American Computer Science League (ACSL)
Expert Overview
The American Computer Science League, running since 1978, holds a season of four online computer science contests for students from elementary through high school, with the Senior, Intermediate, and Junior divisions adding a programming problem. Top scorers are invited to an online individual Finals.
Format
Judging Format
Recognition
Monetary
Grade Eligibility
Geographic Eligibility
Discipline
Entries
Percent Awarded
Important Dates
Registration Opens
September 1, 2026
Registration Deadline
December 31, 2026
Passed
Open
Approaching: < 1 mo.
Priority: < 2 weeks
Urgent: < 1 week
Registration Cost
Team Registration by school (first team per division)
$175
Additional Team Registration (per division)
$150
About
Each of the four contests combines a timed short-answer test on topics like number systems, Boolean algebra, and digital electronics with, in the upper divisions, a programming problem to solve in 72 hours in Python, Java, or C++. Contests are taken online on HackerRank during windows of about two months.
An adult advisor, who can be a parent, registers teams of up to 6 or 10 students, scored on the top three or five scores each contest, and pays $175 per team per division ($125 for Elementary). Top students and teams in each state earn certificates. Students who clear a score cutoff may join the Finals for $35, where top individuals receive prizes.
Participation is unlimited, so a Finals score cutoff, not rank, decides who advances.
Prizes Offered
Certificates are awarded to top scoring individual students in each US state and each non-US country (based on cumulative scores after the 4th contest)
For the ACSL Finals, the top scoring students in each division will get a prize and a certificate
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