2026 North Carolina State MATHCOUNTS Competition
Information Coming Soon!

State Competitions
March 1-31, 2026
Top students from each chapter (including NSCs, who can advance as individuals) advance to their state competition, taking place in all 50 US states, plus territories. No additional fees are required for competitors to advance to the state level.

Chapter and State Competition Schedule

North Carolina Statewide Coordinator:
Boyd Blackburn
[email protected]
(919) 918-2145 x 21802

NC (State) Competition (Date/TBD)
North Carolina School of Science and Math in Durham
8:30am-3:00pm
https://www.mathcounts.org/node/277526

MATHCOUNTS ®is a national math enrichment, coaching competition program that promotes middle school mathematics achievement in every U.S. state & territory. Sponsored by PENC & NSPE, MATHCOUNTS® is one of the most successful education partnerships involving volunteers, educators, industry sponsors & students.

MATHCOUNTS - PENC Supporting Math Education
Each year, increasing numbers of schools are discovering MATHCOUNTS, a program that rewards students for excellence in mathematics. Hundreds of North Carolina students participate in MATHCOUNTS competitions held in February each year. This nationwide math competition for sixth, seventh and eighth graders is sponsored in North Carolina by PENC with the cooperation of the NC Department of Public Instruction, the NC Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and several corporate sponsors.

Why PENC Supports MATHCOUNTS
MATHCOUNTS prepares students for advanced mathematics courses and for careers in many technical fields, including engineering. The program offers our members a positive way to support and strengthen math education at the junior-high level. Our specific goals for MATHCOUNTS are:

·         To increase students' motivation to be "math literate" by giving recognition to outstanding math students.

·         To educate the public about the importance of mathematics and the role math-oriented jobs playin our technological society.

·         To help strengthen math curricula in our schools

How the Program Works
Each Program has a MATHCOUNTS chairman directing a committee to encourage school participation, produce publicity, secure local sponsors, and organize volunteers to run the competitions. PENC provides each chairman with a Chapter Competition Planning Guide that recommends procedures for organizing the competition.

In August, Mathcounts sends schools registration materials. Throughout the fall, teachers at participating schools coach their students and administer an in-school competition. These activities spur students to view math as challenging, rewarding, and fun. Teachers select students to be a member of the school's team. A team consists of four members, up to six individuals, and coach. Beginning in February, the teams compete at one of Program competitions held across the state.

Each competition consists of written and oral contests requiring both team and individual work. Team and individual winners are selected based on the combined scores of the contests. The top-scoring teams at the local level advance to the state competition held in March. The four top-scoring individuals at the state competition from the North Carolina team enter the national competition All travel expenses to the national finals are paid by national MATHCOUNTS sponsors.

North Carolina Students are Winners
Teams from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, Panama, the State Department and Defense Department Schools compete at the national level. North Carolina students consistently do well in the competition and always win from the experience even when they do not bring home a trophy.

Chapters report that MATHCOUNTS is the most exciting program initiated by NSPE in recent years. The program is an excellent opportunity to involve new members and is also attracting the support of our long-time members.

If you have not seen a MATHCOUNTS competition, don't miss out again! Many volunteers are needed on the actual day of the competition. A small amount of volunteered time can make a big difference with MATHCOUNTS.  Reach out to one of the local Program Chairmen and volunteer.

MATHCOUNTS National Website