Finance Competitions for High School Students
EC Finder currently lists 18 finance competitions for high school students. Of these, 11 are free to participate in and 15 offer virtual participation. Examples include Boston Global Investment Competition (BGIC), Diamond Challenge, and FBLA Personal Finance (Competitive Event).
- 18
- listed
- 11
- free
- 15
- virtual
- 18
- with a listed deadline
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are finance competitions for high school students?
- Finance Competitions for High School Students are curated extracurricular listings for high school students interested in finance. 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 — 11 of the 18 competitions listed here are free to participate in.
- Can I participate virtually?
- Yes — 15 of the 18 competitions listed here offer virtual or online participation.
- Are finance competitions good for a college application?
- Yes — finance competitions are a common way for high schoolers to show sustained interest and initiative in finance on college applications.
18 activities found·Browse by category
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.
Diamond Challenge
A global entrepreneurship competition from the University of Delaware's Horn Entrepreneurship in which teams of 2-4 high schoolers pitch a Business Innovation or Social Innovation venture, competing for over $100,000 in prizes at the Limitless World Summit.
FBLA Personal Finance (Competitive Event)
National objective-test competitive event within Future Business Leaders of America where students demonstrate knowledge of budgeting, saving, credit, and investing.
International Finance Olympiad (IFO)
A free, fully online global competition for pre-collegiate students that tests financial and economic analysis skills through a Global Grand Test and, for finalists, a case-based test plus a video case analysis presentation.
Intuit Hour of Finance Challenge
A national financial literacy initiative in which middle and high school classes complete an interactive one-hour online game covering credit and budgeting decisions during an annual spring challenge window, competing for school-level recognition and prizes.
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 JA Stock Market Challenge
A Junior Achievement competition in which teams of high schoolers who have completed the JA Take Stock in Your Future curriculum simulate 90 days of stock trading in 90 minutes, with top teams advancing to an in-person final in Boston.
NGPF PAYBACK Challenge
An annual national challenge from Next Gen Personal Finance in which high school students play the PAYBACK college-simulation game and then write an essay or make a video on applying what they learned to future financial decisions, competing for scholarship prizes.
Redbird Risk Management Challenge
A free week-long residential program at Illinois State University's Katie School of Insurance and Risk Management where high school seniors form teams to manage a simulated corporation through risk scenarios, learning actuarial and risk-management fundamentals; next held in 2027.
SIFMA Foundation Capitol Hill Challenge
A national investing competition, now in its third decade, that pairs members of Congress with public middle and high schools in their districts; student teams manage a hypothetical $100,000 portfolio of stocks, bonds, and other assets, with priority given to Title I schools.
Stevens Trading Day
A two-part stock market competition from the Stevens Institute of Technology in which high school sophomores and juniors manage a simulated equities portfolio online, with top performers invited to trade live on Bloomberg terminals at Stevens' Hoboken campus.
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.
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.
Top Trader Stock Market Competition (UT Dallas)
A fully online summer stock and ETF trading competition hosted by UT Dallas's Naveen Jindal School of Management, in which high schoolers invest $1 million in virtual currency and compete for a cash prize pool.
US Junior Investment Challenge (USJIC)
A summer investing competition for students from grade school through high school, aiming to build awareness of personal finance and investing through hands-on team competition and free educational resources.
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 Challenge
A free online investing competition open to US and Canadian students 21 and under, in which participants manage a simulated $100,000 stock portfolio over a 10-week period using live market data, competing for cash prizes across age divisions.
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.