Three kinds of event, before you register
First, read who can enter. "Open to anyone" usually still means you are above the legal age of majority, and some countries are excluded. "Students only" can mean current enrolment, or a tight age band such as 13–18 or 13–19. In-person events add travel, and sometimes a participation fee.
For how to pick a brief, form a team and actually submit, use How to enter AI hackathons (and actually finish). This page is about which student-relevant events are open now. Our competitions guide covers prizes and eligibility in general.
Large open hackathons students can enter
These are not student-only, but a student who meets the age and country rules can enter:
- Kiroween 2026: $100,000 in prizes (1st $30,000), deadline 4 December 2026 at 2:00pm PST. New projects built with Kiro from 30 October 2026. Above the legal age of majority; some countries excluded.
- Codegeist 2026 (Atlassian hackathon): $120,000+ in prizes (three $15,000 first prizes, plus agent/MCP bonus prizes), deadline 22 December 2026 at 12:00pm PST. Build a Forge app, with AI agent and MCP bonus categories. Same age and country pattern.
Both run online on Devpost. Read the official rules for excluded countries before you invest a weekend.
Student-only and age-banded events
- Arbiter Hacks V1: students aged 13+, $7,800, deadline 9:00pm PST on 20 December 2026.
- checkpoint 1: games for good (AI-native teen hackathon): students aged 13–18 only, a 48-hour event on 8–10 January 2027, $11,960 in cash. Register on Devpost.
- AI for Human Impact: Global BASIS Hackathon: high-school students aged 13–19, $10,200. Registration opens 22 November 2026 and closes 16 January 2027; the build week is 6–12 February 2027.
If you are 17, you may be eligible for Checkpoint and BASIS but not for an "age of majority" event. If you are a university student over 19, those two will not fit, and Arbiter or the open Devpost events are the better match.
In-person events, with travel or a fee
- START Hack League Munich 2026: for students, in person at TUM Munich, €4,000. It closes at 12:45pm Munich time on 22 November 2026, so this one is soon. Only enter if you can actually be in Munich.
- HackWithAditya (with OpenAI Student Collective): in person, ₹5,00,000 prize pool, closing 11:45pm IST on 25 November 2026. Shortlisted participants pay ₹800 per member, which covers stay and meals.
A fee that covers stay is not a hidden prize deduction, but it is still money you have to find before you travel. Check visas and whether minors need a guardian, especially under the age-banded rules above.
How to enter without missing the point
- Confirm you meet the age or enrolment rule, not just that you are "a student" in everyday language.
- If the event is in person, treat travel as part of the decision, not an afterthought.
- Start with one event you can finish. A clear Devpost submission beats two half-built projects.
- Read the prize structure: a headline pool is usually split across places and tracks.
Open events are on our competitions list.
