Top Math Competitions for Gifted Teens (2025 Edition)

[Middle School 🧠] • [High School 🎓] • [Mathematics 🔢] • [Competitions 🏆] • [Intelligence 🧠] • [Nurture 🌱] • [Insights 📊]

Love math?
Constantly solving puzzles, asking “why,” or getting bored in classes?

Math competitions could be the perfect outlet.

These contests don’t just challenge brilliant minds—they unlock scholarships, spark lifelong interests, and open doors to elite universities. Whether you're in middle school or preparing for college applications, there’s a math competition tailored for you.

Below is a curated list of the most prestigious math competitions for gifted and talented teens, organized to help students and parents navigate the best-fit opportunities.

🥇 The Gold Standard: AMC to IMO

AMC Contests (AMC 8, 10, 12)

Grades: AMC 8 (Middle School), AMC 10/12 (High School)
Format: Individual, multiple-choice
Why It Matters: The American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) are the most recognized math contests in the US, and the official gateway to the USA Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO) and International Math Olympiad (IMO).

Students who do well often land spots at elite summer programs (like Math Olympiad Summer Program - MOP) and are closely watched by top STEM colleges. Start with AMC 8 in middle school, then level up to AMC 10 or 12.

What Comes Next

Top scorers on the AMC 10/12 are invited to the AIME, and the most exceptional students move on to the USAMO and potentially the IMO, where they write rigorous mathematical proofs and represent the US on a global stage.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Elite Tournaments That Build Network and Skill

1. Harvard/MIT Mathematics Tournament (HMMT)

Grades: 9–12 | Format: Team + Individual
Highlights: Held annually at Harvard and MIT, HMMT is an invite-only tournament that draws some of the world’s top math talent. High difficulty level and ideal for Olympiad-level students.
Why It’s Great for Gifted Learners: HMMT is where math turns into art. With problems crafted by MIT and Harvard students, it invites gifted learners into a world of elegant logic, clever twists, and problems that reward originality over routine. If your child lights up at the idea of inventing their own method—not just getting the right answer—this is their proving ground.

2. American Regions Mathematics League (ARML)

Grades: High School | Format: Team-based
Highlights: Known for its collaborative format, ARML helps students build math muscles and friendships. Plus, top scorers can earn fellowships or internships.
Why It’s Great for Gifted Learners: ARML transforms math into a team sport. For gifted students who are used to flying solo, it’s a rare chance to join a brain trust—15 strong—where communication, speed, and strategy matter as much as insight. It’s fast, fun, and full of camaraderie, making it perfect for kids who want math to feel alive.

3. Stanford Math Tournament (SMT)

Grades: High School | Format: Team + Subject-specific
Highlights: Hosted at Stanford and run by undergrads, SMT is a competition that offers deep dives into math areas like algebra, number theory, and geometry.
Why It’s Great for Gifted Learners: SMT rewards students who don’t just know math—but love to wrestle with it. With its optional subject tracks and rigorous proof rounds, it lets gifted students lean into their favorite topics, geek out with Stanford-caliber peers, and experience what collegiate-level mathematical thinking really feels like.

4. Berkeley Math Tournament (BMT)

Grades: High School (Middle Schoolers Allowed) | Format: Team + Individual
Highlights: Problems at BMT are hand-crafted by Berkeley students, and the experience is both rigorous and creative.
Why It’s Great for Gifted Learners: BMT is for students who love the why as much as the how. From proof-based rounds on unexpected math topics to fast-paced team challenges with live scoring, BMT gives gifted students a chance to flex creativity, tackle deep ideas, and experiment at the edges of what they’ve been taught. It's less about tricks—and more about insight.

🌍 Global and Inclusive Math Contests

1. Math Kangaroo

Grades: K–12 | Format: Individual
Highlights: Known for its logic-based, creative problems, Math Kangaroo is ideal for introducing gifted kids to math competitions. Held in over 80 countries.
Why It’s Great for Gifted Learners: Math Kangaroo is the perfect first spark. Its playful, logic-rich questions reward creative leaps over memorized steps—making it ideal for gifted students who think differently, not just quickly. With global participation and multilingual access, it also helps kids feel part of a worldwide celebration of math curiosity.

2. Caribou Math Contests

Grades: K–12 | Format: Online, 6x a year
Highlights: The largest online global math competition, Caribou is accessible and affordable, with real cash prizes and unique math games.
Why It’s Great for Gifted Learners: Caribou is like a playground for the math-inclined mind. With quirky puzzles, logic games, and diverse real-world scenarios, it gives gifted students a chance to play their way into mastery. It’s perfect for those who love experimentation, think sideways, and light up when they see how math applies beyond the classroom.

3. Purple Comet! Math Meet

Grades: 7–12 | Format: Team-based, online
Highlights: Great for international teams with flexible timing. Purple Comet! Math Meet is free, fun, and fosters collaboration across borders.
Why It’s Great for Gifted Learners: Purple Comet is proof that math and teamwork can travel the world—digitally. It’s perfect for gifted learners who love solving tough problems together without the stress of rigid rules or in-person pressure. With flexible timing, international participation, and team dynamics, it lets math-minded students feel both challenged and connected.

