List of hackathons about university in 2026

Join us March 19–20, 2026 at North Carolina Central University for the NCCU AI Hackathon, an in-person student hackathon powered by IBM SkillsBuild. Open to university students across Durham and surrounding campuses, this event challenges teams to design responsible, sustainable agentic AI solutions across three industry tracks: Healthcare & Life Sciences, Semiconductor Manufacturing, and Education & Workforce Intelligence.Participants will gain hands-on experience with IBM technologies, including watsonx Orchestrate and IBM SkillsBuild, collaborate directly with IBM mentors and industry experts, and build portfolio-ready projects.Teams will compete for a $10,000 prize pool sponsored by IBM while developing practical skills and professional connections that extend beyond the event.Register now!

Join us at Cal State LA on March 16th & 17th for the CSU AI Hackathon, an in-person hackathon powered by IBM SkillsBuild that brings together university students from Cal State LA and surrounding CSU campuses to apply artificial intelligence to real-world industry challenges.Participants will collaborate in teams to design innovative, AI-powered solutions across three industry-focused challenge tracks: Healthcare and Life Sciences, Semiconductor Manufacturing, and Education and Workforce Intelligence. Your AI-solutions will also need an emphasis on responsible AI, and highlight how agentic AI is being used in a sustainable manner. Throughout the event, students will gain hands-on experience with IBM technologies such as watsonx Orchestrate and IBM SkillsBuild, while working alongside IBM experts and industry mentors to explore how AI can be applied responsibly and ethically to solve pressing business challenges.Compete for a share of $10,000 in cash prizes while developing technical and professional skills, building your portfolio, and connecting with peers and professionals shaping the future of AI innovation.Register now!

Join us for the AI Hackathon at Ohio State, a 24-hour, in-person student hackathon on February 27th & 28th. Sponsored by IBM SkillsBuild in collaboration with the Buckeye Fintech Group, this event invites college students to build AI-powered solutions to real-world challenges in education and finance.Participants will receive access to IBM SkillsBuild AI courses and an exclusive pre-event webinar led by IBM technical experts to help them prepare for the hackathon. When the hackathon kicks off, teams will design, build, and demo AI-powered solutions across two challenge tracks (AI in Education and Fintech) using IBM AI and cloud technologies, with hands-on mentorship from IBM professionals throughout the event.Students will compete for a share of the $10,000 prize pool, build a portfolio-ready project, earn IBM SkillsBuild digital credentials, and network with fellow students and IBM experts while exploring the future of AI.Register now!