Apple has begun notifying winners of the WWDC 2026 Swift Student Challenge, which ran from February 6 to February 28. Students can now check the website to see if their coding projects were selected. While Apple hasn't disclosed this year's total winner count, past competitions have featured 350 winners.

Winners receive an achievement certificate, AirPods Max 2 headphones, and a free one-year Apple Developer membership. They also gain entry into Apple's lottery for the special WWDC 2026 event at Apple Park on June 8. The company is inviting students and developers to attend, though space is limited and travel costs are not covered.

Some participants will be named Distinguished Winners, earning an exclusive three-day experience at Apple's Cupertino campus without needing to enter the lottery. These students will attend the keynote meetup and interact with Apple engineers. The annual challenge tasks students with creating innovative projects using Xcode or Swift Playground, with winners selected for excellence in innovation, creativity, social impact, or inclusivity.