MinneMUDAC 2026: Student Data Science Challenge

Inviting teams of graduate and undergraduate students to explore real-world data while enhancing and showcasing their skills
About this Event

This experiential learning opportunity invites teams of graduate and undergraduate students to explore data to help solve real-world problems while enhancing and showcasing their skills. This year, MinneAnalytics is partnering with The Food Group to take on food insecurity. Join us for this unique collaboration between students, their academic advisors, and professionals from the community.

The Challenge

The MinneMUDAC 2026 client is The Food Group. The challenge and data will be introduced during the first Zoom Meeting (TBA) the week of Sepember 14. Registered advisors and students will receive an email with a link to join the meeting. The webinar will be recorded and accessible to all registered teams.

Student teams have one month to analyze data before presenting their findings to judges from the analytics community at the main event on Oct. 17 Teams with the highest scores move on to the finals. Cash prizes are awarded to top teams in each division. More is required of teams in higher divisions to complete the challenge.

Presenting Your Findings

Student teams will present their findings on Saturday, Oct. 17. During the first round (9 am-noon), teams have five minutes to present their model to a series of judging teams. Judges will also have the opportunity to ask questions of each team. Student teams should expect to pitch 4-6 times with each interaction lasting 7-12 minutes. After breaking for lunch, the finalists will present to all the judges.

Want to participate? Put together your team following the guidelines below! We recommend the faculty or staff advisor register for the entire team if possible.

Guidelines

Who is invited?

• Students: Undergraduate and graduate students welcome. Please note that you must enter the team name and name/email of a faculty or staff advisor to register. See team guidelines below.
• Faculty/Staff Advisors: Each team requires a faculty or staff advisor to provide guidance throughout the challenge. One advisor may advise up to three student teams. Advisors assisting more than one team must register for each team.
• Judges/Mentors: Share your experience with the next generation of analytics professionals. Industry professionals who would like to judge and provide mentorship may register by selecting the “Judge/Mentor” ticket option. For more information, see the "Judges/Mentors" section below.

Team Guidelines

• Each team requires a faculty or staff advisor to register as well as provide support throughout the competition.
• Teams are limited to five students and one faculty or staff advisor.
• Colleges and universities outside of Minnesota are encouraged to participate.
• MinneAnalytics is able to provide Friday night accommodations for teams traveling two hours or more; however the number of rooms available is limited. The team faculty advisor must request accommodations during initial registration.
• More than one team from the same college or university may participate. Individual students may only join one team. There is a limit to three teams from the same college department.
• Blended teams of students with different majors and skill-sets are encouraged.

Competition Divisions

• Graduate Division: For teams with advanced data management, data programming, and statistical/analytic skills to support predictive modeling, including at least one graduate student. Any team with one or more Graduate students will automatically be in the Graduate division.
• Undergraduate Division: For undergraduate teams with experience in data management, data programming, and statistical/analytic skills to support predictive modeling.
• Novice Division: For students early in their studies who have limited analytical experience and have limited experience with data management, data programming, and statistical/analytic skills. Any team whose school's data science program is less than two years old may participate in the Novice division.

Please note the Graduate division is not intended for career professionals with extensive experience. We welcome seasoned data pros to participate as competition judges and mentors, not as competitors.

Division level is chosen by the team’s faculty or staff advisor during registration.

Awards May Include:

Analytic Acumen: Awarded to the team in each division with the most technically appropriate and accomplished team presentation.

Serendipitous Discovery: Awarded to the team in each division providing the most interesting, if unrelated, findings or insights.

Overall Prediction: Awarded to the teams in each division (excluding Novice Division) with the most accurate prediction.

Competition guidelines, details, and timeline are still being finalized and are subject to change.

Judges/Mentors

Participation from professionals from the analytics community is key to the success of the MinneMUDAC competition. Judges/Mentors are grouped into small teams of 3 or 4 (ideally with a business professional, a technologist, and an academic to create a blended mentoring team). If you are a business professional who's been pitched a presentation before, a technologist who understands computer science and/or math/stats, or an academic who regularly engages students, then you are qualified to be on a judging team.

MinneMUDAC 2026 is co-produced by and the Midwest Undergraduate Data Analytics Competition (MUDAC).

PLEASE NOTE: MinneAnalytics requires a Driver's license or government-issued photo ID for entrance at all events.

All participants are expected to abide by the and the MinneAnalytics .