management.
Ithaca College High School Investment Competition
A free virtual stock market simulation in which teams of high schoolers nationwide manage a simulated $1 million portfolio on the StockTrak platform for cash prizes.
National Economics Challenge
Teams tested on micro/macroeconomic principles and world economy knowledge across state, semifinal, and national rounds.
National Economics Challenge (Council for Economic Education)
Nationwide high school economics competition where teams of 3-4 students answer questions in micro, macro, and international economics, advancing from state to national finals.
National High School Sport Business Case Competition
An in-person case competition at Kutztown University where teams of high schoolers analyze a real-world sport business scenario and present recommendations to judges over a weekend event.
National Personal Finance Challenge
National competition testing knowledge of personal finance topics including budgeting, saving, investing, and credit, hosted by the National Financial Educators Council.
NFTE National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge
The flagship business plan and pitch competition of the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, where students advance through local, regional, and national elimination rounds to compete for cash prizes.
Northwestern Economics Tournament
Team-based economics competition featuring quiz bowl rounds and case presentations on economic theory and current events.
NYIT High School Business Competition
A team-based competition run by New York Tech's School of Management where high school juniors and seniors spend four weeks solving a real business problem posed by a partner company and present findings to its executives.
St. John's University High School Pitch Competition
A Shark Tank-style event at St. John's University's Tobin College of Business where high schoolers pitch original business ideas to judges for seed-funding prizes, with no prior business experience required.
Stevens Trading Day Competition
A combined virtual-and-in-person investing competition where high school sophomores and juniors trade in a month-long simulator before the top portfolios compete live using Bloomberg terminals at Stevens Institute of Technology.
Stock Market Game
Virtual stock trading competition where students manage investment portfolios and learn about markets, economics, and financial literacy.
Teen Investor Cup
An online guided investing competition in which students in grades 8-12 manage a simulated $100,000 portfolio over several weeks, with optional coaching calls and cash prizes for top performers.
Wharton Essentials of Entrepreneurship
An intensive two-week residential program at Wharton where high schoolers in grades 9-11 learn startup fundamentals like marketing and venture creation and pitch an original business idea for feedback.
Wharton Global Youth Investment Competition
A free 10-week investment challenge in which teams of high schoolers use Wharton's stock simulator and a real business case study to build and defend a portfolio strategy, with top teams presenting at a finale in Philadelphia.
Young Investors Society Global Stock Pitch Competition
A global investing competition where high school students or pairs research a publicly traded company and submit a written stock pitch, presentation, and video, with top teams presenting at a New York City summit before finance professionals.
ECFinder provides links to outside extracurricular opportunities for informational purposes only. Students and families should research each program before applying. ECFinder does not operate or control the listed organizations and is not responsible for their actions or policies.