USA Biology Olympiad (USABO)
Competition · Center for Excellence in Education (CEE)Run by the Center for Excellence in Education, the USA Biolympiad enriches the life-science education of nearly 12,000 students each year through two rounds of challenging online exams. Twenty finalists are invited to a residential national finals with advanced coursework and lab training, and the top four form the USA team for the International Biology Olympiad (Warsaw, Poland in July 2027). Every U.S. team member has medaled at the IBO since CEE began administering the program.
Who can apply
FieldsBiology · Life Sciences
EligibilityAdvancing beyond the Open Exam to the Semifinal requires U.S. citizenship or permanent residency (green card); the Open Exam itself has no citizenship requirement.
SelectivityTop 20 national scorers reach the in-person National Finals; the top 4 make the U.S. IBO team.
Logistics
AwardsSemifinalist and finalist recognition; the top 4 finalists represent the USA at the International Biology Olympiad (all expenses paid)
Applying
You submitYour school registers as a host (fee due October 23, 2026) and names a teacher as test administrator; you then register through the school. Homeschoolers and students at non-participating schools must find an approved host school.