picoCTF
A free, online capture-the-flag cybersecurity contest created by Carnegie Mellon for middle and high schoolers. Players solve interactive puzzles in reverse engineering, cryptography, web hacking, and forensics to collect flags. Annual contest runs March–April.
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Girls Go CyberStart
An online gamified cybersecurity competition by SANS Institute designed for U.S. high school girls to explore cyber careers. Participants solve fun puzzles in cryptography, forensics, and web exploitation. High scorers earn prizes and scholarships.
NSA Codebreaker Challenge
A free annual online coding and cyber puzzle challenge by the U.S. National Security Agency. Students solve mission-oriented tasks in reverse engineering, cryptography, vulnerability research, and scripting in a fictional intelligence scenario. Top performers receive NSA certificates.
SANS Holiday Hack Challenge
A free online cybersecurity CTF by SANS Institute held every December. Open to participants worldwide including high school teams. Each year's challenge is holiday-themed with diverse challenges over ~2 weeks. Leaderboards and prizes for top scorers.
2026 U.S. Innovator Challenge
The U.S. Innovator Challenge is an invitation-only national innovation competition hosted by Innovation World where top K-12 inventors from across the United States present their inventions virtually, with winners advancing to a global innovation event.
Apex High School AI Championship
National AI competition where students solve STEM and AI challenges through interactive experiences. Prizes include $50K+ in scholarships.
California Cyber Innovation Challenge (Mission Apgaritum)
An annual free state-level cyber competition for CA high school teams organized by Cal Poly CCI. Students solve a simulated cyber-crime scenario involving digital forensics and puzzles. The event usually runs virtually in early October with awards for top teams.