DataFest 2026
DataFest is an international competition organized by the American Statistical Association (ASA) and hosted at universities across the world. Students are provided with a large dataset inspired by a real-world challenge and attempt to use their skills in data visualization, exploratory data analysis, and machine learning to propose a solution within 48 hours (over a weekend).
Undergraduate students, operating in teams of 2-5, benefit from working alongside graduate students, professors, and industry professionals as expert mentors.
Participants must be undergraduate students at Northwestern University or University of Chicago.
DataFest 2026
Friday, April 24 at 5 pm - Sunday, April 26 at 7:30 pm
Registration is now closed for Northwestern's ASA DataFest, as maximum event capacity has been reached. However, if you are still interested in attending DataFest, you can join the waitlist for the event in case more seats become available using the registration link. There are also additional non-participant ways to get involved, which you can see below!
Read more about DataFest 2026 & register here
Want to mentor undergraduate student teams to help unleash their potential in the competition? While graduate students and faculty cannot compete in the ASA DataFest at Northwestern University, we strongly encourage them to advise undergraduate student teams as mentors during the event!
Read more and sign up here
Want to be part of the fun without having to compete? Be an event volunteer & help us run the event! There are several ways you can help - technical support, photography, social media, check-in desk, clean-up crew, etc. Join us during the event days (24th - 26th April 2026), hang out, meet people, and have food & fun!
Read more and sign up here