25+ Math Competitions for Students
Math competitions are a great way for students to test their skills and see how they measure up against other students across the country and around the world. But most math contests have benefits that far surpass the competition aspect including developing problem-solving skills, learning how to work collaboratively, encouraging creativity, improving technical writing skills, and a lot more.
If you’re a student interested in entering a math competition, or a teacher ready to enhance classroom learning with an exciting activity, check out this list of math contests.
1. AMC 8
The AMC 8 is a 25-question, 40-minute, multiple-choice examination in middle school mathematics designed to promote the development of problem-solving skills.
Who can participate: Students in 8th grade and below
Learn more: https://www.maa.org/math-competitions/amc-8
2. AMC 10/12
The AMC 10 and AMC 12 are both 25-question, 75-minute, multiple-choice examinations in high school mathematics designed to promote the development and enhancement of problem-solving skills.
Who can participate: 10th and 12th grade students
Learn more: https://www.maa.org/math-competitions/amc-1012
3. American Scholastic Mathematics Association Annual Mathematics Contest
This annual math contest provides students with an opportunity to compete nationally with other high ability students across the country.
Who can participate: Junior, intermediate and high school students
Learn more: https://www.asan.com/annual-math-contest
4. ARML
The American Regions Mathematics League (ARML) hosts a national competition for the brightest mathematical minds in the nation's high schools.
Who can participate: High school students
Learn more: https://www.arml.com/ARML/arml_2019/page/index.php
5. Caribou Math Contests
An international online mathematics competition held six times per year for students from Kindergarten through 12th grade.
Who can participate: K/1, 2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8, 9/10, 11/12 grade students
Learn more: https://www.cariboutests.com/test/
6. COMAP's HiMCM and MidMCM
COMAP'S High School Mathematical Contest in Modeling (HiMCM)® and Middle Mathematical Contest in Modeling (MidMCM) are international contests designed to provide students with the opportunity to work as team members to engage and improve their modeling, problem solving, and writing skills.
Who can participate: Middle and high school students
Learn more: https://www.comap.com/contests/himcm-midmcm
7. COMAP's IM2C
The IM2C is a true team competition and a true challenge. Real problems require a mix of different kinds of high-school level mathematics, along with conceptual thinking and logic, for their analysis and solution. Real problems take time and teamwork.
Who can participate: All educational levels
Learn more: https://www.comap.com/contests/immc
8. COMAP's MCM/ICM
COMAP's Mathematical Contest in Modeling (MCM)® and Interdisciplinary Contest in Modeling (ICM)® are international contests that challenge teams of up to three students to analyze, model, solve, and present solution reports to an open-ended application problem.
Who can participate: High school and undergraduate students
Learn more: https://www.comap.com/contests/mcm-icm
9. HMMT
HMMT is a math competition organized by students at Harvard, MIT, and nearby schools to encourage interest in math, engage a diverse community of students, and provide insight into what a future in math may look like.
Who can participate: High school students
Learn more: https://www.hmmt.org/
10. IMC-IMPEA
IMC is an international contest to help all students to learn how to study mathematics and how to use it.
Who can participate: Middle and high school students
Learn more: https://www.imc-impea.org/
11. Integirls Math Competition
A virtual math competition for girls and non-binary students comfortable being grouped with girls that consists of individual and team math competition rounds and fun STEM related activities
Who can participate: Middle and high school students
Learn more: https://www.integirls.org/math-competitions
12. M3 Challenge
MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge (M3 Challenge) spotlights applied mathematics with a specific real-world problem that is posed each year.
Who can participate: 11th and 12th grade students
Learn more: https://m3challenge.siam.org/
13. MathCON
MathCON is a nonprofit national mathematics organization recognized for its annual two-round student math competition.
Who can participate: 4th through 12th grade students
Learn more: https://www.mathcon.org/
14. MATHCOUNTS
The MATHCOUNTS Competition Series has 4 levels of competition—school, chapter, state and national. Each level of competition is comprised of 4 rounds—Sprint, Target, Team and Countdown Round.
Who can participate: 6th through 8th grade students
Learn more: https://www.mathcounts.org/programs/mathcounts-competition-series
15. Math League
The Math League contests give students an educationally enriching opportunity to participate in an academically-oriented activity and to gain recognition for mathematical achievement.
Who can participate: 4th through 12th grade students
Learn more: https://mathleague.com/
16. Math Prize for Girls
The Advantage Testing Foundation/Jane Street Math Prize for Girls is the largest math prize for girls in the world, involving about 250 young female mathematicians.
Who can participate: Students in 11th grade and below
Learn more: https://mathprize.atfoundation.org/apply
17. Modeling the Future Challenge
The Modeling the Future Challenge is a real-world competition combining math modeling, data analysis, and risk management.
Who can participate: High school students
Learn more: https://www.mtfchallenge.org/
18. MOEMS
Mathematical Olympiads for Elementary and Middle School (MOEMS®) provides monthly problem-solving contests for elementary and middle school students.
Who can participate: 4th through 8th grade students
Learn more: https://www.mtfchallenge.org/
19. Nanomath Fall Math Meet
An annual, student-run online math competition and event for high school and advanced middle school students.
Who can participate: Middle and high school students
Learn more: https://www.nanomath.org/fmm
20. PiMC
Pi Math Contest (PiMC) is a math competition to stimulate interest and achievement in mathematics and to provide recognition of outstanding young mathematicians
Who can participate: 3rd through 12th grade students
Learn more: https://www.pimathcontest.com/
21. Purple Comet! Math Meet
The Purple Comet! Math Meet is a free, annual, international, online, team, mathematics competition designed where teams compete by submitting solutions to a list of mathematics problems.
Who can participate: Middle and high school students
Learn more: https://purplecomet.org/
22. Putnam Competition
The William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition annually poses two sets of six very challenging problems over two days and has a long and distinguished history.
Who can participate: Undergraduate students
Learn more: https://www.maa.org/math-competitions/william-lowell-putnam-mathematical-competition
23. SCUDEM
SIMIODE Challenge Using Differential Equations Modeling (SCUDEM) is a group modeling challenge administered by SIMIODE.
Who can participate: High school and undergraduate students
Learn more: https://qubeshub.org/community/groups/scudem
24. SIGMA Math Competition
SIGMA provides students the opportunity to compete nationally as individuals, as teams, and as schools. The contests are general in nature, covering a wide range of mathematics found in the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th grade curricula.
Who can participate: 6th through 9th grade students
Learn more: https://sigmamathcontest.com/
25. TEAMS
Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science (TEAMS) is an annual, theme-based competition that provides students with the opportunity to discover engineering.
Who can participate: Middle and high school students
Learn more: https://tsaweb.org/teams
26. Trig-Star
Sponsored by the National Society of Professional Surveyors, Trig-Star is a competition that recognizes and rewards high school students who excel in mathematics, particularly trigonometry.
Who can participate: High school students
Learn more: https://trig-star.com/
27. USA Mathematical Talent Search (USAMTS)
The USA Mathematical Talent Search (USAMTS) is a free mathematics competition open to all United States middle and high school students, and allows students a full month to work out their solutions.
Who can participate: Middle and high school students
Learn more: https://www.usamts.org/
Written by
COMAP
The Consortium for Mathematics and Its Applications is an award-winning non-profit organization whose mission is to improve mathematics education for students of all ages. Since 1980, COMAP has worked with teachers, students, and business people to create learning environments where mathematics is used to investigate and model real issues in our world.