HackIllinois 2026

Overview

HackIllinois 2026 is the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's premier collegiate hackathon, offering a 36-hour journey of innovation and competition. It features company-sponsored tracks, workshops, mentors, and fun activities, catering to both beginner and advanced skill levels. This year also includes the HackVoyagers path for experienced coders with increased prize values and special networking opportunities.

Requirements

This hackathon is open to college students who are above the legal age of majority in their country of residence, and it welcomes participants from all countries. Submissions must include a GitHub repository (made public), a video demo or presentation (under 3 minutes), and a description addressing the specific track. More detailed information can be found in the attendee guide and on Discord.

Prizes

HackIllinois 2026 boasts over $28,000 in cash prizes and other rewards. The top prizes include $5,000 for the Best Voyager Hack and $2,500 for the Best General Hack. Other awards range from cash prizes for track-specific challenges like Best Web API, Best AI Inference, and Best AI Inspection, to hardware like mechanical keyboards, drones, VR headsets, and tech gadgets for categories such as Best Beginner Hack, Most Popular, Best Social Impact, and Best UI/UX Design. Several sponsors also offer prizes like API credits and gift cards.