Apple today began notifying students who won the WWDC 2026 Swift Student Challenge, held from February 6 to February 28. Students who entered the challenge can sign into the website to see their status.
Apple did not say how many winners it chose this year, but in prior years, the company selected a total of 350 winners. Those who win the Swift Student Challenge are eligible to enter Apple's lottery for the WWDC 2026 special event that will take place at Apple Park on Monday, June 8. Apple is also gifting winners an achievement certificate, AirPods Max 2 and a free one-year Apple Developer membership.
Apple is inviting students and developers to enter to attend the Apple Park event, but space is limited, so attendees are selected through a lottery process. There is no fee associated with the event, but attendees must pay for their own travel and accommodations.
Some of the Swift Student Challenge entrants will be named Distinguished Winners, and will be invited to Cupertino, California for three-day Apple Park experience. Students will attend the keynote meetup and will have additional opportunities to interface with Apple engineers and employees. Distinguished Winners do not need to enter the lottery to visit Apple Park.
Swift Student Challenge winners unable to attend the Apple Park event can follow along with Apple's WWDC announcements through the Apple Developer website and the Apple Developer app.
Apple holds the Swift Student Challenge annually, tasking students with developing an innovative coding project using Xcode or Swift Playground. Apple said it was selecting winners that demonstrate "excellence in innovation, creativity, social impact, or inclusivity."
WWDC 2026 will take place from Monday, June 8 to Friday, June 12.
