Grade Eligibility
Rising Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors
Geographic Eligibility
US, International
Discipline
Essay Contest, Philosophy, History, Economics
Judging Format
Jurors
Entries
~20,000 essays
Percent Awarded
<1%
Registration Cost
No entry fee
Important Dates
Registration
May 31, 2025
Submission
June 30, 2025
The John Locke Institute Global Essay Prize, run by an independent educational organization based in Oxford, is a free international essay competition open to students under 19 across ten subject categories — Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology, Law, Public Policy, Science & Technology, and International Relations. Drawing over 63,000 registrations from 150+ countries in 2025 and awarding just 25 prizes, it is among the most competitive humanities credentials available to a high school student worldwide.
Scholarship worth $5,000 towards the cost of attending any John Locke Institute programme (for winners of a subject category and the Junior category)
Honorary John Locke Institute Junior Fellowship $10,000 scholarship to attend one or more summer schools and/or visiting scholars programmes (for the best essay overall candidate)
Essay showcased on the JLI website
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