A total of 174 senior high schools are set to compete in Ghana’s 2026 National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ), with the competition officially launched ahead of the national championship.
The championship will be held at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), which will host the event for the third time.
The participating schools include regional qualifiers, seeded schools, private schools and top-performing runners-up from the regional contests.
The winner will receive a top prize of GH₵80,000, as schools battle for national recognition and the title of Ghana’s best science and mathematics school.
This year’s competition will also see 10 schools make their first appearance at the national championship. Tamale Girls’ Senior High School is meanwhile returning to the national stage for the first time since 2018.
One of the key talking points is whether an all-girls’ school can win the NSMQ for the first time.
Wesley Girls’ High School has been tipped as a potential contender, despite not being among the seeded schools.
With 174 schools in contention, the 2026 contest is expected to produce another closely fought battle for one of Ghana’s most prestigious academic titles.
