# CALICO Informatics Competition

Team-based online programming competition hosted by UC Berkeley students twice a year (fall and spring) for students up to 12th grade, with a large problem set, its own judge platform, and a public problem bank for practice.

## Key facts

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Organization | CALICO at UC Berkeley |
| Category | stem |
| Cost | Not listed |
| Deadline | Rolling / check official site |
| Eligibility | Grades 6–12 |
| Format | Online / virtual |
| Location | Various |
| Apply | https://calico.cs.berkeley.edu/ |

## About this program

# CALICO Informatics Competition

The CALICO Informatics Competition is a programming competition for pre-college students hosted by students at UC Berkeley. Run during the fall and spring seasons, each contest features a large set of original problems designed to promote the understanding of useful algorithms and grow competitors' problem-solving skills - a friendly on-ramp and training ground alongside contests like USACO.

## What You'll Do

- Form a team and compete online in the fall or spring contest (the most recent was CALICO Spring '26 on April 11, 2026)
- Solve a large number of problems ranging from beginner-friendly to highly challenging
- Submit solutions through CALICOJudge, the competition's own online judge
- Practice year-round with the public Problem Bank of past problems

## Who Should Apply

Students up to 12th grade who enjoy algorithms, puzzles, or competitive programming - the wide difficulty spread means both first-time competitors and USACO regulars will find problems at their level. Contests are online, so teams can compete from anywhere, and Berkeley undergraduates write and run everything.

## Outcomes

Competitors build algorithmic problem-solving skill against a national field, get exposure to problem styles used in collegiate competitive programming, and can track improvement across the fall and spring seasons. Strong performances are a meaningful signal for students building a competitive programming resume alongside USACO divisions.

## Frequently asked questions

### Who is eligible for CALICO Informatics Competition?

CALICO Informatics Competition is open to students in grades 6–12 (middle and high school). Some programs have additional requirements (GPA, coursework, essays, or recommendations) — the full criteria are on the official site.

### Is CALICO Informatics Competition online or in person?

CALICO Informatics Competition is fully online — students can participate from anywhere with an internet connection.

### How do I apply to CALICO Informatics Competition?

Apply directly through CALICO at UC Berkeley's official website. ExtracurricularHub links to the official application — we list and verify programs but don't process applications.

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Last updated: 2026-07-28.
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