Region
North America anchors some of the world's most prestigious student competitions in business, technology, science and design. Ivy League case competitions, Silicon Valley startup challenges, NASA student research grants and New York fashion competitions draw entries from students globally. Many are open to international students studying in the United States and Canada, and some specifically encourage applications from outside North America to strengthen the diversity of ideas. Prize pools frequently include internship placements, venture funding referrals and direct industry mentorship.
North America stats
Business
by Valuation Master Class
Think like an analyst. Pick a real company. Value it. Defend your number in front of Dr. Andrew Stotz, CFA. Free entry. US$1,000 cash prize for the winner. Tool partner: Koyfin. ELIGIBILITY: Open to students and...
Global, Europe, North America, South America, Middle East · Bachelor, Master, PhD, Open to everyone
Deadline
Nov 11, 2026
closes today
Prize · Cash Prize
US$1,000 cash prize for the winner.
Arts/Photography, Natural sciences
by The Nature Photography Contest
Do you want to share with the world the wonders of the planet and contribute to its protection? Then don’t miss the opportunity to participate in The Nature Photography Contest, an international photography contest for p...
Global, Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Africa, Oceania, Middle East · Open to everyone
Deadline
Nov 15, 2026
in 4 days
Prize · Cash Prize
€2000 in cash prizes and others
Arts/Photography, Tech & Engineering, Design, Business, Architecture, Fashion, Natural sciences, Education, Health, Law, Mathematics, Social sciences
by Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, Technical University of Munich, IIT Bombay, Zhejiang University, Hong Kong UST, UNESP Brazil, YGA
The Global Sustainability Challenge, brought to you by the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability and leading institutions worldwide, invites university students to develop bold solutions in Sustainable Energy and Adapt...
Global, Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Africa, Oceania, Middle East · Bachelor, Master, PhD
Deadline
Nov 22, 2026
in 1 week
Prize · Cash Prize
Cash Prizes, Global visibility and recognition, Invitation to Stanford EcoGlobal program
Architecture
by ArchiBriefer
OVERVIEW: An international award inviting architecture students and recent graduates to showcase innovative thesis projects demonstrating originality, technical excellence, and impact on the built environment. KEY DE...
Global, Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Africa, Oceania, Middle East · Bachelor, Master, PhD
Deadline
Nov 25, 2026
in 2 weeks
Prize · Publicity
Global Recognition + Media Exposure + Certificate.
Tech & Engineering, Business, Education, Social sciences
by Build Learning
The Global Innovation Challenge 2026 is a fully virtual business, entrepreneurship and social impact competition for high school students worldwide. Students will develop, test and pitch an original business, startup...
Global, Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Africa, Oceania, Middle East · High school Students
Deadline
Nov 30, 2026
in 2 weeks
Prize · Cash
USD $1,500 Seed Award from the Global Builder's Seed Fund
Arts/Photography, Design, Natural sciences
by Anthology Magazine
Offering a variety of competitions established to encourage and promote visual artists and writers, the Anthology Creative Awards provide a platform for emerging creatives to publish their work. There are eight categorie...
Global, Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Africa, Oceania, Middle East · Open to everyone
Deadline
Nov 30, 2026
in 2 weeks
Prize · Cash
Up to €1000 per competition, and publication
Tech & Engineering, Design, Business, Natural sciences, Education, Health
by BeMyApp
The AI Builders Challenge – North America, sponsored by IBM SkillsBuild and organized by BeMyApp, is a free virtual hackathon inviting college and university students across the U.S. and Canada to build AI-powered soluti...
North America · Bachelor, Master, PhD
Deadline
Dec 2, 2026
in 3 weeks
Prize · Cash Prize
$15,000 USD Total Prize Pool Grand Prize: $10,000 Second Place: $3,000 Best AI for Good Project: $1,000 Best Wildcard Solution: $1,000
Tech & Engineering, Design
by ThermaLabs
Apply to be on our founding engineer team. ThermaLabs is a startup founded by an IVY league entrepreneur. We're building clothing that keeps people cool while they work in extreme heat. We're looking for the engineers...
Global, Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Africa, Oceania, Middle East · Bachelor, Master, PhD, Open to everyone
Deadline
Dec 6, 2026
in 3 weeks
Prize · Mixed/Other
$5000 design prize. A job on our founding engineering team: $40 an hour + Equity for students, from $90,000 a year + Equity for graduates.
Tech & Engineering, Design
by Shenzhen Industrial Design Profession Association (SIDA)
Better Design Award (BDA) 2026 The Better Design Award is an international design competition seeking outstanding projects that demonstrate how design can drive innovation, technological development and real-world impac...
Global, Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Africa, Oceania, Middle East · Open to everyone
Deadline
Dec 12, 2026
in 1 month
Prize · Cash
4,100,000 CNY (approximately 545,900 Euro)
Tech & Engineering
by PixArt Imaging Inc.
The PixArt University Innovation Challenge 2027 is a free international competition organized by PixArt Imaging Inc., a global leader in CMOS image sensing technology. Unlike traditional engineering competitions that pro...
Global, Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Africa, Oceania, Middle East · Bachelor, Master, PhD
Deadline
Dec 15, 2026
in 1 month
Prize · Cash Prize
First Prize x1:US$10,000 ; Second Prize x1: US$8,000; Third Prize x1: US$6,000; Merit Awards x5: US$3,000
Tech & Engineering, Business, Natural sciences, Education, Health, Law, Mathematics, Social sciences
by Lumiere Education
The Lumiere Scholars Essay Award is open to high school students (grades 9 to 12) worldwide. Winners receive up to $11,000 in cash prizes and scholarships to do independent research with a PhD mentor. Top students are...
Global, Europe, Asia, North America, Oceania, Middle East · High school Students
Deadline
Dec 20, 2026
in 1 month
Prize · Mixed/Other
Up to $11,000 in cash prizes and scholarships + a dinner at Oxford University with 2 Nobel Laureates
Arts/Photography, Tech & Engineering, Design, Business, Architecture, Fashion, Natural sciences, Education, Health, Law, Mathematics, Social sciences
by Immerse Education
A free global public speaking challenge for students aged 14-18. Record a one-minute video answering: "Fast forward to 100 years from now. What difference would excite you the most? Why?" Judges look for a clear idea...
Global, Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Africa, Oceania, Middle East · High school Students
Deadline
Jan 10, 2027
in 1 month
Prize · Scholarship
Winners receive full or partial scholarships to TED Summer School 2027 in London, New York, Singapore, Sydney or online.
Explore what disciplines are represented among competitions in North America.
Guides and insights from the Student Competitions Magazine.
10 MOOC websites to start your free online education
You do not need a tuition bill to learn something new. MOOCs let you study real university courses from your laptop, and most of them cost nothing to follow. Here are ten places to start.
10 presentation tips for first-time presenters
Sooner or later you will have to stand up and present: a seminar, a thesis defence, a competition pitch. Your first time does not have to be a disaster. Ten tips that actually help.
How Competitions Fuel Student Growth, Confidence, and Career Success
Competitions offer students opportunities to build skills, gain confidence, and expand networks. Discover how participating can transform your academic and professional journey.
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