International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) vs International Biology Olympiad (IBO)

Comparing two elite STEM opportunities. Both are olympiads for high school students.

International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) International Biology Olympiad (IBO)
Prestige Tier Tier 1 — Elite Tier 1 — Elite
Type Olympiad Olympiad
Organization International Olympiad in Informatics International Biology Olympiad
Acceptance Rate Highly competitive; typically only 4 students per country compete at international level. Exact global acceptance rate unknown but extremely selective
Applicants Varies significantly by country; some countries have dozens to hundreds of participants in national preliminaries
Deadline
Cost to Apply $0 Free
US Only No / International No / International
Grades High school students (typically ages 14-20, exact age limits vary by country)
College Impact Extremely positive. Participation in the International Biology Olympiad—especially reaching the international finals—is one of the most prestigious achievements in high school STEM. College admissions...