2026 Data4Good Analytics Competition
The Data4Good Analytics Competition is an international challenge for undergraduate students, master’s students, and industry professionals to upskill their business problem framing skills, AI/cloud services skills (AI-901: Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals), and professional delivery of an analytics solution that supports a real-world partner who needs your help! Participants can win big time financial prizes and gain free training and certifications. Judges will select regional champions, with regional winners invited to present at The Johns Hopkins University Carey School of Business in spring 2027.
Student Eligibility & Rules
Teams must register as groups of 3-4 students — all undergraduate or master's students (no PhD students), as the evaluation varies based on education level. One student can submit the registration form on behalf of their team.
While the competition is open to everyone, prize eligibility will only consider students pursuing an undergraduate or master's degree in the United States and Canada. Teams must specify their school and US region in the team registration form.
All participants must use academic emails (e.g., .edu) to register and participate in all competition events. Please ensure you use the same email address in every form you fill out throughout the competition.
Non-Student Eligibility & Rules (Practitioners or PhD Students)
A non-student may register themselves individually, or register a team consistenting of up to 4 total individuals (PhD students may participate in this category). One person can submit the registration form on behalf of their team.
This track is not region bound as compared with the student track. You will be competing against all non-students.
Please ensure you use the same email address in every form you fill out throughout the competition to ensure points are properly allotted to you individually, or as a team. Points errors from using different email addresses will not be corrected later.
Competition Rounds
Participating teams will first compete against other teams in their region as shown in the map. Non-USA participants are in ‘Region 5 - International’. Regional winners will be invited to compete at the final competition at The Johns Hopkins University Carey School of Business. Invited teams MUST participate in the final competition to be eligible to receive regional prize funds.
Note: Non-Student (Practitioners and PhD Student) participants are not assigned to a particular region but are grouped into one track.
Key Dates & Rubric
Note: If you can't attend the live webinars, watch the recordings by the deadline and complete the corresponding quiz (using your registered email address) to still be able to score full points. To access the recording, sign up for the session and wait for the recording email, sent after the event has finished.
Launch Date |
Event |
Due Date |
Individual points (max) |
Team points (max) |
Percentage |
|
9/11/2026 |
Competition Kickoff! (Webinar) | 9/25/2026 | 250 | 750 | 3.52% |
| 9/18/2026 | INFORMS Analytics Framework™ (IAF™): The Proven Guide to Developing Analytics Solutions (Webinar) | 10/2/2026 | 250 | 750 | 3.52% |
|
9/25/2026 |
Leading in Analytics (webinar) - https://pubsonline.informs.org/do/10.1287/LYTX.2024.01.01/full/ | 10/9/2026 | 250 | 750 | 3.52% |
|
10/2/2026 |
Mastering AI-901: Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals Training (3 hour Webinar) | 10/16/2026 | 250 | 750 | 3.52% |
|
10/9/2026 |
Beyond SAS Programming: Teaching the Full Data and AI Analytics Lifecycle with SAS Viya |
10/23/2026 | 250 | 750 | 3.52% |
|
10/16/2026 |
Incorporating Databricks | 11/16/2026 | 250 | 750 | 3.52% |
| Professional Deliverables | Due Date | Individual Points (max) | Team Points (max) | Percentage |
| Business Problem Framing Free Course (code to take course for free will be shared soon) | 10/18/2026 | 250 | 750 | 3.52% |
| Leading in Analytics - Five Manageable Tasks for Analytics Success | 10/30/2026 | 1000 | 3000 | 14.08% |
| Complete AI-901: Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals Certification Score | 10/24-11/8 | 1000 | 3000 | 14.08% |
| Complete SAS Badge | 11/29/2026 | 850 | 2550 | 11.97% |
| DataBricks Badge | 11/29/2026 | 500 | 1500 | 7.04% |
| Case Challenge Submission | 12/23/2026 | 2000 | 6000 | 28.17% |
Regional Round Leaderboard
Check out your team's score so far here
National Round Key Dates
|
Date |
Event |
|
01/13/26 |
Regional champions announced - top scoring undergrad/grad teams by region (10 total teams) invited toThe Johns Hopkins University Carey School of Business |
|
01/31/26 |
Final presentations at The Johns Hopkins University Carey School of Business |
Case Challenge
More than 80% of the U.S. population live in urban areas with between 100,000 to 20,000,000 residents, with billions more living in cities internationally. With this many people concentrated in dense places there are many opportunities, but also many challenges. Among all the challenges cities around the world face, safety is almost always near the top, with many leaders and residents looking for data driven solutions to protect their community.
The goal of this year’s Data4Good competition is to help make cities better, so our urban areas can continue to grow, thrive and survive while providing opportunities for a better life to their residents.
To do this, we will use data from Tempe, Arizona in the U.S.A. Tempe is a midsize city approaching 200,000 residents geographically positioned near the center of a 5,000,000+ metropolitan area, making it the 5th largest urban population in the United States.
