10 Best Online Hackathons for Beginners
If you’re keen on exploring computer science, technology, and related fields, it’s a good idea to start with building theoretical knowledge and practical skills early. Participating in hackathons is a great way to go about this while also having a little fun! While a lot of these challenges are conducted in-person, there’s a number of virtual options too. If you’re a beginner, however, wondering whether you’re experienced enough to participate in a hackathon - we’ve got you covered! This blog includes 10 online hackathons perfect for beginners.
Dates: March 16-19, 2024
Cost: Free
Registration Deadline: March 19, 2024
Eligibility: Any student aged 13+ is eligible to participate
Prizes: Cash prizes range from $50-$400 and other prizes are available as well.
Hackswift 2024 is designed to challenge and inspire you to create innovative solutions for global challenges. This year's theme ‘Streamlining Solutions for Global Challenges’, looks for projects that tackle significant issues efficiently. You can build virtually anything from websites, apps, to Discord bots, or any hardware integrated with technology. It's all about bringing new projects to life—projects that must be initiated and completed within the hackathon's time frame.
Hackswift 2024 is loaded with workshops approved by Hack Club and features sessions with guest speakers that are both enlightening and motivational. Scheduled workshops include a variety of topics such as ‘Scaling your Hackathon Project into a Startup’, which is perfect for those looking to transition their hackathon project into a viable business. For the tech enthusiasts, there's a FIRST robotics workshop, along with a session on how single-cell RNA sequencing can be leveraged to unravel the complex mechanisms behind cancer progression. There's also a workshop on creating a Convolutional Neural Network for Image Classification.
2. NASA International Space Apps Competition
Dates: October 7, 2024 (9 AM) - October 8, 2024 (11:59 PM)
Cost: Free
Registration Deadline: June 15, 2024
Eligibility: Everyone is eligible to participate
Prizes: 10 different categories/prizes available. Check the website for more details!
The NASA International Space Apps Challenge gathers coders, scientists, designers, storytellers, makers, technologists, and innovators from across the globe. This event leverages open data from NASA and its Space Agency Partners to create solutions to the challenges we face both on Earth and in space. Space Apps provides a platform for problem solvers everywhere to access and utilize free and open data from NASA and its partners. Participants form teams to tackle challenges curated by NASA experts, covering a vast array of topics including software development, astrophysics, space exploration, and storytelling, among others.
With over 280,000 registrations, 2,400 local events, and representation from more than 185 countries and territories, the NASA International Space Apps Challenge stands as a testament to global collaboration and innovation. Each year, thousands of teams submit projects showcasing creativity, teamwork, and the potential to address significant challenges. These submissions undergo multiple rounds of rigorous judging to select the Global Winners of the NASA International Space Apps Challenge, highlighting the most innovative and impactful solutions from the Space Apps community.
Dates: April 12-14, 2024
Cost: Free
Registration Deadline: Applications typically close March-end
Eligibility: All high school students are eligible. No prior coding experience is required!
Prizes: First place: $3,000 | Second place: $1,500 | Third place: $500
MHacks is run by University of Michigan students and is open to all high school students. The hackathon boasts great sponsors, like Google, and is well known for its top tier networking opportunities. You can work alone or in a team to develop a project that usually fits under seven cortices: Web Development, Android, iOS, AI/ML, AR/VR, Game Development, and Hardware. In addition to potentially landing a paid internship, there are myriad awards, like a $400 Amazon gift card, and other cash and physical prizes, worth tens of thousands of dollars.
Dates: July 8-25, 2024
Cost: Free
Registration Deadline: July 8, 2024
Eligibility: All high school students are eligible
Prizes: Cash prizes will be awarded. Information on the exact amount is not available
If you are interested in creating technology to further the common good, consider taking part in this hackathon. Each year, TechXcelerate presents a theme centered around social good. Within these bounds, you will work in teams of one to four to craft innovative projects related to software and technology, using any coding language you deem necessary – from front-end HTML to back-end C++ and data processing Python. Hardware projects are not eligible for this particular challenge. There are also thousands of dollars worth of prizes and exciting sponsor perks!
Dates: May 10-16, 2024
Cost: Free
Registration Deadline: May 10, 2024
Eligibility: Everyone is eligible to participate
Prizes: Cash prizes. The amount is not specified at the moment.
Spend a week hacking with the MLH (Major League Hacking) community at Global Hack Week: Data! This unique event is part of a series that takes place throughout the year, designed to give you the opportunity to complete technical challenges, network with the global community, enjoy fun live sessions, and build technical projects. Whether you're interested in data science, analytics, or just love data in general, this offers an immersive experience into the world of data with activities tailored to enhance your skills, expand your network, and add projects to your portfolio. From beginner to advanced levels, there's something for everyone to learn and enjoy.
Throughout Global Hack Week (GHW), there will be daily workshops live-streamed on their Twitch channel, allowing you to pick up new skills and collaborate with the community on various projects. Between these educational sessions, mini-events will run in the MLH Community Discord, offering you the chance to connect with peers, unwind, and participate in light-hearted activities. The challenges during GHW Data Week are diverse, including social challenges to encourage community interaction, technical challenges to boost your coding prowess, and design challenges to polish your creative skills.
