North American Computational Linguistics Open Competition (NACLO)

Competition · NACLO (university linguistics departments consortium)

Students solve self-contained linguistic puzzle problems — no prior linguistics coursework required — in an Open Round held at university or high-school test sites. Top scorers advance to an Invitational Round, and the strongest performers can be considered for the US team at the International Linguistics Olympiad. Registration and participation are free.

Who can apply

GradesGrades 9–12

Min GPA—

ScopeNational

StatesAll states

FieldsLinguistics · Computer Science · Languages

Logistics

Cost to youFree

Financial aidNot listed

StipendNot listed

FormatVaries

WhereUniversity or high-school test sites (in person)

AwardsIndividual medals and best-solution awards; top scorers can advance toward the International Linguistics Olympiad team

Applying

OpensRegistration opens October 12

DueOpen Round exam is January 28, 2027

You submitRegister online, choose a test site, and get a NACLO ID before contest day; no essay or transcript required

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