👩‍🔬 Competitions That Empower Girls in STEM

1. Math Prize for Girls

Grades: High School Girls | Format: Individual
Highlights: Held at MIT, Math Prize for Girls is the largest math competition for girls in the world, with major cash prizes and visibility. It’s a powerful platform for gifted girls to shine.
Why It’s Great for Gifted Learners: This isn’t just a competition—it’s a statement. Math Prize for Girls offers gifted young women a rare stage to shine, surrounded by peers who break stereotypes with every solution. With $100,000 in prizes and MIT as the backdrop, it inspires confidence, ambition, and community in a field still catching up to their brilliance.

2. InteGIRLS Math Competitions

Grades: Middle & High School Girls | Format: Team
Highlights: InteGIRLS Math Competitions is a fast-growing national movement to make math competitions inclusive, empowering, and community-driven.
Why It’s Great for Gifted Learners: InteGIRLS creates a space where gifted girls and non-binary students don’t just fit in—they lead. Run by students, for students, these competitions feel more like a movement than a math test. It’s an empowering launchpad for those who want challenge, connection, and the courage to own their brilliance.

🧑‍🏫 Middle School Classics

1. MATHCOUNTS

Grades: 6–8 | Format: Individual + Team
Highlights: MATHCOUNTS is the most popular US middle school math competition, with tons of resources and coaching support. Many AMC stars started here.
Why It’s Great for Gifted Learners: MATHCOUNTS is where talent meets adrenaline. From rapid-fire buzzer rounds to deep-dive problem sets, it gives gifted middle schoolers their first real taste of high-stakes math—and the thrill of rising to the occasion. It’s a launchpad for young minds who think fast, play hard, and want to be pushed to their limits.

2. Pi Math Contest (PiMC)

Grades: 3–12 (Divided into Euler: 3–5, Fermat: 6–8, Gauss: 9–12)
Format: Individual, multiple-choice
Highlights: A global contest with tiered age divisions, PiMC emphasizes accuracy over speed and awards top scorers with medals, certificates, and AlphaStar scholarships—making it a great fit for deep-thinking students who enjoy elegant problem-solving.
Why It’s Great for Gifted Learners: PiMC rewards precision, not just speed. It gives gifted students space to slow down, think critically, and take risks without penalty—making it perfect for young minds who love puzzles and logic, but hate the pressure of trick-based tests. With age-based divisions and international access, it’s a thoughtful entry point for deep thinkers across all grade levels.

3. Mathematical Olympiads for Elementary and Middle Schools (MOEMS)

Grades: Elementary (up to grade 6) and Middle School (grades 6–8)
Format: Individual or team-based (up to 35 students); monthly contests held over five months (November–March)
Highlights: MOEMS is a long-running and highly respected competition that reaches over 120,000 students across 39+ countries. Each monthly contest features 5 challenging, proof-style questions covering number theory, geometry, combinatorics, and logical reasoning.
Why It’s Great for Gifted Learners: MOEMS encourages deep thinking and problem-solving stamina over time. It's ideal for students ready to go beyond standard classroom math and start building a strong foundation for future contests like MATHCOUNTS, AMC 8, or Math Kangaroo.

🧮 Real-World Problem Solving

1. MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge (M3)

Grades: 11–12 | Format: Team-based
Highlights: M3 Challenge is a free, applied math contest where teams model real-world problems (think: climate change, pandemic spread, economic policy). Winners earn scholarships and press attention.
Why It’s Great for Gifted Learners: M3 Challenge transforms math into a real-world superpower. Gifted students collaborate in teams to tackle pressing global issues—like sustainability or public health—using data, modeling, and critical thinking. With a 14-hour window to devise solutions, it’s a thrilling test of creativity and endurance. Finalists earn scholarships and present their findings in New York City, making it an ideal stage for young problem-solvers ready to make an impact.

2. Trig-Star

Grades: High School | Format: Individual
Highlights: Trig-Star is a niche competition focused on trigonometry and surveying. Great for students interested in architecture, engineering, or geoscience careers.
Why It’s Great for Gifted Learners: Trig-Star turns abstract trigonometry into something you can measure in the real world. It’s a perfect fit for gifted students who love applied math, precision, and seeing how equations translate into careers—especially in fields like surveying, architecture, and engineering. Plus, it rewards accuracy under pressure and opens doors to scholarships.

💡 Why These Competitions Matter

• 💥 Builds Confidence in advanced problem-solving
• 💼 Boosts College Applications (especially to STEM-focused schools)
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Connects Students to mentors, peers, and opportunities
• 💰 Scholarships & Awards can result from high placement

🎯 Final Advice for Math Lovers

Start early. Don't be afraid to explore. Also, don’t obsess about “winning”—growth, exposure, and challenge are the real wins.

If you thrive in math, these competitions can stretch your abilities, shape your future, and surround you with other gifted peers who love to learn.