Robotics Competitions for High School Students
EC Finder currently lists 39 robotics competitions for high school students. Of these, 4 are free to participate in and 2 offer virtual participation. Examples include Advanced Vertical Robotics (AVR) Competition, Aerial Drone Competition (RECF/Robolink), and Aerospace Jam - High School Aerospace Robotics Competition.
- 39
- listed
- 4
- free
- 2
- virtual
- 39
- with a listed deadline
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are robotics competitions for high school students?
- Robotics Competitions for High School Students are curated extracurricular listings for high school students interested in robotics. 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.
- Are any of these competitions free?
- Yes — 4 of the 39 competitions listed here are free to participate in.
- Can I participate virtually?
- Yes — 2 of the 39 competitions listed here offer virtual or online participation.
- Are robotics competitions good for a college application?
- Yes — robotics competitions are a common way for high schoolers to show sustained interest and initiative in robotics on college applications.
Related Categories
39 activities found·Browse by category
Advanced Vertical Robotics (AVR) Competition
National HS competition using UAVs and ground vehicles in realistic mission scenarios like search and rescue. Focus on robotics systems integration.
Aerial Drone Competition (RECF/Robolink)
A national robotics competition recommended for grades 5-12 in which teams of 3-5 students pilot and program drones through teamwork, autonomous flight, piloting skill, and documentation challenges at events run by the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation.
Aerospace Jam - High School Aerospace Robotics Competition
Robotics competition centered on space exploration and aerospace-themed robot challenges. Summer event with awards and recognition.
Aerospace Robotics Competition (ARC - Drone-Based)
Drone robotics competition where HS students design, code, and operate autonomous UAVs to complete missions. National event with scholarship opportunities.
BEST Robotics, Inc.
A free, six-week fall robotics competition for middle and high school teams who design, build, and program a robot for team-vs-team matches while also being judged on an engineering notebook, marketing presentation, and team exhibit.
Botball Educational Robotics Program (KIPR)
A team robotics competition for middle and high schoolers who design, build, and program fully autonomous robots (no remote control) using a standardized kit to complete timed tasks at regional and international tournaments.
ColoradoFIRST – FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC)
Colorado's affiliate of FIRST Robotics, organizing the Denver Regional and supporting FRC teams across the state. High schoolers join a team to design, build, and program a competition robot to solve the season's challenge (2026 challenge: 'REBUILT'). Denver Regional held annually at the University of Denver.
ColoradoFIRST – FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC)
Colorado's affiliate of FIRST Tech Challenge, supporting teams of up to 15 students in grades 7-12 who design, build, program, and operate robots to compete in an alliance-format floor game. No prior technical experience required; teams need two adult coaches. Colorado FTC Kickoff held at Chatfield High School and Grand Junction High School.
Drones in School / MultiGP STEM Alliance
FPV drone racing STEM program where student teams design, build, and race their own drones, competing in a national school-league pathway.
DVHS Robotics (Dougherty Valley HS - VEX Focused)
Student-run high school robotics program in San Ramon with competitive VEX teams and novice pipelines.
FIRST Global Challenge
An international robotics olympics-style event with typically one team per country tackling a global-challenge-themed game each year, emphasizing international collaboration on grand challenges.
FIRST LEGO League Challenge
An entry-level FIRST program using LEGO-based robots plus a research/innovation project and core-values teamwork, primarily middle school but relevant for younger high schoolers and as a feeder to FTC/FRC.
FIRST Robotics - San Francisco Regional (FRC)
One of the main NorCal FRC regionals held in San Francisco. Great target event for Bay Area teams competing in the FIRST Robotics Competition.
FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC)
Flagship varsity high school robotics competition where teams build 120 lb robots to play a new game each year. Most prestigious robotics competition with pathways to substantial scholarships.
FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) - California
Smaller robots (18" cube) with metal extrusion kits and Android-based control. Popular in NorCal leagues with accessible entry point for robotics teams.
MATE ROV Competition
An international underwater robotics competition where student teams design, build, and pilot remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to complete ocean-industry-themed engineering missions, then present their work like a startup company to professional judges.
