Competition
USA Computing Olympiad (USACO)
USA Computing Olympiad (USACO)
Recognition
Top scorers are promoted through four divisions (bronze, silver, gold, platinum) based on contest performance. Top USA competitors from the proctored US Open contest are invited to an intensive summer Training Camp; from the camp, 4 students are selected for the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) team and the top 4 female high-school students for the European Girls' Olympiad in Informatics (EGOI). USACO pays all IOI/EGOI expenses.
Deadline
Rolling
The USA Computing Olympiad (USACO) is a free, web-based competitive programming series with four skill divisions (bronze, silver, gold, platinum) open to participants worldwide, run to identify and train USA computing talent and select the USA teams for the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) and European Girls' Olympiad in Informatics (EGOI).
Eligibility
- Citizenship
- Any
- Fields of study
- Computer science, Mathematics
Application requirements
- Create a USACO account: Visit usaco.org, click 'Register for New Account,' and provide username, email, real first/last name, school, graduation year, and country/region. Fake names may result in deleted results.
- Begin competing in the Bronze division: All new participants start in the bronze division; strong scorers are promoted to silver, gold, then platinum in subsequent contests.
- Complete a contest within the scheduled weekend window: Each of the season's 3 online contests runs Friday-Monday; participants self-schedule a continuous ~4-hour block (5 hours for US Open) after logging in and downloading problems. Solutions submitted in C, C++, Java, or Python.
- (Optional, gold/platinum) Start at the official release time for a certified score: USA students wanting a certified score in gold or platinum must start at 12:00 ET Saturday when those divisions' problems are first released.
- Qualify for and complete the proctored US Open contest: Performance in the US Open is the primary determinant for Training Camp finalist invitations.
- (Elite path) Accept Training Camp invitation if selected: Top USA competitors (pre-college, US citizen/resident) are invited to the late-May training camp; USACO covers camp costs, participants pay their own transportation to camp.
Verified Jul 8, 2026 · View official source