The Wharton High School Data Science Competition, presented by the Wharton Sports Analytics and Business Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania, is a free annual competition open to high school teams worldwide. Each year, teams of 3-5 students from the same school are given a sports dataset and tasked with producing original data-driven analysis across three submission phases. The 2025-2026 competition focused on ice hockey performance predictions, drawing over 700 teams from 48 countries.
The competition runs in three phases: Phase 1 requires a data analysis submission; Phase 2 invites semifinalists to submit a slide presentation; and Phase 3 consists of live finals presentations. Teams work approximately 4-6 hours per week and must be supervised by a faculty advisor. Paid coaching is strictly prohibited.
Prizes include trophies, certificates, and program enrollment scholarships (free enrollment in Moneyball Academy or Wharton Global Youth courses) for top finishers. All participating teams receive certificates of completion. Past sponsors include Google Gemini and Goldman Sachs Gives.