One free account is
all you need
Registering for the USA Computing Olympiad (USACO) is free and open to students in any country. There is never a fee — a single free account at usaco.org is the only requirement, and for USACO registering an account is the same thing as being eligible to compete. This page walks through account setup, step by step.
Independent guide — registration steps checked against usaco.org and the official sign-up instructions · Last reviewed 15 July 2026.
| Cost | $0 · always free |
| Where | usaco.org |
| You need | one free account |
| Register = | eligible to enter |
| Open to | any country |
| You start in | Bronze |
The Short Answer
How do you register for USACO?
Go to usaco.org, click Register for New Account, and complete the form in English. There is no fee and no application to write — for USACO, registering an account is the same as entering. Once the account is active you simply log in during a contest window to compete.
Registration is deliberately light. You can create your account at any time of year, and it stays valid across the whole season and beyond — there is no separate entry form for each contest. USACO asks only that you use the same login ID for every contest so it can track your progress up the division ladder.
Every new account starts in the Bronze division, regardless of programming experience. From there you move up by scoring above each contest’s promotion cutoff. That is the entire barrier to entry: no fee, no qualifying round, no invitation — just one free account and a contest window to show up in.
Step by Step
What are the steps to create a USACO account?
Five steps take you from nothing to a working account: create the account at usaco.org, fill in your details in English, activate it from your email, log in and set your own password, then log in again during the contest window to compete.
Create a free account
Go to usaco.org and click the Register for New Account button to start a new registration.
Fill in your details
Enter, in English: username, email, first and last name, your current school, and your high-school graduation year — type 9999 if you have already graduated. Set your country (students in China enter CHN).
Activate from email
Choose “Complete information and activate.” USACO emails your account name and a default password. Log in within 24 hours to activate the account.
Log in & set a password
Return to usaco.org, click Login, sign in with the emailed password, then change it to a password of your own.
Enter in the window
When a contest is live, log in and open the problems — your personal timer starts then. See how a contest runs.
| Field | Enter |
|---|---|
| Username | your login ID |
| password sent here | |
| First / last name | real name |
| School | your current school |
| Graduation year | 9999 if graduated |
| Country | e.g. CHN |
ACCOUNT.CHECK
registration fee = $0.00
From Anywhere
Can international students register?
Yes. Anyone, from any country, can register at usaco.org and compete in the online contests for free — students outside the USA take the same divisions on the same problems. Only pre-college students in the USA, though, are eligible to be selected for the training camp and the USA IOI and EGOI teams.
Register from anywhere
There is no age, grade or nationality restriction on entering the online contests. International students simply set their country in the form — for example, CHN for China — and compete alongside everyone else.
Use valid information
USACO requires a real name, correct graduation year and country, and a single login ID. Invalid account details or multiple accounts break the rules — see the full contest rules before you compete.
English is the official language
The official language of every contest is English. Volunteer translations sometimes appear on the contest page, but if they ever disagree, the English version is the one that counts.
When To Compete
When can you compete after registering?
Registration stays open year-round, but you compete only inside scheduled contest windows. For 2025–26 the online contests fall on January 9–12, January 30–February 2 and February 20–23, 2026, followed by a proctored US Open on March 28 — log in during any window to take that contest.
One timing detail matters at the top divisions: Gold and Platinum contestants who want a certified score must start Saturday at 12:00 ET, when those divisions’ problems are first released. Bronze and Silver can start at any point inside the window. The full schedule, contest format and that certified-start rule live on the guide.
See the full season schedule & format
Schedule and format figures from the official contest pages at usaco.org.
FAQ
Registration — frequently asked questions
Quick, self-contained answers to the questions students and parents ask most about signing up. Every answer traces to the official sign-up instructions at usaco.org.
Is USACO registration really free?
Yes. The official instructions state there is never any fee for participation. A single free account at usaco.org is the only requirement to enter any contest, and hundreds of hours of official training material and past problems are free as well.
What information do I need to register?
A username, email, your first and last name, your current school, your high-school graduation year, and your country. Enter everything in English and use valid details — for example, students in China enter CHN as the country.
Do I register separately for each contest?
No. One account covers the whole season. Use the same login ID for every contest so USACO can track your progress, then just log in during each contest window — there is no separate entry form to submit before a contest.
Can students outside the USA register?
Yes. Anyone worldwide can register and compete in the online contests for free, on the same problems as everyone else. Only pre-college students in the USA are eligible to be selected for the training camp and the USA IOI and EGOI teams.
Which division do I start in?
Every new account starts in Bronze, regardless of experience. You move up by scoring above each contest’s promotion cutoff. See the historical cutoff scores for what those thresholds have typically been.
What if I have already graduated high school?
Enter 9999 as your graduation year when you register. You can still create an account and compete in the online contests; only training-camp and USA team selection are limited to pre-college students in the USA.