The USA Computing Olympiad (USACO) is a high-school programming competition in the United States, and the contest that selects the US team for the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI). Founded in 1992, it has run for more than 30 years and is a well-established event for students who enjoy algorithms and problem solving.
What is USACO?
USACO’s online contests are open to students anywhere in the world, not only in the United States. They are designed for students who are interested in algorithms and competitive programming.
To take part, you register a free account, which lets you access the problems and enter any contest window.
Alongside building coding skills, USACO helps you:
- Develop stronger algorithmic thinking
- Improve your problem-solving ability
- Add a recognized activity to a college application
MIT Admissions’ blog lists USACO as the US qualifying competition for the International Olympiad in Informatics.
Who Should Participate?
USACO is a good fit for:
- Students who are interested in computer programming
- Students who plan to apply for computer science or a related major
2025-26 Contest Schedule (Eastern Time)
- Contest 1: January 9–12, 2026
- Contest 2: January 30 – February 2, 2026
- Contest 3: February 20–23, 2026
- US Open: March 28, 2026
Each of the first three contests runs over a multi-day window. Within that window you complete a single timed session, so you can choose when to start. For the 2025-26 season, the US Open is proctored and held in person at designated sites rather than online.
Certified scores in Gold and Platinum: a Gold or Platinum contestant who wants a certified score must start on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time, when the problems are first released (the schedule describes a short start window of roughly 12:00–12:15 p.m. ET). A certified score is the one that counts toward training-camp selection.
Online contests and training are open to students worldwide. However, only pre-college students in the USA are eligible for finalist and training-camp selection and for the USA IOI and EGOI teams.
How to Register
- Go to the official website: http://www.usaco.org/
- Click “Register for new account” in the top-right corner
- Fill in your details in English
After Registering
Once your account is set up, sign in and update your password if you wish. Registration is free, and it makes you eligible to enter any contest window.
Contest Rules
- Format: taken individually. The three monthly contests are online, while the 2026 US Open is proctored in person.
- Length: a single session of 4–5 hours, taken within the contest window
- Supported programming languages: C, C++, Java, and Python
C++ is the only language used at the IOI, so it is the recommended choice for the higher divisions. Python works well at the Bronze level, but on some harder problems it can be too slow to pass every test case within the time limit.
Scoring
- A contest usually has 3 problems, and the maximum score is 1000 points
- Each problem is worth about 333.33 points and has around 10 test cases
- Your score depends on how many test cases your solution passes
- Promotion cutoffs vary from contest to contest. In recent seasons the monthly contests have mostly required roughly 650–750 points, with the US Open sometimes higher.
USACO Divisions
There are four divisions, and you move up one at a time:
Bronze → Silver → Gold → Platinum
Bronze
- Where all new participants start
- Focus: basic programming, simple logic, and straightforward algorithms such as simulation, sorting, and brute force
Silver
- For students who have advanced from Bronze
- Focus: common techniques such as greedy algorithms, binary search, prefix sums, and graph traversal (DFS)
Gold
- For students who have advanced from Silver
- Focus: dynamic programming, graph theory and shortest paths, and efficient data structures such as union-find
Platinum
- For students who have advanced from Gold
- Focus: advanced modeling and problem design, with tools such as segment trees and advanced dynamic programming. There is no fixed syllabus and no upper limit on difficulty.
You advance by scoring at or above a contest’s promotion cutoff, which moves you into the next division for future contests. A perfect score of 1000 during a contest promotes you immediately, and you may start the next division’s problems within the same window. For the 2025-26 season, Platinum participants were moved back to Gold at the start of the season, and USACO has said it may do this again in future seasons.
Academic Integrity
USACO takes honesty seriously:
- You must work on your own
- Generative AI tools (such as GitHub Copilot or ChatGPT) are not allowed
- Pre-written code templates are not allowed, and you may not discuss the problems while the contest window is open
Breaking these rules can lead to a permanent ban from USACO.
Getting Ready for the New Season
Whether you are just starting out or working toward a higher division, a clear study plan and steady practice make a real difference. Preparation programs and training courses are available to help you get ready for the upcoming season.
