April 1, 2022
The National Economics Challenge (NEC), sponsored by the Council for Economic Education (CEE), is the nation’s only economics competition of its kind for high school students. Students are challenged to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of micro- and macroeconomic principles, as well as the world economy.
The competition runs in two divisions: the David Ricardo Division is for first-time challenge competitors who have taken no more than one economics course; and the Adam Smith Division is for advanced placement, international baccalaureate, and honors students, as well as any returning competitors.
The challenge begins with competitions at the state level. The winning team from each state moves on to the First Round National Challenge to compete for their spot in the National Semifinals. The top four teams in the Semifinals will advance and receive an all-expenses-paid trip to compete in the National Finals in New York City this spring. The first-place winners in each division will receive a cash prize of $1,000; second-place, $500; third-place, $250; and fourth-place, $125.
Deadlines: Registration is open. The registration portal indicates specific rules and dates for each state-level competition, which are determined by the CEE affiliate that organizes each statewide competition.