DataHacks 2026

Overview

DataHacks 2026 is a 36-hour, MLH-certified hackathon hosted by the Data Science Student Society (DS3) at UC San Diego, bringing together over 400 students. This year's theme, which will be revealed at the opening ceremony, focuses on AI, data, and real-world challenges. Participants can join up to two tracks, including AI & Machine Learning, Data Analytics, Cloud Development, and more.

Requirements

This hackathon is for registered students who have received acceptance and are 18+ college students from the US. Teams can be formed beforehand or during the event. Projects must align with the central theme and use at least one provided dataset, unless you are in the Hardware & IoT or Mechanical Design & Biotechnology tracks. You'll need to submit your project on Devpost, including a project name, description, a 3-minute demo video showcasing sponsor product usage, a public GitHub repository (for code-based tracks) or visuals (for hardware projects), and your full tech stack. Presentation materials for the expo-style judging are also expected.

Prizes

DataHacks 2026 offers over $29,800 in cash and other prizes across various tracks and challenges. For example, the 'AI/ML track' has prizes including a Mac Mini and Apple Watch SE for the top 3 winners on a team. Other tracks like 'Data Analytics' and 'Cloud Development' offer prizes such as Nintendo Switches and Meta Quest headsets. There are also specific challenges like 'Best Use of Scripps Data' and 'Best Innovation with Google Build With AI', each with their own prize structures.