BYU’s annual high school programming contest (Provo, UT) doubled in participation, showcasing Utah’s rising interest in computer science through Minecraft-themed challenges and real-world coding competition.
Participation in BYU’s High School Programming Contest Doubles, Highlighting Growing Interest in Computer Science Education
Nearly twice as many students competed in BYU’s fourth annual High School Programming Contest this year, reflecting a surge of interest in coding among Utah teens. Held on April 22 at BYU's Provo campus, the contest drew 135 students forming 48 teams from 23 high schools across the state—a significant increase over last year’s turnout and a promising sign for the state’s growing tech talent pipeline.
Designed by former members of BYU’s competitive programming team, this year’s contest featured a Minecraft theme to engage students with playful but challenging problems. From simulating dragon battles to calculating optimal inventory slots, the competition tested problem-solving skills across 15 real-world coding scenarios.
“It’s great practice,” said Mr. Andrus, a computer science teacher at Green Canyon High School, who brought two teams to the contest. “The problems were more difficult than what’s on the AP exam, but that’s the point—practice hard, test easy.”
Hosted on the Kattis platform—a switch from prior years’ use of HackerRank—the contest required participants to write code using standard input and output, with no integrated development environment (IDE) and no assistance from AI tools. Teams could choose from languages including Python 3, Java, C, C++, and Kotlin, but were limited to offline documentation and printed materials.
Every successful problem submission earned teams a balloon in a different color, and the first team to solve a problem received a special one. The scoreboard was frozen during the final 45 minutes of the contest, adding suspense to the closing moments.
Rankings were based on the number of problems solved, with ties broken by factoring in time spent and penalties for incorrect submissions.
Top overall teams included:
The top beginner team (Davis 2) placed 10th, while Layton 3 was the top intermediate team in 12th place. Participants also had the chance to win Minecraft-themed raffle prizes and cash awards.
Every student will receive a custom Minecraft-themed 2025 BYU High School Programming Contest T-shirt.
Events like this one play a crucial role in cultivating the next generation of software developers in Utah. With increasing demand for coding talent statewide, BYU’s programming contest is more than a friendly competition—it’s a glimpse into the future of the state’s innovation economy.
For more information and to see full rankings or sample problems, visit the contest info page and Kattis contest platform.
Lisa Kimball is a SheTech Media Intern for 2024-2025. She serves on the SheTech Student Board and a SheTech Club President for her school. Lisa attends Green Canyon High School in North Logan. Her articles are published in TechBuzz News, Silicon Slopes, and other media channels.