ICPC Europe
The International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) is a programming competition for university students. Each team has three students from the same university. They solve real-world problems and learn teamwork, creativity, and how to work under pressure. ICPC is the oldest, largest, and most famous programming contest in the world. You can find mote on the website https://icpc.global/.
For 50 years, the best teams from all over the world have competed in the ICPC finals every year. They are chosen in regional contests.
The European qualifiers take place in four regions:
- Southeastern Europe (SEERC)
- Central Europe (CERC)
- Southwestern Europe (SWERC)
- Northwestern Europe (NWERC)
The 13 best teams from each region, with no more than one team from each university, qualify for the European Collegiate Team Programming Championship. There, they compete for the title of European Champion and also for a place in the ICPC World Finals. From this championship, 8 best teams from different universities that did not qualify earlier will advance to the ICPC World Finals.
The two best teams from each region, from different universities, go directly to the ICPC World Finals.
The European Collegiate Team Programming Championship in 2026 will take place in Poland, in Warsaw, from 6 to 8 February 2026. The host of the event will be the University of Warsaw.
About the University of Warsaw
Founded in 1816, this is the largest university in Poland and the leading research centre in the country.
A member of the 4EU+ European University Alliance, selected by the European Commission for funding under the “European Universities” initiative within the Erasmus+ programme (2019). Awarded the “HR Excellence in Research” title by the European Commission for following the principles of the European Charter for Researchers, confirming a friendly working environment and transparent recruitment procedures. Recognised by the European Commission for active participation in the Erasmus+ programme.
University of Warsaw has a long history with ICPC. In 2012, University hosted the ICPC World Finals. Moreover, students of the University of Warsaw have won the ICPC World Finals twice.
Learn more about the university, its history, and its achievements from the website https://en.uw.edu.pl/.
About the ICPC
The International Collegiate Programming Contest (“ICPC”) is a global algorithmic programming contest for college students around the world organized by ICPC Foundation designed to foster creativity, teamwork, innovation, and the ability to perform under pressure. Through training and competition, teams of three, representing their university, challenge each other to raise the bar of excellence in inventing trustworthy software systems that solve a range of complex, real-world problems. Today, the ICPC is the oldest, largest, and most prestigious programming contest in the world, having over 320,000 ICPC alumni including over 58,973 students from 3,407 universities in 104 countries within the last year. For more information about the ICPC, visit https://icpc.global.
About the ICPC Foundation
The ICPC Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization founded to advance the art and science of competitive programming for the benefit of society. The ICPC International Collegiate Programming Contest operates under the auspices of the ICPC Foundation which is responsible for ICPC services, sponsorship, fundraising, and outreach. The ICPC Foundation strives to showcase emerging talent and provide pathways for future generations to become rigorous problem solvers who build systems that benefit their neighbors, together, in harmony with the ICPC Code of Ethics. The ICPC Foundation operates programs and initiatives such as ICPC University Commons, ICPC-U, which actively engages in creating opportunities, especially for the underserved, and programs to connect ICPC Alumni so that they may continue to flourish. The ICPC Foundation Board has over 200 person years of service to the ICPC community, a love for the community’s impact on the next generation, and a common commitment to encourage and prepare every generation to pursue the path to peace and prosperity, together.