HackUSU Breaks Participation Records in 2025

A record-breaking 540 college and high school senior students from Utah and Idaho converged on Huntsman Hall at Utah State University for HackUSU on Feb. 29 and March 1, Utah’s largest 24-hour coding competition.

According to Chelsea Harding, USU Huntsman School of Business lecturer and HackUSU director, the event’s success stems from its unique energy that pushes participants to create innovative applications and network with industry professionals. In its ninth year, with a break during COVID, Harding said HackUSU provides opportunities for students to dream big and prepare for their futures.

“The spirit of HackUSU comes when you’re here; there’s no limits and boundaries to what students can accomplish. We provide the space, time and even energy drinks so students can go accomplish the dream they have,” Harding said. “Students come with a set of skills and leave having learned about themselves and what they are able to accomplish.”

HackUSU works closely with sponsors who give their time, skills and finances. Many sponsors are former HackUSU participants who come back to judge, provide challenge prompts for categories and engage with students. Over the years hackathon students have even been offered jobs.

Students can participate individually or in teams in seven different categories. These include cybersecurity, hardware (using physical components such as sensors, microcontrollers and robotics), game dev, AI and machine learning, datathon, hack the planet (using technology to tackle social challenges), and sports analytics. Sports analytics is a new category this year.

During the recent 24-hour event, students brought computers, cots and even a few tents. Huntsman provided food and $12,000 worth of prizes. Brooke Monson, a USU Huntsman student majoring in data analytics and information systems, won the sports analytics category with her team and each team member took home a Nintendo Switch.

Monson says her favorite part of HackUSU is learning about everyone’s projects at the end and attending the awards ceremony. She says it’s inspiring to hear about creative solutions students come up with, and she loves the event’s environment.

“The place is alive with students who are exhausted but excited at the same time,” Monson said. “There’s a great balance of competitiveness and friendliness among participants, creating an all-around fun and energetic atmosphere.”

All the excitement and energy that is HackUSU was started by USU’s computer science department in 2015 with under 250 students. Even before attending USU, Harding had heard about the event from her older brothers and as a USU student in 2019, she volunteered to help run HackUSU. Harding has been helping with or directing HackUSU for six years and plans to keep what she calls the “joy of this crazy educational event” going for years to come.