Dates: December 20, 2024 - March 27, 2024
Cost: Free
Registration Deadline: March 27, 2024
Eligibility: Everyone is eligible to participate
Prizes: Cash prizes up to $9,000
HackSharks 2.0 is an opportunity that will allow you to tackle real-world challenges, either as a team or on your own. You will have the chance to connect with fellow tech enthusiasts, mentors, and potential employers through various networking events. The hackathon is supported by leading tech companies.
Through hands-on experience and expert guidance, you'll enhance your skills and deepen your understanding of the tech world. For your submissions, you can present products with interfaces ready for a demo, or contract code deployable on Futurenet or in standalone mode. Just ensure your video demo clearly explains your project's functionality and mechanics. Remember, your code repository must be public and include an open-source license.
Dates: April 5-7, 2024
Cost: Free
Registration Deadline: April 5, 2024
Eligibility: Everyone is eligible
Prizes: Cash prizes. The amount is not specified at the moment.
Focused on educational technology (edTech), this event invites students from across the globe to contribute their ideas and solutions to enhance learning experiences through technology. Reflecting on last year's statistics, Educate Hacks successfully attracted 671 participants, forming 82 teams from 93 schools, and was supported by 8 sponsors. The hackathon is structured in three main phases: registration, where students sign up and outline their proposed projects; submissions, where participants develop their ideas and present their initial concepts; and finally, the pitching phase, where teams showcase their solutions to a panel of judges.
The primary theme for Educate Hacks revolves around EdTech, encouraging projects that can make a significant impact in the realms of education, social good, and addressing real-world issues. Guest speakers, experts in their respective fields, will provide invaluable insights and inspiration, covering a wide range of topics relevant to today's educational challenges. This opportunity allows participants to not only compete for prizes but also to gain exposure to real-world problems, network with peers, and receive feedback from experienced professionals.
Dates: January 12-14, 2024
Cost: Free
Registration Deadline: There is no information available at the moment
Eligibility: All high school students are eligible, no prior experience is required
Prizes: Prize details are not available at the moment
United Hacks is the flagship hackathon by Hack United, a non-profit inspiring and educating the next generation of innovators. The goal of the hackathon is to provide a semi-competitive event, promoting inclusivity and creativity. Workshops will be offered for participants of all experience levels, whether newcomers or seasoned programmers. The hackathon's theme is Mental Health, but projects for a general track are also welcome. Any coding language is allowed, and you can work alone or in a team of up to four. Exciting prizes await, along with awesome networking opportunities with industry professionals.
Dates: May 15, 2024
Cost: Free
Registration Deadline: May 15, 2024
Eligibility: Students aged 18+
Prizes: Cash prizes totaled up to $20,000
Health Tech Innovators is a hackathon powered by Regeneron, designed to gather the brightest minds across the United States to revolutionize the future of healthcare and clinical research. You will help develop digital, scalable solutions that not only enhance patient care but also propel clinical research into a new era.
If your passion lies in Remote Therapeutic Monitoring and Remote Physiologic Monitoring for Real-World Data, Track 1 offers you the perfect platform to showcase your innovative solutions. Alternatively, if you're driven to make clinical trials more efficient, Track 2 provides an exciting opportunity to speed up the entire process from design through to data analysis. Each track encourages the creation of solutions that bridge the gap between patients and healthcare providers or streamline clinical trials, enhancing their speed, quality, cost-effectiveness, and overall participant experience.
Whether you're interested in developing tools for consented observational research data or creating a warm base of patients for clinical trial recruitment, this hackathon invites you to submit your project to either Track 1 or Track 2. With a wide array of potential digital solutions, from apps to comprehensive platforms, participants are encouraged to explore the Tracks link for more examples and inspiration.
Dates: July (tentatively, based on previous years)
Cost: Free
Registration Deadline: Registration stays open until the opening ceremony of the program
Eligibility: All middle and high school students (international students can apply as well)
Prizes: Up to $1,000 in cash as well as prizes like AirPods and Amazon Echo
STEMist Hacks 2.0 is a student-run hackathon that offers a high level of flexibility — you can work individually or with a team and you do not need to limit yourself to a specific theme. This means you have the freedom to work on any coding project irrespective of the field whether it is a physical product or software application. Your work will be judged on its technical proficiency, creativity, and the ability to solve problems effectively. Past editions of the competition have had over 140 participants from 20+ countries.
No coding experience is required to participate - all levels can participate (beginners have access to workshops to help them get started).
If you’re looking to build unique projects in the field of AI/ML, consider applying to Veritas AI!
Veritas AI was founded by Harvard graduate students, and through the programs, you get a chance to learn the fundamentals of AI and computer science while collaborating on real-world projects. You can also work 1-1 with mentors from universities like Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and more to create unique, personalized projects. In the past year, we had over 1000 students learn data science and AI with us. You can apply here!
Image Source - MHacks Logo