MATE ROV Competition - Monterey Bay Regional
Northern California regional of the international MATE ROV underwater robotics competition, held in Watsonville, CA, where student teams design, build, and pilot remotely operated vehicles through ocean-themed engineering missions.
MESA Day (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement)
Annual California engineering/science competition circuit hosted by regional MESA centers, with robotics- and machine-building challenges alongside coding and design competitions.
NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC)
A nine-month NASA engineering challenge in which student teams design and build human-powered or remote-controlled rovers to navigate a simulated lunar/Martian obstacle course at a culminating event at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.
National Robotics Challenge (NRC)
An open-platform robotics competition, founded in 1986, open to students from 6th grade through graduate school who design and build robots from self-sourced materials across a dozen competition categories at an annual championship.
National Robotics League (NRL)
A combat-robotics competition in which high school students design, build, and battle their own robotic creations, developing manufacturing and technical problem-solving skills through regional events and a national championship.
Pioneers in Engineering Robotics Competition (UC Berkeley PiE)
Berkeley student-run competition providing low-cost robot kits, control system, and mentoring to Bay Area high schools. Very NorCal-specific and robotics-focused.
Presentation High School Robotics (FRC 2135, all-girls)
San Jose all-girls FRC team, strongly focused on hands-on robot build and leadership development.
RoboBoat
International autonomous surface vehicle competition where student teams design, build, and program boats to complete maritime tasks like coastal surveillance and port security.
RoboCupJunior USA
A student robotics competition open to teams up to age 19 who design, build, and program fully autonomous robots to compete in soccer, rescue, or theatrical performance (OnStage) leagues, with top teams advancing to the international RoboCup.
Robofest
An annual robotics festival hosted by Lawrence Technological University with a Senior Division for grades 9-12, featuring autonomous-robot game challenges, BottleSumo, vision-based tasks, and a robotics-themed exhibition and arts competition.
RoboRAVE International
An international robotics competition, founded in New Mexico in 2001, in which teams of 2-4 students of any age build and program autonomous robots on any hardware platform to compete in events like line following, sumo, and firefighting at regional Opens worldwide and a World Championship.
RoboSub
International autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) competition, held annually in Irvine, California, where high school and college teams design, build, and program AUVs to complete simulated maritime missions.
SeaPerch
A national underwater robotics program where students build a remotely operated vehicle from a low-cost kit and compete in regional and international challenges built around ocean engineering scenarios.
SkillsUSA - Robotics & Automation
A career-and-technical-education competition within SkillsUSA where small teams tackle robotics/automation challenges, advancing from state to national championships. Requires an active school SkillsUSA chapter.
Solar Car Challenge
A 15-month educational program culminating in a national race where high school teams design, engineer, and build road-worthy, solar-powered cars from scratch, then compete on a closed track or in a cross-country event.
Technology Student Association (TSA) Robotics
TSA runs robotics-focused events within its broader STEM competitive program at state and national conferences, requiring an active school TSA chapter.
The Tech Challenge
Annual team engineering design competition at The Tech Interactive in San Jose where students build and test devices to solve a real-world problem.
UC Davis C-STEM RoboPlay Challenge
Robotics competition from UC Davis's C-STEM Center where K-12 students apply algebra, math, and programming to robot-based challenges; recognized in UC admissions.
VEX IQ Robotics Competition
The snap-together entry-level tier of the VEX/REC Foundation ecosystem, where robots play a cooperative Teamwork Challenge plus a solo Robot Skills Challenge, best positioned as a beginner/feeder option.
VEX V5 Robotics Competition (VRC - HS Division)
Largest global competitive robotics program for middle and high school students. Teams design and build V5 robots for a yearly game with extensive competition opportunities.
World Robot Olympiad
International robotics competition spanning RoboMission, RoboSports, Future Innovators, and Future Engineers categories, with national qualifying rounds leading to a World Final.
World Robot Olympiad (WRO)
An international robotics competition for students ages 8-19, held annually since 2004 in over 95 countries, with categories spanning RoboMission, RoboSports, Future Innovators, and Future Engineers challenges.
Zero Robotics High School Program (Astrobee on ISS)
Robotics programming competition using real robots aboard the International Space Station, focused on autonomous behavior. Extremely strong prestige.
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