The National Economics Challenge (NEC) is the country’s only economics competition of its kind for high school students. It tests micro and macroeconomic principles as well as knowledge of the world economy.
The National Economics Challenge has a unique method for engaging, motivating, and rewarding high school students, making it a fun learning experience they’ll never forget. Participants compete for cash prizes, recognition, and bragging rights.
The competition is run in two divisions:
- The Adam Smith Division: for advanced placement, baccalaureate, honors students, and returning competitors.
- The David Ricardo Division: for students participating in the NEC for the first time and who have taken no more than one economics course.
Working in local teams with instructors and economics professionals serving as coaches, students compete first at the state level. The winning team from each state moves on to the First Round National Challenge to vie for their spot in the National Semi-Finals.
The top four teams in the semi-finals advance and receive an all-expense paid trip to New York City to compete and earn cash prizes in the following amounts for each team member, plus one teacher-coach:
- 1st place: $1,000
- 2nd place: $500
- 3rd place: $250
- 4th place: $125
Location(s)
- Participants can be in any U.S. state
- In-person national finals held in New York City, New York.
Schedule
- Exam period: Late March to early April
- Advancing teams notified: Mid April
- Online National Semi-Finals: Late April
- In-Person National Finals: Late May
Cost/Compensation
- Free
Eligibility Requirements
- Participants must be high school students in the United States
Deadline
- Varied
Application or Entry Requirements
- Teachers must first register to compete in regional competitions for which information can be found here.
Notifications of Decisions
Financial Aid Details
Other Dates to Keep in Mind
- Registration opens: January through April
- Exam period: April
- Advancing teams notified: Around Late April
- Online First Round National Finals: Early May
- Virtual National Semi-Finals: Mid to Late May
- David Ricardo Critical Thinking Round: Mid to Late May
- Adam Smith Critical Thinking Round: Mid to Late May
- In-Person National Finals: June
Have other questions?
The Council for Economic Education was founded in 2009 with a mission to equip K-12 students with the tools and knowledge of personal finance and economics so that they can make better decisions for themselves, their families, and their communities. There is an enormous gap between what people know about economics and personal finance, and what they need to know. CEE aims to close this widening gap in knowledge and competency through numerous programs in their Campaign for Economic Literacy.
