2025 Swift Student Challenge submissions open February 3

Apple’s Swift Student Challenge logo

Apple 2025 Participants Quick student challenge will be able to begin applying for the app playground project on February 3, during which 350 winners will be selected, 50 of whom will be able to visit Apple Park.

Apple launched the Swift Student Challenge in 2020 to encourage aspiring developers to learn and participate in the developer community. Eligible applicants present an interactive stage on the app’s playground and are judged based on demonstration of mastery, innovation, creativity, social impact or inclusivity.

The application window for the Swift Student Challenge 2025 was previously identified will open in February, but now the official start date is February 3 was divided. Applicants have three weeks to submit their project, and winners are announced in advance. WWDC, usually in May.

In total, Apple will select 350 winners, of which Apple will name 50 honorary winners who will be invited to Apple Park for three days. While the announcement is not specific, these three days generally coincide with WWDC in June.

There are several eligibility requirements, mainly applicants cannot work as professional developers and must be over 13 years of age in the US or older in some countries. They must be registered with a developer account and meet one of the requirements to be considered a student.

One of the following statements must be true:

• Be enrolled in an accredited academic institution or official homeschool equivalent.
• Be enrolled in a STEM organization’s educational program.
• Sign up for the Apple Developer Academy.
• Have graduated from high school or its equivalent within the last 6 months and are awaiting admission or have received admission to an accredited academic institution.

The app’s featured playground will be an interactive stage that can be viewed in three minutes. It should not require a network connection and should not exceed 25 MB.

Apple will publish full terms and conditions, as well as all updated eligibility criteria, when applications open on February 3rd. All winners receive one year of Apple Developer Program membership, a special gift e.g. AirPodspins, souvenirs and much more.