September 11th - 13th 2026
Join 800+ of the brightest minds in the nation for 36 hours of relentless creation, collaboration, and building!
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HackRice is Rice University's annual hackathon. It brings together creators, developers, and designers together under one roof to develop & showcase their creative and entrepreneurial talents in an environment designed for collaboration. Teams of up to 4 form to attack real-world issues, building viable software or hardware solutions within a hyper-focused 36-hour sprint.
This is an excellent opportunity for students to build a network of creators, receive internship & job offers from world-class sponsors, and learn modern tools & systems.
We hope to see you there!
September 11th-13th
Rice Student Center @ Rice University
800+ undergraduate builders & innovators
100% free, meals & swag included
We are fine-tuning the itinerary to ensure you get the absolute most out of your 36 hours. The full breakdown of workshops, meals, and speaker panels will be dealt out soon!
📋 Full Schedule PendingTailor your build toward a specific problem domain to qualify for category-specific prize pools.
Innovations in patient outcomes, biomedical tracking, and accessible wellness technologies to promote healthspan.
Build immersive worlds, interactive mechanics, or apply game design theory to turn everyday challenges into high-stakes engagement.
Exploring next-generation tooling, capital accessibility platforms, or small business aids for confidence & control.
Stack the deck in your favor by engineering smarter collaboration tools, slick automation platforms, and systems that optimize your daily grind.
Supporting the next generation of innovators, builders, and card-sharks.
Our 2026 sponsor lineup is currently being finalized. Want to get your company in front of 800+ top-tier developers, designers, and engineers? Email us at hack@rice.edu!
The event runs from Friday, September 11th through Sunday, September 13th, 2026. You’ll have a full, uninterrupted 36 hours of relentless creation, collaboration, and building.
Any current undergraduate student over the age of 18 is eligible to apply to HackRice. Since we are an MLH member event, participants must also accept the MLH Code of Conduct.
Last year, we hosted 400 bright minds from Rice & all over the world. This year, we’re raising the stakes and aiming to expand our table to welcome up to 800 hackers!
All Rice students are guaranteed acceptance. For Non-Rice students, we ask for some background information so that we can invite people who have demonstrated interest and skill. Above all else, we're looking for passion and excitement!
Teams can range from 1 to 4 hackers. Whether you prefer running solo or assembling a full crew of four, you're perfectly clear to compete.
You don't have to form a team before the event, or at all. At the start of the event, we will provide plenty of time to break out and form a new one if you choose to.
Please bring a student and legal ID so we can verify and register you on-site! You'll also need to bring a computer, whatever software you feel might be necessary for development. We also recommend that you bring power strips for convenience. Teammates are free to share equipment with each other.
We do our best to point people in the right direction and use tools and languages with a low barrier to entry. You will have access to our mentors and the HackRice team at all times! We will also be having workshops the week before the hackathon!
Yes! Rice alumni are welcome to attend to build projects or mentor current students. Just note that teams featuring alumni submissions will not be eligible to take home official hackathon prizes.
We do! This is what the majority of our budget goes towards. Make sure to keep an eye on our pages and check back closer to July to see the final status of travel reimbursements.
Director
Director
Director
Public Relations
Logistics
Logistics
Tracks & Workshops
Tracks & Workshops
Tracks & Workshops
Industry Outreach
Design Team
Design Team
Design Team
