In U.S. college admissions, USACO (the USA Computing Olympiad) is one of the most recognized computer science competitions for high-school students. Strong results can strengthen a computer science application, and MIT Admissions’ blog lists USACO as the US qualifying competition for the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI). USACO is free to enter and open to students worldwide, though only pre-college students in the USA are eligible for finalist and training-camp selection.
2025-26 USACO Competition Schedule
The USACO season runs three online contests followed by the US Open. For 2025-26 the US Open is proctored and held in person at designated sites, a change from previous years. Every contest window is free to enter.
| Contest | Dates (2026) |
|---|---|
| First online contest | January 9-12 |
| Second online contest | January 30 – February 2 |
| Third online contest | February 20-23 |
| US Open (proctored, in person) | March 28 |
Each contest runs over a multi-day window, and you take it once in a single 4-5 hour block that you choose within that window. For 2025-26, Gold and Platinum contestants who want a certified score must start on Saturday at 12:00 PM ET, when the problems are released, within a short start window of about 15 minutes.
USACO Divisions
USACO has four divisions. All new participants begin in Bronze, and the difficulty increases at each level.
| Division | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Bronze | Entry level: basic programming, simple logic, simulation, sorting, and brute force |
| Silver | Common algorithms: greedy, binary search, prefix sums, and graph traversal (DFS) |
| Gold | Dynamic programming, graph theory and shortest paths, and efficient data structures |
| Platinum | Advanced modeling with no fixed syllabus; segment trees and advanced DP are typical |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I enter more than one contest in a season?
Yes. If you do not earn promotion in one contest, you can enter the next contest window in the season and try again. Whether that makes sense depends on your schedule and how prepared you feel, since each attempt is a separate 4-5 hour effort.
Can I take the same contest more than once?
No. You register a single account and take each contest once, within one time block during the contest window. USACO requires one account per student and does not allow repeated attempts at the same contest. Integrity violations can lead to disqualification and a lifetime ban.
Do I have to start from Bronze every season?
Traditionally, once you are promoted to a division your placement carries over to future seasons, so a student promoted to Gold would begin the next season in Gold rather than Bronze. This is not guaranteed, however. For the 2025-26 season, Platinum competitors were reset to Gold to start, and USACO has said it may continue that practice in the future.
Does USACO issue certificates?
USACO does not issue traditional paper certificates. Your division and contest results are recorded in your account on usaco.org, and official results are published on the site each season.
Which programming language should I use?
USACO supports C, C++, Java, and Python. C++ is the most common choice and is the official recommendation for higher divisions, since it is the only language used at the IOI and runs faster than Python. Bronze problems are designed to be fully solvable in Python, but on harder problems Python’s slower speed can make some test cases difficult to pass within the time limit.
How much does it cost to take part?
Nothing. There is never any fee to participate. Students register a free account individually at usaco.org.
Free USACO preparation materials
Scan the QR code below for practice problems, study guides, and past contests.