HackDavis is an annual, student-run hackathon at the University of California, Davis, and an official Major League Hacking (MLH) event. Teams spend 24 hours building anything from apps and hardware to simple websites, under the theme “create for social good”.
The tenth edition ran on 9–10 May 2026 at the University Credit Union Center in Davis, California. Registration for 2026 has closed; 2027 dates are not yet announced.
Benefits & funding
- Free for all admitted participants.
- No travel reimbursement: travel and accommodation are at your own cost.
- Prize tracks (subject to change) with non-cash prizes such as laptops, headphones and API or cloud credits; over $20k in prizes in total (About page).
- Best Hack for Social Good winners also get a guaranteed interview for the Student Startup Center’s Entrepreneur in Residence program, which gives milestone-based funding; the whole team must be current UC Davis students.
Eligibility
- Undergraduate and graduate students of any major, from any school.
- Graduates who completed their degree within the past year.
- High school students only if they are above the age of 18.
- No coding experience needed; beginners are welcome.
- Teams of up to 4, or solo.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
“HackDavis is open to all undergraduate and graduate students from all majors and all schools, and graduates who have completed their degrees within the past year. … We are also open to high school students above the age of 18.” Eligibility
Education required
High School · Bachelor Enrolled · Master Enrolled · PhD Enrolled · Bachelor
Circlebreaker is a free database of global fellowships, scholarships and programs — every one decoded like this.
We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.
Application process
- 1Register on hackdavis.io when registration for the next edition opens; the event is for admitted participants.
- 2Attend in person in Davis and submit one project per team.
Program timeline
9–10 May 2026
HackDavis 2026, Davis (registration closed before the event; exact close date not published)
next edition, dates TBA
2027