Celebrating 10 Years of Data, Discovery, and Impact
Join us March 27-29 as the 2026 Illinois Statistics Datathon marks a major milestone — our 10th anniversary! Join us for a weekend-long, high-energy data competition that brings together students, faculty, and industry partners to tackle real-world challenges using data.
Brought to you by the Department of Statistics and Synchrony Financial, the Illinois Statistics Datathon is designed for students at all levels and from all fields of study. Whether you’re a seasoned data scientist or just beginning to explore analytics, this event is your chance to learn, collaborate, and make an impact.
Proud Industry Partners
Sponsored by Synchrony Financial
The Illinois Statistics Datathon is made possible through the continued partnership and support of Synchrony Financial. As a leading consumer financial services company, Synchrony provides students with access to real-world data, industry mentorship, and insights into how data-driven decision-making creates meaningful impact at scale.
Synchrony professionals will serve as mentors throughout the weekend, offering guidance, feedback, and industry perspective as teams tackle the Datathon challenge.
Sponsored by Databricks
Databricks is a leading data and AI company that empowers organizations to unify data engineering, analytics, and artificial intelligence on a single cloud platform. Founded by the creators of Apache Spark, Databricks pioneered the “lakehouse” architecture to help teams accelerate insights and build intelligent applications at scale.
Register Today!
Event Overview
The Datathon kicks off with opening remarks, food, and access to the competition datasets, followed by an immersive weekend of teamwork, problem-solving, and mentorship.
- Kickoff: Friday, March 27 (5:00 PM start)
- Location: Campus Instructional Facility
- Office Hours: Saturday, March 28
- Location: Natural History Building
- Competition Window: Friday evening through Sunday submission deadline (TBA)
The Datathon starts at the Campus Instructional Facility on Friday, March 27, then moves to the Natural History Building for Saturday’s Office Hours. Teams will have access to multiple large classrooms in the Natural History Building all day Saturday to work on analyses, models, and visualizations. Throughout the weekend, mentors from Synchrony Financial and faculty from the Department of Statistics will be available in-person and on Discord to support teams, answer questions, and provide guidance.
Who Should Participate?
All University of Illinois students are encouraged to participate — regardless of major or experience level. We especially encourage teams that include students from different degree programs or class levels, as diverse perspectives often lead to stronger solutions.
What to Expect
Data Competition
Put your skills to the test using a real-world dataset provided by Synchrony Financial. Teams will develop insights, models, and visualizations that address the Datathon challenge for a chance to earn prizes, recognition, and bragging rights.
Workshops
Learn from industry professionals and world-class faculty through hands-on workshops designed to deepen your understanding of statistics, data science, and applied analytics.
Food & Networking
Enjoy meals and refreshments throughout the weekend while connecting with fellow students, faculty, and industry professionals. The Datathon is as much about community as it is about competition.
Schedule at a Glance
Dates and times subject to change. A detailed schedule will be shared closer to the event.
Friday, March 27
- 5:00 PM – Event kickoff, food, and welcome remarks
- Dataset release and Datathon challenge overview
Saturday, March 28
- Team work sessions throughout the day
- Mentor office hours with Synchrony professionals and Statistics faculty
- Breakfast and lunch provided
Sunday, March 29
- Final work time and submission deadline
Wednesday, April 1
- Winning projects announced during Datathon Wrap-Up Presentation (TBA)
Registration Details
- Registration deadline: March 13, 2026
- Students may register as a team or as an individual
- Teams must consist of 2–4 students
- Team captains must register the entire team on the same form
- Teams must provide a team name at registration — have fun and be creative!
- Individual registrants may be paired with a team closer to the event
Register Today!
A team networking event is tentatively scheduled to take place prior to the Datathon to help students connect and form teams.
Why Participate?
By participating in the Illinois Statistics Datathon, you will:
- Gain hands-on experience working with real-world data
- Strengthen your technical and analytical skills
- Learn directly from industry professionals and faculty
- Expand your professional network
- Compete for prizes and recognition
- Be part of a 10-year Datathon tradition at Illinois
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need prior experience in statistics or data science to participate?
No prior experience is required. The Datathon is designed for students of all backgrounds and skill levels. Workshops, mentors, and team collaboration help ensure everyone can contribute and learn.
What programming languages or tools are allowed?
Teams may use any programming languages, software, or tools they feel are appropriate for analyzing the data and presenting their results.
How big are teams?
Teams must consist of 2–4 students. You may register as an individual and be matched with a team closer to the event.
Can students from different majors or degree programs be on the same team?
Absolutely. In fact, teams with diverse academic backgrounds are encouraged.
Will food be provided?
Yes. Meals and refreshments will be provided throughout the weekend.
Is there a cost to participate?
No. Participation in the Illinois Statistics Datathon is free for University of Illinois students.
What can I win?
Winning teams will receive prizes and recognition. Additional details about prizes will be announced soon.
Register Today for Your Chance to Claim Victory!
Don’t miss your chance to be part of the 10th Annual Illinois Statistics Datathon.
Register now and join us for a weekend of data, collaboration, and discovery!
More details, including the full schedule and prize information, will be posted soon.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Register Today!
Highlights from previous Illinois Statistics Datathons
2025 Datathon Winners Tackle Credit Risk and Customer Spending with Smart, Strategic Solutions – 2025-04-15 – Over 180 student teams filled the Campus Instructional Facility at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign on March 28–30 to compete in the 2025 Illinois Statistics Datathon, one of the most anticipated data science competitions on campus. This year’s event, hosted in partnership with Synchrony, challenged students to develop predictive frameworks that could forecast customer spending…
Illinois Statistics Datathon challenges participants in unique ways – 2024-04-22 – Fueled by determination, problem-solving ingenuity, and a few slices of pizza, 113 teams took on the challenge of the 2024 Illinois Statistics Datathon. The annual event, sponsored by Synchrony in collaboration with Sandia National Laboratory, invited students from all levels across campus to put their skills to the test to problem solve and present a viable business solution to enhance the…
Datathon performance leads to big opportunities for Peiwen Zhang – 2023-03-22 – In anticipation for the upcoming 2023 Datathon, let’s revisit last year’s Datathon and check in with one of the winners, Peiwen Zhang. The Datathon, held every year, challenges hundreds of students to tackle a real-world problem using data. Participants can expect to utilize a variety of data cleaning and visualization software to present a solution for the problem statement. Last year’s prompt…
Students predict stock market activity at 36-hour Datathon competition – 2019-04-02 – How do you expose students to real world problems and solutions? You can bring the real world to them, which is what happened at the recent Datathon held at the U of I campus. About 250 students came together at the Alice Campbell Alumni Center for a competition coordinated by the Illini Statistics Club, the …
Employers and students connect through LAS
University of Illinois students in the College of LAS connect with Synchrony, a leading consumer financial services company and sponsor of the annual Datathon, hosted by the Department of Statistics. Through this connection, LAS students earned internships at Synchrony, leading to full-time offers.
Questions?
Contact stat-marcom@illinois.edu