Value Proposition and Prizes
- Proctored Microsoft AI-901: Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals Certification opportunity for only $25 (a $99 value retail)
- FREE six-month subscription to DataCamp
- FREE INFORMS Business Problem Framing training course (a $59 value retail)
- FREE Certified Analytics Professional - Essentials (CAP-E) Prep course (a $275 value retail)
- FREE access to SAS courses
- FREE Leading in Analytics course (a $499 value retail)
- FREE DataBricks .....
- Region 1 (East) Undergraduate Team Champion: $2,000 | Graduate Team Champion: $2,000
- Region 2 (MidWest) Undergraduate Team Champion: $2,000 | Graduate Team Champion: $2,000
- Region 3 (South Central) Undergraduate Team Champion: $2,000 | Graduate Team Champion: $2,000
- Region 4 (West) Undergraduate Team Champion: $2,000 | Graduate Team Champion: $2,000
- Region 5 (International) Undergraduate Champion: $2000 | Graduate Team Champion: $2000
- Any Region (Non-student Practitioner) Champion: $2000
-
- Undergraduate Team National Champions ($5000)
- Graduate Team National Champions ($5000)
- All regional champions will receive one-year licenses to DataCamp to continue learning and access certifications
Meet the Sponsors
The Johns Hopkins Carey Business School
The Johns Hopkins Carey Business School emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach to business education, integrating Johns Hopkins’ strengths in fields such as health, science, engineering, and international studies. It is particularly known for its focus on healthcare management, finance, and innovation. Carey Business School offers a range of programs, including full-time, part-time, and online MBA degrees, specialized master’s programs, and executive education.
Informs
INFORMS is a leading international professional association for analytics, operations research, management science, and related fields. Established in 1995 through the merger of ORSA and TIMS, INFORMS supports a global community of researchers, practitioners, and students by organizing conferences, publishing high-impact journals, offering professional development and certification programs, and fostering connections across disciplines.
Georgia Institute of Technology | Master of Science in Analytics
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a leading public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, known for its strong emphasis on engineering, computing, science, and technology-driven innovation. Its graduate programs benefit from close ties with industry, interdisciplinary research, and a rigorous academic environment. The Master of Science in Analytics at Georgia Tech is an interdisciplinary degree that combines strengths in statistics, operations research, computing, and business.
SAS
SAS (Statistical Analysis System) is a leading software suite for data analytics, business intelligence, and predictive modeling. Trusted across industries such as healthcare, finance, and government, SAS helps organizations manage data, uncover insights, and make data-driven decisions with powerful statistical tools and visualizations
Butler University - Lacy School of Business
The mission of the Andre B. Lacy School of Business is to prepare learners for success in life and leadership in business through experiential learning guided by a faculty engaged in research-driven thought leadership and known for relevant business experience.
Carnegie Mellon University | Tepper School of Business
At Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business, the Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) program empowers the next generation of data leaders to turn information into impact. Designed for recent graduates or working professionals, this STEM-designated program—offered in a 9-month Full-Time or 20-month Part-Time Online format—blends AI, machine learning, and business strategy with hands-on capstone projects that solve real-world challenges. Ranked the #1 Business School for Business Analytics by U.S. News & World Report, the Tepper School develops data-informed thinkers who lead with purpose, proving that analytics can drive both innovation and positive change.
NC State University's Institute for Advanced Analytics
NC State University's Institute for Advanced Analytics, home of the nation's first Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) degree, has been at the forefront of data science education for 18 years. Its 10-month MSA program affords students an intensive cohort-based learning experience structured around teamwork and industry-sponsored practicum projects. The fully integrated MSA curriculum continuously evolves to meet the challenges today’s data scientists face.
Mitch Daniels School of Business - Purdue Business
The Mitch Daniels School of Business at Purdue University, renamed in 2023 from the Krannert School of Management, combines a strong STEM foundation with business education to prepare students for data-driven, technology-focused careers. Offering undergraduate, MBA, and specialized master’s programs through its Bruce White Undergraduate Institute and Krannert Graduate Institute, the school emphasizes analytics, supply chain, finance, and innovation.
The National Applied AI Consortium
The National Applied AI Consortium connects community colleges, industry leaders, and faculty nationwide to build a robust national AI talent pipeline. Led by Miami Dade College, Houston City College and Maricopa Community Colleges, we're democratizing AI education by bringing cutting-edge, industry-informed teaching to the undergraduate level.
UC Berkeley | Master of Analytics program
Taught by world-renowned faculty and located in the San Francisco Bay Area, the global hub of innovation and entrepreneurship, UC Berkeley's Master of Analytics program offers constant industry engagement, cutting-edge curriculum, and personalized career support. Join the No.1 public university and emerge as a supertech leader of tomorrow, ready to deliver impactful data-driven solutions.
Virginia Tech Pamplin College of Business
The Virginia Tech Pamplin College of Business is a leading business school located in Blacksburg, Virginia, dedicated to developing innovative, ethical, and globally minded business leaders. It offers a wide range of undergraduate, graduate, and executive programs across disciplines such as finance, marketing, accounting, management, and business information technology. Pamplin emphasizes experiential learning, entrepreneurship, and data-driven decision-making, supported by strong industry partnerships and research initiatives.
