The Oxford Royale Essay Competition is a free annual essay competition for students aged 12 to 18, open to participants from around the world. Essays are assessed by independent academics from leading universities, and winners are selected across two age categories.
Age categories and word limits:
- Ages 12-15: 600 words, choose from 3 pre-defined topics
- Ages 16-18: 1,000 words, choose from 3 pre-defined topics
Topics change each year and span a range of disciplines — from environmental science and AI to law, ethics, and global affairs. Past 2026 topics included questions on environmental impact, social media bans, AI and creativity, internet access as a human right, and the tension between tradition and innovation.
Awards: 10 winners are selected globally — 5 per age category (1st, 2nd, 3rd place plus two runners-up). Winners are recognized across the competition's communications and receive academic recognition from university-level assessors.
The competition is run by Oxford Royale, a leading provider of academic summer school programmes for students aged 12-18 at universities in the UK and US. Past winners have come from South Korea, Spain, Japan, the UK, Brazil, Latvia, Macedonia, and India.