South Carolina Science Olympiad

About Science Olympiad

Science Olympiad is an international non-profit organization devoted to improving the quality of science education, increasing student interest in science and providing recognition for outstanding achievement in science education by both students and teachers. These goals are accomplished through classroom activities, research, training workshops, and the encouragement of intramural, district, regional, state, and national tournaments. Science Olympiad tournaments are rigorous academic interscholastic competitions that consist of a series of team events, which students prepare for during the year. These challenging and motivational events are well balanced between the various science disciplines of biology, earth science, chemistry, physics, and technology. The Science Olympiad was created in 1983 by Dr. Gerard J. Putz and Jack Cairns to increase the interest in science and as an alternative to traditional science fairs and single-discipline tournaments. After successful trial Olympiads were held in their respective states of Michigan and Delaware, the Science Olympiad began to grow. Science Olympiad has members in all 50 states totaling more than 13,500 actively participating K-12 schools.

Welcome to the 2026–27 SCSO season!

We are excited to begin the 42nd year of Science Olympiad in South Carolina! Here are some important dates to put on the calendar for this season.

  • September 1, 2026 — Registration opens (fee: $200 per team) - register here

  • December 31, 2026 — Last day to register without late fee (+$50 per team)

  • January 20, 2026 — Registration closes

  • February 1, 2027 — Team numbers released for state tournament

  • February 27, 2027 — SCSO State Tournament @ Presbyterian College, Clinton, SC

  • May 14–15, 2027 — Science Olympiad National Tournament @ Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

About Our Hosts

Inspired by the motto, "While We Live, We Serve," Presbyterian College celebrates an enduring culture of academic rigor, honor, and service.

PC is a nationally-ranked liberal arts college that provides students of all faiths, identities, and backgrounds with a transformative education to equip them for impactful careers and empower them to serve as powerful forces for positive change. PC's distinctive approach uses innovative service as a tool of self-discovery, an amplifier of problem-solving skills, and a catalyst of curiosity epitomized by the newly-developed Center for Inquiry, Research, and Scholarship (CIRAS).

PC was founded in 1880 by the Rev. William Plumer Jacobs in the historic city of Clinton in the foothills of South Carolina. The college offers a wide variety of undergraduate majors and three graduate programs—occupational therapy (OTD), physician assistant (PA), and pharmacy (PharmD)—that firmly place the college as a hub for science in higher education. PC student-athletes—the Blue Hose—participate in nineteen sports at the NCAA Division I level.

For more information about Presbyterian College, go to www.presby.edu.

Neville Hall