FAQ

We’re an organization dedicated to promoting geographical knowledge and education nationwide. Our primary focus is organizing the National Geography Bee, a nationwide competition for middle and high schoolers that aims to inspire and build curiosity about the people and places around them—including their home state, the United States as a whole, and the world at large. We are officially registered as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in the state of Massachusetts.

We are completely independent of and totally unaffiliated with National Geographic, which used to run a geography bee for fourth through eighth graders until 2020, as well as any other organization that runs geography competitions at any level.

Registration for the 2027 National Geography Bee will close on December 18, 2026. The school-level competition will kick off on January 3, 2027 and run until February 26. School champions will take the National Qualifying Test between March 1 and March 5, and the top scorers will compete in the National Finals in late April 2027.

For high schools: The National Geography Bee will be offering early bird discounts for schools that sign up in the earlier weeks of our registration period. The entry fees for the 2027 National Geography Bee are as follows:

• Until November 1, 2026: $95 (discounted to $75 for 2026 Bee participants!)
• From November 1 through December 18: $150

For middle schools: the entry fee will be $75 through the end of the registration period on December 18, 2026.

For information on the National Geography Bee structure, please refer to the information provided on our guidelines page.

For sample questions, please refer to our guidelines page.

Unfortunately, the National Geography Bee does not allow individual students to register for the competition. Please reach out to your teacher or school administrator and encourage them to sign up for the Bee at our registration page!

Yes! However, the National Geography Bee will not be hosting any competitions for middle schoolers past the school level. If you are a middle school teacher interested in hosting a school-level competition, please submit this registration form.

Unfortunately, the National Geography Bee at this time cannot accommodate homeschooled students. We hope to expand over the coming years!

Email us at team@nationalgeobee.org! We’re always looking for volunteers who can help us write questions, plan events, raise money, and create good vibes.

If you’re interested in making a donation, go to our donation page or mail a check to National Geography Bee, Inc. at PO Box 106, 15 South Main Street, Sharon, MA, 02067, or Zelle us at team@nationalgeobee.org!

If you represent a business and want to partner with us, we’d love to chat! Email us at team@nationalgeobee.org.