13 Economics Competitions for High School Students in Massachusetts
If you are interested in economics, it helps to test how well you can apply what you learn. Economics competitions for high school students are built around that idea. They take concepts from class and turn them into timed challenges and applied problems.
What do economics competitions involve?
Economics competitions for high school students help you develop skills like critical thinking, structured analysis, and decision-making. You may work through multiple rounds, including written tests, team challenges, and presentations. Some competitions even progress from state to national levels, giving you a clear pathway based on performance.
Why should you choose a program in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts offers access to competitions connected to universities and national-level platforms. Many of these are organized with clear stages, from local rounds to national finals, which helps you track your progress.
If you are in or near the state, choosing economics competitions for high school students in Massachusetts can be a practical option. You save on logistics while still competing in structured environments. These experiences can also add strong, measurable outcomes to your college applications and resume.
If you’re also interested in online economics programs, check here, or check out economics internships in Massachusetts to get an idea of what working in economics looks like.
Without further ado, here are 13 economics competitions for high school students in Massachusetts!
13 Economics Competitions for High School Students in Massachusetts
1. Harvard Pre-Collegiate Economics Challenge
Location: Harvard University campus, Cambridge, MA
Cost: $125 per team registration fee
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open registration until space is filled; one confirmed team per school initially
Dates: April 18; annual spring competition
Application Deadline: April 11
Eligibility: High school students in teams of 1–4; coach (teacher or parent) must be present; covers AP Microeconomics and Macroeconomics, economic news, history, research, and applied economics; open to international teams
Harvard Pre-Collegiate Economics Challenge is an annual competition that tests students on their economic knowledge at the microeconomics and macroeconomics levels. The competition includes a series of challenges that include both individual and team rounds, where you will be tested on economic history, news, recent research, and applications in varied fields, including environment, education, and business. Outside of competing, you would attend presentations from economics professors, learn about real-world applications of economics from professional economists, and gain guidance on pursuing an academic pathway from graduate students, as well as coaches and peers.
2. High School International Economics Essay Competition (HIEEC)
Location: Online; organized by the Harvard Undergraduate Economics Association, Cambridge, MA
Cost: $20 reading fee for US applicants; $30 for international applicants
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Essay prompts released in October; submission deadline in January; finalists notified in mid-March; winners notified at the end of March
Application Deadline: January 5
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12; one submission per student; student's own work only (outside assistance must be declared); 1,500-word limit; one of four prompts required; PDF format; Chicago or APA citation format; essay must not be entered elsewhere; open to international students
The Harvard Undergraduate Economics Association hosts the High School International Economics Essay Competition to test high school students on their economic knowledge through essay writing. During the competition, a series of essay prompts will be released where you will have to discuss economic theories and frameworks in the context of different fields, including environment, inequality, education, and finance. You will be asked to look at a problem from an economic standpoint and propose solutions. The prompts allow you to demonstrate an understanding of economic theory and principles through writing.
3. National Economics Challenge
Location: State-level rounds held locally in the state; national finals in Atlanta, GA
Cost: Free to enter; cash prizes at national finals
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: State-level rounds: spring (dates vary by state); national finals: May 28–29, Atlanta, GA
Application Deadline: Rolling; state-level deadlines vary by state affiliate
Eligibility: High school students in teams; a teacher or economics professional serves as coach
The National Economics Challenge hosts a nationwide competition to test high school students on their knowledge of the world economy and key microeconomics and macroeconomics principles. During the competition, you will work in teams along with instructors and professional economists who will act as your coaches and provide guidance during the program. The competitions include challenges and quizzes that will help you demonstrate your skills in economic analysis, along with critical thinking, data analysis, and problem-solving skills. You will first compete at the state level, after which you will move on to the national level to compete with students across the country.
4. Capitol Hill Challenge Program
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple individual stages between January and May (exact dates not specified)
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: U.S. public middle and high school students
The SIFMA Foundation hosts the Capitol Hill Challenge annually, where students can participate in an engaging competition to test their understanding of personal finance and economics. The program includes an educational aspect where your school will be matched with a member of Congress according to Zipcode, ensuring you have access to financial education programming. You will participate in teams. You will be tasked with managing a hypothetical online portfolio that includes a mix of bonds, stocks, mutual funds, cash, and impact investments. You will manage this portfolio over a period of time and will be judged based on financial decision-making, critical thinking, and collaborative skills.
