History Competitions for High School Students
EC Finder currently lists 30 history competitions for high school students. Of these, 21 are free to participate in and 20 offer virtual participation. Examples include 9th Circuit Civics Contest, AFSA National High School Essay Contest, and Alameda County History Day.
- 30
- listed
- 21
- free
- 20
- virtual
- 29
- with a listed deadline
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are history competitions for high school students?
- History Competitions for High School Students are curated extracurricular listings for high school students interested in history. 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?
- 29 of the 30 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 — 21 of the 30 competitions listed here are free to participate in.
- Can I participate virtually?
- Yes — 20 of the 30 competitions listed here offer virtual or online participation.
- Are history competitions good for a college application?
- Yes — history competitions are a common way for high schoolers to show sustained interest and initiative in history on college applications.
Related Categories
30 activities found·Browse by category
9th Circuit Civics Contest
Essay or video contest on "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness," analyzing one core right historically and today.
AFSA National High School Essay Contest
An annual essay competition co-sponsored by the American Foreign Service Association and the U.S. Institute of Peace that asks high schoolers to write about diplomacy's role in resolving conflict, with a top prize including a Semester at Sea scholarship.
Alameda County History Day
Local county contest for National History Day; students from Alameda County submit projects in February and compete at the county event on March 7, 2026.
American Battlefield Trust Postcard Contest
An annual creative contest from the American Battlefield Trust in which students in grades 4-12 design an illustrated postcard reflecting on the importance of preserving Civil War and Revolutionary War history.
American Legion National Oratorical Contest
A Constitution-focused public-speaking scholarship contest where students deliver prepared and extemporaneous speeches on the U.S. Constitution, advancing from post to state to national, with a $25,000 national top prize.
Bill of Rights Institute We the Students Essay Contest
An annual essay contest on U.S. government/founding-principles themes with a grand prize of $7,500 plus a scholarship to the Constitutional Academy summer program in Washington, D.C.
C-SPAN StudentCam
A national documentary competition where students make a short film on an annual civic/political theme incorporating C-SPAN footage, with $100,000 in total prizes across 150 winners.
Congressional Essay Contest (National Society of the Colonial Dames of America)
An annual essay contest run by state societies of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America since 1977, in which high school students write a 750-word essay on the functions of American government for a chance at one of roughly 50 scholarships to the Washington Workshops Congressional Seminar in Washington, D.C.
Coolidge Scholarship
Highly competitive, full-ride four-year undergraduate scholarship awarded to high school juniors based on essays and interviews grounded in American history and government.
DAR American History Essay Contest
National essay contest that asks students to write on a themed U.S. history prompt; entries go through local DAR chapters to state and national levels.
DAR Patriots of the American Revolution High School Essay Contest
A Daughters of the American Revolution essay contest focusing on people of the American Revolution, judged for historical accuracy and use of primary sources, advancing from chapter to state to national levels.
David McCullough Essay Prizes
Prestigious essay competition for high school students in Gilder Lehrman Affiliate Schools, honoring narrative or analytical essays on American history.
EduHam Online (Hamilton Education Program)
A free curriculum-based program created by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jeffrey Seller, and Gilder Lehrman where students study Founding-Era primary sources and create an original performance piece, with a national student showcase.
Fracchia Prize – San Francisco Historical Society
Annual research-essay contest on San Francisco history; open to any student attending a high school in San Francisco, with 1,200–1,600-word original essays.
George S. & Stella M. Knight Essay Contest (Sons of the American Revolution)
An annual national essay contest from the Sons of the American Revolution open to students in grades 9-12, who write an 800-1,200 word essay on an event, person, or ideal tied to the American Revolution, Declaration of Independence, or U.S. Constitution, advancing from local chapters to state and national judging.
John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest
An annual essay contest from the JFK Library Foundation asking U.S. high schoolers to research and analyze an act of political courage by an elected official who served in or after 1917, with a $10,000 top prize.
Joseph S. Rumbaugh Historical Oration Contest
National oratory competition by the Sons of the American Revolution where high schoolers write and deliver an original speech connecting the Revolutionary War era to the present.
National History Bee and Bowl
Nationwide history quiz competitions run by International Academic Competitions, with an individual buzzer-based Bee and a team-based Bowl, split into Varsity (grades 11-12) and Junior Varsity divisions that advance from regional tournaments to national championships.
National History Day – California (NHD-CA state contest)
NHD-CA is the state-level round of National History Day, where county champions present exhibits, documentaries, websites, performances, or papers on the annual NHD theme; it's one of the largest state history contests in the U.S.
National History Day – National Contest
National finals for NHD, held June 14–18, 2026 at the University of Maryland, College Park, where 3,000+ students present projects and compete for medals, scholarships, and special prizes.
NHD-CA Historical Paper Contest
Separate category where historical papers skip the county level and are submitted directly to a statewide paper contest; top papers then feed into the larger NHD-CA pathway.
NJCL National Certamen
A quiz-bowl-style competition run by the National Junior Classical League testing knowledge of Latin/Greek language, Roman life, mythology, history, and literature, held at the NJCL National Convention.
Sala and Aron Samueli Holocaust Art & Writing Contest
One of the largest Holocaust education contests in the country, where students respond creatively to Holocaust survivor or rescuer testimony.
Selma Moidel Smith Student Writing Competition in California Legal History
Essay competition inviting students to research and write about a topic in California's legal and judicial history.
Student Writing Contest (The National WWII Museum)
An annual national essay contest from The National WWII Museum open to U.S. students in grades 7-12, who submit a 500-750 word essay on an assigned WWII-era topic using at least five sources, judged separately in Junior (7-9) and Senior (10-12) divisions.
The Supreme Court and My Hometown
In-person national civics program where high schoolers research a historic Supreme Court case with a local connection and complete a capstone project.
VFW Voice of Democracy
A nationwide audio-essay scholarship competition sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars since 1947, in which high schoolers record a 3-5 minute essay on an annual patriotic theme for a share of over $1.6 million in scholarships.
We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution
A civics curriculum and competition from the Center for Civic Education in which student teams research constitutional issues and testify before a panel of judges acting as legislators, advancing from regional and state rounds to National Finals in Washington, DC.
World Historian Student Essay Competition (World History Association)
An international essay competition from the World History Association open to students in grades K-12, who submit an approximately 1,000-word original essay on an assigned world history theme for a chance at a $500 cash prize and a one-year WHA membership.
Young Family Historians Essay Contest
Essay contest focused on family history and genealogy, asking students to research and write about their own family history using historical methods.
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.