The USA Computing Olympiad (USACO) is a programming and algorithm competition for pre-college students in the United States and worldwide. Based on programming proficiency, it is organized into four divisions: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Each division is harder than the one below it, and all new participants begin in Bronze.
The maximum score in a USACO contest is 1000 points, typically made up of three problems worth about 333.33 points each, with roughly 10 test cases per problem. To move up a division, you need to score above that contest’s promotion cutoff. Cutoffs are set separately after each contest and vary, so there is no single fixed threshold.
| Division | Focus | Who Starts Here |
|---|---|---|
| Bronze | Basic programming, simple logic and implementation (simulation, sorting, brute force) | All new participants |
| Silver | Common algorithms: greedy, binary search, prefix sums, graph traversal (DFS) | Promoted from Bronze |
| Gold | Dynamic programming, graph theory and shortest paths, efficient data structures (union-find) | Promoted from Silver |
| Platinum | Advanced modeling and algorithmic innovation; no fixed syllabus and no upper bound on difficulty | Promoted from Gold |
USACO Promotion and Cutoff Scores
Promotion is based on your score relative to a cutoff that USACO sets separately for each contest, so the exact number changes from one contest to the next. If you score above the cutoff for your division, you are promoted to the next division for future contests. A perfect score of 1000 earns immediate promotion, and you may be able to start the next division’s contest within the same window.
As a rough guide from recent seasons, monthly-contest cutoffs have mostly fallen between 650 and 750, while the US Open has gone higher, up to around 850. Treat these as historical ranges rather than guarantees, and check the official results for each contest, since cutoffs are only confirmed once a contest closes.
USACO Competition Rules
Registration. Registration is free. Go to the official USACO website at http://www.usaco.org/ and click “Register for New Account” to create an account. A free account is all you need to enter any contest window.
Contest schedule. The 2025-26 season has three online contests, each open as a multi-day window from which you choose a single 4-5 hour block to compete. Top US competitors are then invited to the US Open, which for this season is a proctored, in-person championship.
- First contest: January 9-12, 2026
- Second contest: January 30 – February 2, 2026
- Third contest: February 20-23, 2026
- US Open: March 28, 2026 (proctored, in person)
Format, languages, and cost. A contest typically has three problems and is free to enter. Accepted languages are C, C++, Java, and Python. C++ is recommended for the higher divisions and is the only language supported at the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI); on some harder problems it may not be possible to solve every input within the time limit using Python, because of its slower speed.
What each division tests.
- Bronze: entry level, for newer programmers. Basic syntax, simple logic, and straightforward implementation.
- Silver: common algorithms and basic data structures, such as greedy methods, binary search, prefix sums, and depth-first search.
- Gold: dynamic programming, graph theory and shortest paths, and efficient data structures like union-find.
- Platinum: advanced modeling and algorithmic innovation, with no fixed syllabus and no upper limit on difficulty.
2025-26 Season Rule Changes
USACO introduced several changes for the 2025-26 season, mainly affecting the Gold and Platinum divisions:
- Certified scores for Gold and Platinum. To earn a “certified” score, Gold and Platinum contestants must begin the contest when the problems are released at 12:00 ET on Saturday, within a roughly 15-minute start window (12:00-12:15 ET). A score earned outside this window is not certified, even if it clears the cutoff.
- The US Open is now proctored and in person. The championship is held at designated sites rather than online.
- Certified scores factor into camp selection. Top competitors from the online contests are invited to the proctored US Open, which is the primary determinant of training-camp finalist selection for this transitional season.
- Platinum reset to Gold. Platinum participants started the season in Gold, and USACO has noted it may continue this practice in future seasons.
- Generative AI is prohibited. Using generative AI tools to help solve problems is banned, as is working with others or reusing pre-written code. Violations can result in a lifetime ban from the competition.
Preparing for USACO
USACO publishes hundreds of hours of free training material and past contest problems with full solutions on its official website. Working through past problems at your current division and then reviewing the official solutions is one of the most reliable ways to prepare for the next contest.