5. International Economics Olympiad
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free (selection-based)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: National selection; up to 5 students per country
Dates: Annual summer competition (exact dates vary)
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students; must qualify through national selection
The International Economics Olympiad is a competition to test high school students on their knowledge of economics and finance. The competition will test you through a series of multiple-choice questions, open questions, and business case questions. The competition will test you on economics principles, microeconomics topics, concepts such as competitive markets, game theory, fiscal policy, economic fluctuations, monetary policy, currencies, and protectionism. The finance portion of the competition will include questions on financial planning, the banking system, credit, investment, financial instruments, insurance market, risk management, and cryptocurrency. You will move through rounds, after which you can compete with peers internationally.
6. Husky Investment Tournament for High Schools
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free; $1,000 prize for winners; scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Vary by the session
Application Deadline: Varies by session
Eligibility: High school students (grades 9–12); school-based participation; no prior experience required
Michigan Technological University College of Business offers a semester-long investment tournament where students test their knowledge of how businesses, the economy, and the stock market work through a simulated investment challenge. You will compete in teams to manage a virtual portfolio of one million dollars over the semester. The program also includes an educational element where you will receive instruction in economics, business, and personal finance at your school through your teachers. Your teacher will act as your guide to discuss personal finance, investing, and strategy for the tournament throughout the semester. The teams with top-performing portfolios will be invited to pitch to a panel of judges at the final stage of the competition.
7. High School Fed Challenge
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Dates: March - May (exact dates not specified)
Application Deadline: February 15
Eligibility: High school students; each school can register only one team
The Federal Reserve Bank hosts the High School Fed Challenge, where students interested in economics get the chance to work on a research paper and develop skills in analytical writing. The competition provides a theme each year, along with resources that help you with your research on the topic. Themes include exploring different fields through the lens of economics, such as music, globalization, climate change, or food. Once the theme has been decided, you will use data, economic concepts, and entrance to formulate an opinion and develop thoughtful ideas relevant to the topic. The top participants will have their work sent for publication and gain national recognition.
8. Berkeley Economic Review’s High School Essay Contest
Location: Virtual; organized by Berkeley Economic Review, UC Berkeley
Cost: Free to enter; winning essays published in BER's magazine Equilibrium and featured on the website and social media
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Typically runs annually in spring (Exact dates not specified)
Application Deadline: March 14
Eligibility: Current high school students; international students eligible; individual submissions only; MLA format; Works Cited required; AI use strictly prohibited; essay must not have been published elsewhere; one of two prompts required
The Berkeley Economic Review hosts a high school essay contest where students can develop their analytical and research skills by working on an essay topic related to economics. Previous prompts have included the economics of artificial intelligence and the cost of college education. Once the prompts have been decided, you will use your data analysis and critical thinking skills to evaluate the topic critically and come up with suggestions and proposals for your topic. You can take the help of existing economic policies and frameworks to devise your answer while presenting thoughtful suggestions and conclusions.
9. Youth Economics Initiative EconBowl
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free to enter; cash prizes offered
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; top 8 teams from the written round advance to the QuizBowl finals
Dates: November 12
Application Deadline: November 8; registration opens mid-September
Eligibility: High school students; teams of 3–4; team members may be from different schools and grade levels; no YEI chapter membership required; open to international participants
The Youth Economics Initiative hosts Econ Bull, which offers high schoolers the chance to test their economics skills in a competitive environment. The competition takes place in rounds, with the first round including a written exam where your team has sixteen minutes to collaboratively work on answering sixty economics-based questions. You’ll gain access to a practice test or a sample curriculum and AP prep material to help you prepare in advance. The top-performing teams will be invited to a tournament round where your team will solve both non-calculation and calculation-related economics problems.
