Student-Friendly Design Competitions: Part 2
Back with Part 2 of graphic design competitions for students! If you're looking for opportunities to get your work outside of the classroom, build your portfolio, or just give yourself something new to work toward, here are 5 more student-friendly design competitions to check out. This list has a little bit of everything — logos, posters, stickers, packaging, and illustration — so hopefully you can find one that fits the type of work you actually enjoy making.
01. LogoLounge Book 16
If you're interested in logo design and branding, check out LogoLounge Book 16. LogoLounge gives designers the opportunity to submit their logos for consideration for the LogoLounge Book Series. One thing I really like about this competition is that the logo doesn't have to be a final logo that was actually used by a client. LogoLounge says they want to see your work whether it made it out into the world or never left your desktop. So if you have a strong logo concept from a student project, personal project, or concept that didn't end up being selected, this could be one to look into.
Good for: Logo design, branding + concept work
Deadline: December 1, 2026
Check it out:
https://www.logolounge.com/compete
02. FGCE Poster Design Contest
If you want an actual design prompt to work from, the Foundation for Graphic Communication Education (FGCE) Poster Design Contest gives students a specific theme and set of requirements to design around. The 2026–2027 theme is:
“Print: The Original Social Media”
For this competition, you'll create an 11 × 17 inch poster based on the theme while incorporating the required information and assets provided by FGCE. This could be a really good project if you want to practice designing within actual constraints instead of creating another completely open-ended portfolio project.
Good for: Poster design, typography, layout + print design
Deadline: February 19, 2027
Check it out:
https://www.thefgce.org/students/student-design-contests/poster-design-contest/
03. FGCE Sticker Design Contest
FGCE also has a Sticker Design Contest using the same 2026–2027 theme:
“Print: The Original Social Media”
Instead of designing a full poster, you're creating a sticker with a maximum finished size of 4 × 4 inches. Your design can be any shape, and FGCE encourages bold, highly visible designs that work well when actually reproduced in print. This could be a fun one if you like illustration, lettering, typography, or making smaller graphic pieces. There are separate secondary and post-secondary categories, with a $500 cash prize for the winning design in each category.
Good for: Sticker design, illustration, typography + print
Deadline: February 19, 2027
Check it out:
https://www.thefgce.org/students/student-design-contests/sticker-design-contest/
04. AICC Student Packaging Design Competition
Want to add a packaging project to your portfolio? The AICC Student Design Competition gives packaging and design students the opportunity to work through a real-world corrugated packaging challenge. This one is especially interesting because it isn't only about making the outside of a package look good. You'll have the opportunity to think about structural design, graphic design, functionality, and how an actual package works. If your portfolio is currently mostly branding, posters, or digital work, this could also give you a very different type of project to show.
Good for: Packaging design, structural design + graphic design
Application Deadline: May 28, 2027
Check it out:
https://www.aiccbox.org/news-events/competitions/student-design-competition/
05. Society of Illustrators Student Scholarship
If your graphic design work leans heavily into illustration, comics, or animation, put the Society of Illustrators Student Scholarship on your radar. The competition recognizes work from undergraduate students and awards more than $60,000 in scholarships. Accepted work can also be exhibited at the Museum of Illustration in New York City, featured in an online gallery, and reproduced in the competition's printed catalog. One important thing to know about this competition is that the eligibility is more specific than some of the others on this list. The 2027 competition is limited to currently enrolled undergraduate students in the United States and Canada. So definitely read through the full eligibility requirements when the 2027 competition opens.
Good for: Illustration, comics + animation
Opens: January 2027
Deadline: TBA
Check it out:
https://competitions.societyillustrators.org/
Before You Enter
Just like with Part 1, make sure you read the official competition guidelines before you start designing or pay an entry fee.
Check things like:
Student eligibility
Current deadline
Entry fees
Required dimensions
File formats
Categories
Geographic restrictions
Whether your project needs to be created specifically for the competition
Whether existing class or portfolio work is eligible
Usage and ownership terms for submitted work
Every competition is different, and requirements can change, so always use the competition's official website as your source of truth.
Need Help Covering an Entry Fee?
I'm also currently helping 6 students cover up to $50 each toward a design competition entry fee! If there's a competition you've been wanting to enter but the cost has been holding you back, you can enter my giveaway through the third pinned post on my Instagram, @jadacreativee. Giveaway entries close October 9. And if none of these are right for you, make sure you check out Part 1 of my Student-Friendly Design Competition list for even more opportunities. I'll keep sharing competitions, portfolio resources, and opportunities I find for student and emerging designers — because there's no reason to wait until after graduation to start putting your work out there.