10. Economics World Cup
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free to enter; top teams receive prizes
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; capped at approximately 150 teams internationally;
Dates: Round 1 is a 1-hour individual online test (30 MCQ); Round 2 is a 1-week team project for qualifying teams (exact dates not specified)
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students ages 12–18; teams of 2–6; no prior economics knowledge required; open book, internet, and AI tools permitted; open to international students; solo students can request team matching
The Economics World Cup is a global competition that tests high school students, both in their knowledge of economics and their ability to think like an economist. The competition takes place in a unique format where its open book takes place virtually, and allows the use of artificial intelligence tools. The competition includes multiple rounds where you will answer multiple-choice questions in the individual round and work alongside the team to solve a real development case that will help a real community. You will come up with solutions and can share them in the form of reports, videos, a presentation, or even a podcast. Your submissions will then be judged by a jury of professional economists.
11. World Series of Innovation (NFTE)
Location: Virtual; virtual office hours and webinars available during competition season; organized by NFTE
Cost: Free to enter; cash prizes awarded to top teams
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Challenges launch September 9; finalists announced on February 20; winners announced April 21
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Ages 13–24; individual or team submissions; six challenge categories tied to UN SDGs: health and well-being, skills for success, financial literacy, small business opportunity, climate solutions, and responsible AI; judged on creativity, SDG connection, feasibility, and impact; open internationally
The Impact League offers high school students the chance to work on their analytical skills by working collaboratively on a series of themed challenges. The challenges are typically tied to UN goals and include teams of entrepreneurship, economics, climate solutions, working on sustainability, mental health, and well-being. Your team will first pick a challenge, after which you can brainstorm to generate as many ideas as you can. Once you're done discussing and coming up with an ideal solution, you can formulate your final submission and submit it to the platform. The competition includes support in the form of webinars and workshops, where you will gain clarity on idea development, design thinking, and guidance on submissions.
12. The National Personal Finance Challenge
Location: State-level rounds held locally (varies by state); national finals in Atlanta, GA; all expenses covered at national finals
Cost: Free to enter
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: State-level rounds: spring (dates vary by state); national finals: June 1
Application Deadline: Rolling; state-level deadlines vary by state affiliate
Eligibility: High school students in teams; open to US high school students; register through state affiliates; teacher serves as team coach
National Personal Finance Challenge offers high school students the opportunity to test their finance, business, and economics knowledge in concepts such as investment, credit, managing risk, saving, spending, and earning. The first round includes a 20-minute quiz, which will then qualify you for the national competition. During this phase, you will be asked to create a financial plan for a simulated family scenario. You will have to use your knowledge of personal finance, economics, and basics to come up with a detailed plan. The top teams will then compete in a national championship, after which the winners will be decided.
13. World Economics Cup
Location: Virtual
Cost: Not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Three-round structure: Continental Qualifier, Continental Final, and World Final; dates not yet announced
Application Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: High school students only; teams of exactly six members; school adviser required to register and coordinate teams; individual students must be placed into a complete team by adviser; open to international schools
The Economics Cup is a global competition for high school students who want to test their knowledge of economics in an intercultural context. The competition will not just test you on economic theories, but will also help you develop critical thinking skills by solving issues around emerging economic issues. The challenge includes multiple-choice questions, material-based questions, and thinking and innovation sections where you will come up with solutions to real-world problems. You will get to apply economic thinking to complex world issues such as artificial intelligence, development, trade conflicts, global warming, and climate change. You will work in teams and come up with a solution, which you will then present collaboratively, after which the winners will be decided.
If you’re looking for an incubator program that helps you build skills for economics competitions, consider the Young Founders Lab!
If you want mentorship from successful entrepreneurs in building your business and learning economics skills, the Young Founders Lab is one of the strongest programs you can join in high school. It’s a 100% virtual start-up boot camp run by Harvard entrepreneurs, designed specifically for students who want to launch a company or non-profit.
In this program, you’ll get hands-on mentorship from founders and professionals from Google, Microsoft, McKinsey, and YC-backed companies, while building a venture that solves a real-world problem. You will gain hands-on experience with concepts such as pricing, market research, unit economics, and financial decision-making, skills that directly connect economics to entrepreneurship.
Multiple cohorts run throughout the year, including summer, fall, winter, and spring, so you can join whenever it fits your schedule. Financial aid is available, and the program is open to all high school students, with no prior experience required.